SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Today, the Minnesota House and Senate People of Color and Indigenous Caucus held a press conference to highlight the accomplishments for the 2023 session.
The Minnesota House and Senate People of Color and Indigenous Caucus issued the following statement,
“The POCI Caucus is leading the charge on capital investment, economic development (and workforce), housing, education, public safety/justice reform, environmental justice, legacy, and equity in health for our BIPOC communities across the state. For far too long our BIPOC communities have been historically underserved and underfunded in all of these areas. Dismantling white supremacy is essential to creating a more just and equitable society. We have fought hard this legislative session to pass bills into laws that address systemic racism and promote racial equity.”
“We are committed to creating a more just and equitable society for all Minnesotans. Everyone deserves to have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their race or ethnicity. We have to address the root causes that perpetuate cycles of oppression, discrimination, and violence by reforming policies and investing funds in our BIPOC communities. Together we can create a more inclusive state.”
The Chair of the Senate POCI Caucus, Senator Mary Kunesh, elaborated on the transformative work accomplished this session,
“As legislators representing diverse, complex communities, we are dedicated to continuing to advocate for vibrant communities that reflect who we are as a people through arts, education, environment, healthcare, public safety and so much more. We stand together to put action behind our values and will continue to speak out against structural racism that discriminates and devalues anyone. Our communities and our state cannot thrive when any of our people are disenfranchised and left out of opportunities for a healthy, happy, prosperous life.”
The House POCI Caucus is comprised of; Co-Chair Rep. Esther Agbaje (59B), Co-Chair Rep. Cedrick Frazier (43A), Vice Chair Rep. Alicia Kozlowski (08B), Rep. Jamie, Becker-Finn (40B), Rep. Ethan Cha (47B), Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (53A), Rep. Aisha Gomez (62A), Rep. Hodan Hassan (62B), Kaohly Vang Her (64A), Rep. Athena Hollins (66B), Rep. Samakab Hussein (65A), Rep. Heather Keeler (04A), Rep. Fue Lee (59A), Rep. Liz Lee (67A), Rep. Mohamud Noor (60B), Rep. María Isa Pérez-Vega (65B), Rep. Ruth Richardson (52B), Rep. Samantha Sencer-Mura (63A), Rep. Samantha Vang (38B), and Rep. Jay Xiong (67B).
The members of the Senate POCI Caucus are Chair Senator Mary Kunesh (39), Senator Bobby Joe Champion (59), Senator Omar Fateh (62), Senator Foung Hawj (67), Senator Alice Mann (50), Senator Erin Maye Quade (56), Senator Zaynab Mohamed (63), Senator Clare Oumou Verbeten (66), Senator Susan Pha (38), and Senator Tou Xiong (44).
Attached is the 2023 POCI Caucus end-of-session fact sheet.
You can watch the press conference video here.
