Dear Neighbors, As your representative, I go to work every day with my commitment to public service into the Capitol to fight for the protection of our environment, full school funding, and support for our working families of Minnesota. I’m committed to working toward a government that best reflects the hard work and decency of the Minnesotans who brought us here. I’m grateful for the strong engagement from advocates that helps ensure the legislature is doing just that. As my colleagues and I continue our work this session, your participation in the legislative process remains vital. Your feedback and experiences help inform policy decisions that affect our entire state. Here’s an update from the House! Meeting with our Community Health Justice Day at the CapitolI had the honor of meeting with passionate constituents during Health Justice Day at the Capitol! Advocates from across the state came to speak up on critical issues that directly affect the health and well-being of Minnesotans. Together, we discussed the urgent need to hold health insurers accountable for the rising costs of reinsurance, the importance of delivering medical debt relief, and the necessity of protecting paid family and medical leave for all. They also raised serious concerns about how Medicaid cuts could further strain our state budget and harm our most vulnerable neighbors. Thank you to everyone who showed up and spoke out. Your voices are making a difference, and I’m proud to be in this fight with you.  ConnectUP! PanelI was honored to join ConnectUP! as a panelist during their powerful three-day summit, where changemakers, entrepreneurs, and advocates gathered to reimagine an economy that works for everyone. Our panel took on a timely and challenging topic: navigating DEI backlash in the entrepreneurial ecosystem—a conversation that’s more important now than ever. Everyone deserves a fair shot, no matter their background or zip code. It’s key to building a stronger, more inclusive economy for all Minnesotans.  AFSCME Day on the HillProtecting workers' rights has been a top priority of mine, and while we've made meaningful progress, that progress is under constant threat. I met with constituents who are on the frontlines of care and service every day, like healthcare workers, educators, correctional officers, social workers, and other dedicated public employees. These are the people who care for our elders, support our children, and hold our communities together. They deserve more than just our thanks; they deserve protections, fair wages, and respect for the critical work they do. I’m committed to ensuring we don’t roll back the gains we’ve fought for—because protecting workers protects all of us.  Protecting PensionsLast week, I presented my PERA Privatization bill in Pensions. When a public sector employer has a change in ownership such that it becomes a private sector entity, its employees can no longer participate in the governmental plan, in this case, the PERA General Plan. The employees continue to be entitled to receive the pension earned to the date of the privatization, but the employer leaves behind liability for the cost of those pensions when the plan is less than 100% funded. This bill calculates the costs and requires the private entity to make the plan whole. It was a bonus that I was able to spend time with my local firefighters and listen to their testimony on the bill!  Community Updates You’re Invited to a Town Hall with Congresswoman Betty McCollum!Join the House DFL, Senate DFL, and Congresswoman Betty McCollum for a town hall meeting to stand up for Minnesotans and push back against harmful federal government actions. We’ll be in Saint Paul on Saturday, April 12, at 1:00 pm. You can register here to receive the location. We will be there to share updates, answer questions, and hear from the community. All are welcome!  House Budget The legislative session is at a pivotal moment as we work to craft a new two-year state budget. We’re fighting for a budget that reduces costs for Minnesotans, keeps us resilient against the chaos and cruelty coming from Washington courtesy of Donald Trump and his billionaire allies like Elon Musk, and protects the wins Democrats delivered over the last two years. We accomplished a great deal in areas such as climate action, protections for workers like Paid Family & Medical Leave and Earned Sick & Safe Time, protecting reproductive freedom, generational investments in our students, and more. Unfortunately, Republicans are fighting to roll much of this work back. We acknowledge the reality that with a 67-67 tie in the House, we’ll need to compromise to reach a budget agreement. But as Democrats, we will not compromise on our values, and we’ll keep fighting to put more power in the hands of Minnesotans, not billionaires and large corporations. Real ID Taking Effect in MayBeginning May 7, 2025, Minnesotans 18 years of age or older will not be able to use their standard driver's license or identification card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Instead, they will need one of three options: - Minnesota Real ID driver's license or identification card.
- Minnesota Enhanced driver's license or identification card.
- Other federally approved forms of identification. They include:
- U.S. passport or passport card
- Foreign government-issued passport
- U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
- Permanent resident card
- Border crossing card
- Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
- U.S. Department of Defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
If you are not sure which license type is right for you, check out the Driver Vehicle Services website here. 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 |