My Dear Community,
 
It’s critical for the safety and vitality of our communities that all people, regardless of their status, are able to get a driver’s license. Denying immigrants the right to a driver’s license means we’re denying people living in our communities access to jobs and opportunities, endangering public safety, and criminalizing families’ efforts to participate in civic life. That’s destructive for families, for businesses, and for Minnesota. It’s time to make our roads safer, and to reject a politics that would divide people living side by side as neighbors.
That’s why I am excited to have introduced The License Access and Public Safety Act with House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler. It is going to have its first hearing today in the Transportation Committee.
Read more about the bill here.

Legislation
I introduced 5 bills this week to advance community equity and environmental justice. They would:

• Expand the working family tax credit to put more money in the pockets of low-income working families (H.F. 1620)
• Fund the Family Enhancement Center to prevent child abuse and help heal children who have experienced abuse (H.F. 1691)
• Provide doula support, childbirth, and postpartum services for low-income families of color (H.F. 1664)
• Enhance efforts to ensure diversity and community representation in Department of Natural Resources staff (H.F. 1655)
• Support Men Against Destruction, Defending Against Drugs and Social Disorder, or MAD DADS, to provide a visible presence in communities against negative forces that damage families, neighborhoods, and children (H.F. 1638)

Constituent Spotlight
This week I had the opportunity to meet with four constituents and physicians to talk about universal healthcare. I am so appreciative of their work as leaders and advocates for the movement toward a single-payer health care system that actually works. We talked specifically about a bill introduced by Representative (and Dr.) Alice Mann.  A lot of people fall through the cracks in our health care system and their lives are less healthy, more stressful, and shorter, because of it.
 
As someone who has experienced going without insurance, and being under-insured, I know that our current healthcare system is inequitable, economically regressive, and harmful to communities across Minnesota. Healthcare should be a human right, not something that is only available to the wealthiest in the country. I’m proud to co-sponsor this bill (H.F.1200).
 
I hope you’ll continue to stay engaged and keep showing up during the legislative session. You can reach me any time by email atrep.aisha.gomez@house.mn, phone at 651-296-7152, and follow my Facebook page here.
 
Sincerely,
Aisha Gomez