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Dear Neighbors,

Working primarily from home as a first-term legislator has been a unique experience! While I haven't yet had the chance to spend much time in my office in St. Paul, I have started to decorate. My kids have gifted me some beautiful art - a painting of the Capitol, and a painting of me on my computer (which is much of my life these days!). My decor also includes some whimsy, as well as the book "A People's History of the Supreme Court" by legendary civil rights activist and scholar, Peter Irons. I wanted to keep it with me at the Capitol to ground me in America's long history of struggle and progress towards true liberty and justice for all.

Committee Hearings Begin In Earnest

During out committee hearings this week, presenters in various committees shared in-depth insights into the inner workings of government agencies. Some highlights included presentations by the Minnesota Board of Public Defense, describing their constitutionally-mandated efforts to provide representation to defendants in criminal proceedings, and a presentation by the Minnesota Department of Education on the complexities of education finance. It was especially powerful to hear the voices of Minnesota students describe shared challenges, insights, and hopes for the future of education.

My favorite aspect of committee hearings is that I can ask top experts questions and receive not only helpful immediate replies, but also follow-up emails from members of the community in response to my questions! It’s great to know how many players in the legislative process are engaged with these hearings, in spite of the COVID-related limitations on the session. 

20 Years In Immigration Law

I moved down to New Orleans after completing my Bachelor’s degrees to sing in the French Quarter in 2001. I accepted a job as a paralegal at an immigration law firm and found my passion for immigration advocacy, and the law. In 2003, I was inspired to enroll in law school by the concerning attacks on civil liberties of immigrants, and the xenophobic policies that impacted my clients unjustly. Hurricane Katrina swept me north where I continued in my field while completing law school and met my husband and relocated permanently.

In 20 years, I’ve seen and experienced the whiplash changes to immigration perceptions and policies, as well as the hope and threat of reforms that never occurred. My clients have experienced the trauma of post-9/11 “special registration” interviews without counsel and they’ve experienced the elation of “DACA.” As we stand on the brink of another run for the ever-elusive “Comprehensive Immigration Reform,” I feel that the timing is perfect for me to take on this new role that encompasses both my passion for immigration law and my desire to directly influence lawmaking from the inside.

Here in Minnesota, I advocate for laws that will ensure that immigrants feel welcome, and that immigration consequences of state laws are taken into account. I have also spent time working to educate and advocate for immigration reform in Washington, D.C., and will continue that advocacy. 

In short, at the 20-year mark in my career, I feel as energized and inspired as ever by my chosen career path, and am grateful for the opportunity to meld my legal skills, my advocacy work, and my new role as a lawmaker.

Defending and Strengthening Democracy

Today, the house introduced legislation to defend and strengthen our democracy, which has been tested by disinformation, division, and violent attacks on our nation’s Capital. The bill, authored by Rep. Emma Greenman, aims to build a strong, inclusive democracy that works for Minnesotans of every race, region, political party, and generation. Witnessing a fellow first-term elected official take such a bold action gives me so much hope for the future of our State! 

Voter registration should be easy. 

Casting your vote should be easy.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update: January 22, 2021

Minnesotans eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine will be able to sign up for appointments at one of the state’s nine community vaccination pilot clinics through a new website and call center launched today by the State of Minnesota. The clinics will initially serve adults age 65 and older, as well as pre-kindergarten through grade 12 educators, staff, and child care workers.

The state continues to vaccinate the health care workers and assisted-living residents and staff in phase 1a and is on track to have provided at least one shot to all 500,000 Minnesotans in that group before the end of the month.

Minnesotans Age 65 and Older

Minnesotans age 65 and older can make appointments by visiting mn.gov/vaccine or by calling 612-426-7230 or toll-free, 1-833-431-2053. Minnesotans should attempt to make an appointment online before dialing the call center. Minnesotans who cannot immediately make an appointment may be able to sign up for a waitlist.

Available appointments will refresh every Tuesday at noon. Minnesotans will have the opportunity to schedule appointments for both their first and second doses of vaccines.

Educators, School Staff, and Child Care Workers

Educators and child care providers, with few exceptions, will work directly with their employer to receive instructions on how to secure a vaccination appointment and should not try to schedule an appointment unless their employer has contacted them with information about their appointment.

Due to the very limited supply of vaccines, appointments are not open to all workers in these sectors in the pilot program. The limited vaccine doses have been allocated to regions associated with schools and based on a percentage of the workforce in child care and education. School districts, charter schools, tribal schools, and nonpublic school associations will select who participates in the pilot.

Child care programs will be randomly selected and notified to secure an appointment through the state-sponsored pilot sites.

Staying In Touch

I’ve heard from many members of the community and engaged in thought-provoking email exchanges and Zoom meetings on a variety of topics since the start of this role. These have included emails about protecting the Boundary Waters, respectful differences of opinion on the Stand Your Ground bill, input from experts in the district on mental health services to students in K-12 schools and how we identify learning disabilities, and an interesting email exchange about whether to legalize sports betting in Minnesota. As ever, I find these emails from residents of 41B to be one of the most gratifying and energizing aspects of my new role and I welcome further discussion on all issues important to you. 

You can stay up to date on our work for the 2021 Legislative Session by subscribing to these legislative updates and “liking” my official Facebook page. For any questions you have on the resources available to our community or our work in the Minnesota House, you can reach me at rep.sandra.feist@house.mn or leave a voicemail at (651) 296-4331. I look forward to hearing from you.

In Solidarity, 

Sandra Feist

Minnesota State representative (House District 41B)