Neighbors,
On Wednesday night the Governor gave his first State of the State address, telling the stories of Minnesotans that have inspired his first-term priorities.
It was a reminder that we fight for education because of the teachers and the students dealing with growing class sizes and programs that have been cut, we fight for health care reform for the people who go without health insurance because their premiums are too high, for community prosperity for the mayors who need a little extra help to fix up their roads. You can watch the full address here.
Here’s an update on what we’ve been working on in the House.
Overview of Major Bills
Each House Finance Committee is announcing throughout this week and next which bills will be included in the package of bills they pass all together (called an omnibus bill). Here’s a rundown of some of the major components in the omnibus bills that have been announced so far:
- The Health and Human Services Committee announced a proposal to lower the cost of health care, address the rising cost of prescription drug prices, increase the quality of coverage, and give patients and their doctors more power over their care.
- The Early Childhood Committee announced a bill that would make permanent the School Readiness Plus program – preserving access to preschool for 4,000 children; increase investment in early learning scholarships, with a focus on birth to age three; and prevent suspension and expulsion of children from preschool programs.
- The Higher Education Committee announced a budget to reduce student debt and freeze tuition at Minnesota’s colleges and universities.
- The Transportation Committee announced a bill that prioritizes better access to transit for Minnesotans who need to get to work, school, the doctor’s office, and engage in civic life. It will also fund investments for our roads and bridges. The American Society of Civil Engineers rated Minnesota’s roads as “D+” on their most recent infrastructure report card. Bridges received a “C” and transit was awarded a “C-.” Because of this, the average Minnesotan loses an average of $1,000 each year due to car repairs and lost time. Unless we make these investments, it will only get worse.
Constituent Shout-Out
Yesterday, I had the chance to meet this this crew of future leaders from Groveland Park Elementary School. They shared with me their concerns for the environment and how important school is for them. They have good teachers and good Special Ed support. Looking forward to a future led by these optimistic and well informed kiddos.
Thanks to the Carpenters Union Local 322 and the Operators Union Local 49 for visiting on Wednesday! Thank you for everything you do to fight for fair wages and safety on the job for Minnesota’s working families.
One of the best parts of my job is seeing young people engaged in lifting up work that is important to them, diverse communities coming together to advance larger issues, and people of all generations collaborating to solve systemic problems. Thank you to the Coalition of Asian American Leaders for all that you do to empower those who are most disenfranchised.
Thanks for staying in touch, and good luck with your bracket this weekend!
Sincerely,
Kaohly Her |
|
|
|