 Dear Neighbors, Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s great to be back at the State Capitol. It’s been quite a busy week between committee meetings, constituent meetings and meetings with organizations on their legislative platforms. Let’s dive in. Committee work is underway with the GOP leading the House agenda for the next four weeks. Republicans have already introduced several pieces of harmful legislation that would hurt our students, neighbors, healthcare systems, eliminate reproductive freedoms, transit, and more. They’ve even introduced their own version of a “Parents Bill of Rights”, essentially dictating what their children learn in schools, blocking American History curriculum and more content they don’t agree with. Committee MeetingsIn the Education Finance Committee, we had an overview of the Governor’s budget proposal and the Minnesota Department of Education's budget proposal. Next week we will be rolling into bill hearings. In the Ways and Means Committee we would traditionally hear an overview of the State Budget and November forecast from non-partisan staff and the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget. Instead, Chair Torkelson had a conservative, partisan presentation from the Center of the American Experiment, an organization that later disparaged our committee members' comments on their podcast. In Taxes, we heard a variety of bills from sales tax exemptions for baby materials to sales tax exemptions on construction materials. We also heard a proposed controversial constitutional amendment that would raid our emergency and rainy-day funds, as well as funds used to stabilize our school district budgets. Additionally, we heard a bill to increase an exemption on the estate tax from $3 million dollars to $14 million.  Your Input Needed: Keep it Digitally Safe!In the United States, we have guardrails on all kinds of products like seatbelts in cars or warning labels on tobacco products. We do things to protect ourselves from products that are legal, but deadly without safety measures. I’m interested in learning how that could be applied to social media. The Keep it Digitally Safe, or KiDS, Campaign is a global contest inviting parents and kids to submit social media warning label ideas to raise awareness about the risks associated with social media and promote safer online practices. Individuals and teams can submit their entries at keepitdigitallysafe.org. All entries must be submitted by 8:00 a.m. CST on Friday, April 18.  KiDS aims to amplify the impact of significant risk and real physical harm occurring on social media every minute of every day. Through public messaging created through the KiDS Campaign, SAVE and other organizations want to implement real change for accountability and transparency from social media companies through legislative action. Guidance to School Districts regarding ICEMinnesota Attorney General Elison joined the Minnesota Department of Education to provide guidance around U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement entering our schools. You can see the guidance here. Minnesota schools continue to be bound by law to provide public education to students regardless of immigration status, must protect student data, and cannot be compelled to enforce a federal program or changes in federal policies. Constituent MeetingsOn Monday, I had the opportunity to chat with the owner and folks from Mac’s Liquor in Hopkins. We went over the legislative agenda and talked about concerns around liquor in grocery stores and the ability to continue to sell THC products. Thank you for the conversation!  Affordable Housing Day had different groups visiting on Tuesday to discuss the need for affordable and market rate housing, as well as the barriers to building up that housing stock. I met with a mother and daughter who volunteer with Beacon Housing. Thank you for your advocacy to make sure folks have a place to call home. A group from Reach for Resources in Hopkins here for Minnesota Social Services Day. We discussed the need for better reimbursement models to meet their caseloads. I also met with folks from People for Pride in Living to discuss their alternative education programs and the investment they need to continue their good work.   Wednesday brought a variety of folks visiting the Capitol to advocate. Duluth schools to discuss career technical education (CTE) pathways, a visit from ServeMN and Americorp to discuss their Math Corp program, an amazing group of CTE teachers to talk about the programs they expanded because of the investments we made last session, and folks from iCivics to discuss civic education programming. I also had a chance to meet with one of our new reporters from the Sun Sailor, Nina Thompson.  I had a well attended Community Conversation last Saturday! Thank you to the 25+ people who attended. We had a thoughtful discussion around topics from affordable housing and education funding to protecting our climate and property taxes. A big thank you to Hennepin County Sergeant Howse for letting me ride along on Saturday night! Hennepin County has an incredibly large territory to cover and provide response support to so many of our communities. I appreciate their dedication to public safety and service!   Upcoming Town Hall MeetingPlease join Rep. Larry Kraft, Senator Latz, and me at our upcoming Town Hall meeting in the St. Louis Park City Council Chambers. Hope to see you there!  Keep in TouchPlease continue to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or to let me know how I can provide assistance. It’s an honor to represent our St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol. Have a great weekend,  Cheryl Youakim
State Representative |