Neighbors,
 
As a lifelong advocate for change and progress for our community, I never imagined that I would be in a place to actually pass the legislation I’d fought for. It’s still hard to believe, but over the last week I worked with my fellow legislators to increase equity in education, to protect children in Minnesota, and work to improve our criminal justice system.
 
Protecting Children
Yesterday I presented my bill to end child marriages in Minnesota to the Judiciary committee. Unbelievable as it is, child marriages are in fact still legal in Minnesota. Between 2000 and 2010, nearly 250,000 children were married in the U.S. That data isn’t available for Minnesota specifically, but it happens far too often. For most of these young people (who are usually married to individuals who are much older), marriage means years of abuse, poverty, and illness. My bill would make sure this system of abuse and exploitation would end this year.  

Rep. Her with testifiers for H.R. 745

Protecting a Way of Life 
I’m a lifelong hunter, and I come from a long line of sustenance hunters. For a lot of people in Minnesota, hunting is a way of life, but it is becoming a greater and greater risk. Chronic Wasting Disease has been confirmed in 34 wild deer in Minnesota in the last few years, and is an epidemic in Wisconsin. We don’t yet know if it can be transferred to humans, but it’s an always-fatal disease. It’s a problem that we need to urgently address, which is why I was proud to participate in a press conference this week to introduce a package of bills that would help solve the problem. You can read more about the press conference and the legislation here.

Equity in Education  
I also participated in a press conference this week to discuss legislation to increase teachers of color and indigenous teachers. The percentage of teachers of color in Minnesota has remained stagnant at 4 percent, while the percentage of students of color continues to grow, and is now at 34 percent. Making sure educators reflect the diversity of the students they teach can help close achievement and opportunity gaps, and ensure that all students have access to a great education. See WCCO’s coverage of the press conference here.

Criminal Justice Reform
I was glad to see Mayor Melvin Carter speak on behalf of a bill that I have co-authored in the Public Safety committee, to ensure our criminal justice system works better for all Minnesotans.  Deporting refugees who have a decades-old criminal conviction is unjust, and I’m proud that the legislature is taking this issue on. 
 
I want to keep you as up-to-date and informed on the issues I’m working on as possible. If you have questions, or suggestions of things you would like to see in these updates, please email me at rep.kaohly.her@house.mn or call at 651-296-8799.

Sincerely,

Kaohly Her

State Representative - District 64A