Dear Neighbors, Spring is here, and the House is nearing our “first deadline week,” which means that we are entering the phase of the legislative session where we see which bills will continue to advance through the legislative process. This past week was an exciting one, as we re-entered our power-sharing agreement, with DFL members sharing committee gavels (I’m co-chairing the Commerce Committee), and putting forward our vision to help working families. Meeting with our Community YWCA Day at the Capitol!For over 130 years, our local YWCA has championed racial and gender equity - and now, more than ever, we need to advocate for investing in our children, youth, and families. YWCA stands for a fully inclusive community in which each person is healthy and valued, and where racial justice, gender equality, and human dignity are promoted and sustained through bold and effective women’s leadership. I had the honor of addressing advocates during YWCA Day to protect funding for housing support, early childhood education, youth services, and workforce development programs.  Advocating for Fair Wages for Student InternsI’ve been working alongside a dedicated group of students from the University of St. Thomas, Hamline University, and the University of Minnesota Twin Cities on an important wage bill to ensure the state pays their interns at least a minimum wage of $15 per hour—an essential step toward making internships more accessible, especially for first-generation college students. Fair compensation for labor should be a given, not a privilege. It's important to pay people for their labor, and I will always advocate for fair wages.  Advocating for Disability Rights and ServicesRecently it was Disability Advocacy Day at the Capitol, and the Minnesota Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities had a strong turnout! I was especially grateful for the opportunity to meet with constituents and service providers from ARRM to discuss critical issues facing individuals with disabilities, like the proposed cuts to services. I also spent time with advocates to better understand the challenges surrounding billing for indirect services, workforce shortages, and low wages in the disability services sector. With growing uncertainty at the federal level, we must remain steadfast in protecting Medicaid, waiver services, and the progress we’ve made. I am committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities and their families continue to have access to the resources and support they deserve.  Boys & Girls Club What I love about the Boys & Girls Club is how they provide not only a space for physical activity but also a platform for students to turn their stories into action—whether through nonprofit initiatives, art, or other forms of inspiration. I had the privilege of seeing their passion firsthand during a conversation with a group of bright, engaged students. They asked thoughtful questions and shared their insights on everything from volleyball and tournaments to academics and entrepreneurship. I have no doubt these students will accomplish great things after high school. The future is bright with students like these at the helm!  Supporting Survivors of Brain Injury and StrokeOne of my very first meetings as a legislator in 2019 was with the Minnesota Brain Injury Alliance and the Minnesota Stroke Association. The stories I heard from individuals impacted by brain injuries have stayed with me—stories of resilience, determination, and the long journey to regain function, speech, and memory. Thank you to advocates who have courageously shared your experience and the challenges you have faced. Your tenacity to press forward every day is truly inspiring. I remain committed to supporting policies that uplift survivors and ensure they have access to the resources they need on their road to recovery.  Community Updates Prescription Drug Affordability For too long, drug manufacturers, pharmacy benefit managers (PBM), and health plans have taken advantage of flaws in federal drug policy to squeeze consumers for ever-increasing amounts of profit. I’m happy to say the DFL is pushing three bills specifically crafted to keeping drug prices down so they’re accessible to Minnesotans: - HF 1652 would prohibit a health plan from forcing patients to switch drugs in the middle of the year because they’re now getting a bigger rebate from the manufacturer of a competitive drug. If a patient and a doctor find a drug that works, they should be allowed to stick with that drug for the rest of the plan year.
- HF 1075 says that health plans and PBMs must use the rebates that they received when patients bought their drug to buy down their price at the pharmacy counter in the form of a “Point of Sale Rebate.” This will ensure these rebates are being used to make expensive life-saving drugs more affordable to the patients who need them.
- HF 1076 is an innovative approach not yet adopted by any other state. It requires PBMs and health plans to include the low-price drugs in their formularies and construct their formularies so that the drugs with the lowest prices for the patient (rather than the drug generating the biggest kick-backs to the insurance company) receive the best placement in their formularies. The goal of this legislation is to redirect competition away from rebates towards lower prices.
If these were passed into law, you would see a significant decrease in the price of the drugs you rely on. I’ll be sure to keep pushing for their passage and let you know of any progress! Federal Education Cuts ImpactsSadly, we no longer have a serious partner in the White House when it comes to building a world-class education system for our students. Last week, the Trump/Musk Administration advanced reckless plans to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. In response, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) launched a public feedback portal at education.mn.gov for parents, students, teachers, and community members to submit detailed accounts of the ways recent Executive Orders and abrupt federal education cuts are impacting schools and children across our state. More than 860,000 students in Minnesota depend on stable partnerships that have existed between their school communities, MDE, and the U.S. Department of Education across administrations. For decades, the federal investments facilitated through those partnerships have played a key role in ensuring students in Minnesota receive the support they need to learn and thrive, including: - $256 million for students with disabilities
- $192 million for students from low-income backgrounds
- $27 million for academic enrichment
- $6 million for students in rural schools
- $38 million to support children living on military bases or Native American reservations
- $100 million for Career and Technical Education workforce development programs.
If any of these cuts impact you and your family, please let us know! Stay ConnectedPlease continue to reach out to my office at 651-296-8799 or rep.kaohly.her@house.mn.gov, and you’ll hear back from me or my Legislative Assistant, Emma. I always appreciate hearing from you! You can also follow along on my official Facebook page, and subscribe to these regular emails if you haven’t already. Thank you again for the incredible honor of representing our community! Sincerely, Kaohly Vang Her |