Dear Neighbors, The 2022 Legislative Session is required to adjourn on Monday, but much of our work needs to be completed the day before. As the clock winds down here in St. Paul, we have a long weekend ahead of us for fighting for the measures that will help ALL Minnesotans - no matter what they look like or where they come from - thrive in our state. As one of the only divided state legislatures in the nation, anything we accomplish will be rooted in compromise. We’ll be able to fend off the radical, damaging proposals being pushed by Republicans, and we’ll likely make meaningful headway in the right direction for Minnesotans, but it all comes down to these final days of mounting pressure to ensure we do as much good as possible. As I’ve summarized in past email updates, there have already been meaningful breakthroughs. We’re delivering $750 bonuses to our frontline workers, meaningful investments for our veterans, protections for foster kids, and we have the framework of a substantial compromise in place - if Republicans come to the table. I look forward to sharing what this weekend’s negotiations accomplish. Speaking to the Tragedy in BuffaloThe devastating news out of Buffalo last weekend is another example of the unrelenting trauma communities of color have experienced. There are no words to express the profound grief and pain with ten people brutally killed, three people injured, and a surrounding community forever changed, all motivated by senseless hate. As reports continue to come out, it is alleged that the suspect published a 180-page document that repeats a series of white supremacist ideologies and racist conspiracy theories referred to as the “Great Replacement” as justification for a premeditated plan to search out Black people and murder them. In 2020, the Minnesota House became the first legislative body in the nation to declare racism a public health crisis with the passage of House Resolution One creating the House Committee of Racial Justice. My fellow members of the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus spoke on this issue, which you can watch here. “The burden of Minnesota’s air pollution is unequal”Earlier this week, the Minnesota Reformer published a commentary on Minnesota’s air pollution, and the disproportionate impact it has on our state’s lower-income and communities of color. This is an area I care deeply about and am pushing for solutions in this session. It’s issues like this that are at stake in these final days - not just an issue of policy recommendations or debating dollar amounts in investments - but the health and quality of people’s lives.  Stay ConnectedThe White House announced this week, every home in the U.S. is eligible to order a 3rd round of free at-home COVID-19 tests. Click here to place your order. You can also call Call 1-800-232-0233 (TTY 1-888-720-7489). Feel free to reach out with any questions you may have during these final days of session, and I’ll be sure to follow up next week with what we’ve accomplished. You can contact me at 651-296-4262 or email me at rep.fue.lee@house.mn. I look forward to hearing from you! Sincerely, Fue Lee
State Representative |