Dear Neighbors,
The first weeks of session were a whirlwind! I’m already living on trail mix and granola bars because there’s no time to eat, to give you a sense of the pace of things. (Fortunately, my family feeds me in the evenings, so no need for concern!) It’s incredibly exciting to be moving forward so expeditiously to take action for the people of Minnesota. You can watch House and Senate leadership discuss our shared priorities here.
To be clear: this isn’t an exhaustive list of everything we’re looking to accomplish, but these priorities represent our shared values as Minnesotans and ways we can make our state work better for everybody.
I’d like this first e-update to provide a unifying theme for my work this coming session. From juvenile justice to supporting workers to protecting our natural resources, my goal this session is to advance legislation that ensures that all Minnesotans today and in future generations have all the support they need to truly thrive.
- Juvenile justice: I will be introducing numerous bills aimed at creating a more effective and humane juvenile justice system. Thus far, I have reintroduced my Youth Restorative Justice Act, to expand statewide a restorative sentencing path that will identify underlying needs and provide support and meaningful accountability for struggling youth. I will also be introducing several bills to expand and target funding toward intervention and prevention initiatives, which are more effective in reducing crime and recidivism than our existing punitive systems. I will also be introducing policy provisions to protect youth in the system by minimizing trauma and respecting their humanity. Here’s a write-up on our reforms.
- Supporting students: On Wednesday, we had our first hearing for our Menstrual Equity bill! This is a student-driven effort that I have the honor to lead in the House. This measure will address period poverty in our schools, ensuring that students who menstruate can be present, supported, and fully engaged with their education. Read more about the issue here. I am also working on several other solutions, most prominently a provision that will allow us to feed all students. I’m also carrying a bill to expand funding for data-based activities to ensure students have a healthy relationship with technology that doesn’t undermine their learning. I’m incredibly excited by what we are going to accomplish this session to fully fund our public schools! In the post-pandemic years, we need to be focused extensively on helping all students across Minnesota get back and stay on track for success.
- Immigrant and refugee communities: As an immigration attorney, supporting immigrant and refugee communities was a driving force behind why I ran for office. I have already introduced a bill to change the definition of gross misdemeanor by one day (365 to 364 days of possible imprisonment) to alleviate the possibility of deportation for a misdemeanor offense. On Thursday, I had a hearing for a bill that will enhance penalties for labor trafficking to better protect our undocumented workers. Lastly, I am introducing a bill to expand the Minnesota Dream Act to more types of humanitarian immigrants in our state, to protect data collected in issuing municipal IDs, and to make the Office of New Americans within DEED permanent so we support immigrants as they integrate into our workforce and economy.
- Boundary Waters: I’m incredibly excited and honored to be carrying two bills to protect our natural resources, in partnership with the Friends of the Boundary Waters and the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. This week, I filed a bill in partnership with Sen. Kelly Morrison that we hope will protect the Boundary Waters for generations to come.
- Civility Caucus: This isn’t legislation, but it’s still a priority for me this year. I have stepped into the role of DFL House Lead of the Civility Caucus, which is a bipartisan, bicameral group of legislators who work to develop positive working relationships. We can more effectively work across the aisle when we have good personal relationships with our colleagues.
There is so much more that I’m working on that I’ll be sharing in future updates. More details to come on these as I introduce them!
Redistricting Update
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Stay in Touch
If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at rep.sandra.feist@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-4331.
Sincerely,
Sandra Feist
State Representative