Friends and neighbors, Happy Friday! To say the start to the 2025 legislative session has been unprecedented is an understatement. Despite all the twist and turns, I want to thank everyone for your continued support as my colleagues and I work to build a Minnesota that is for everyone. Starting next week, the Minnesota House will return to a 67-67 tie, with committees co-chaired by Democrats and Republicans and equal numbers of members from both parties. Our co-chairs and committee members will use their power to restore a focus on bread-and-butter economic issues that have been absent while Republicans have run the House with a 67-66 advantage. As a reminder, for the 2025-2026 biennium, I’ll be serving on the Capital Investment, Children and Families Finance and Policy, and Education Finance Committees.  Minnesota Budget Forecast Recently, the Minnesota Management and Budget released its February budget forecast, which shows the budget outlook moving in the wrong direction compared to November’s forecast. Donald Trump’s reckless economic policies are impacting this forecast, with inflation expected to climb and tax receipts expected to fall. Tax cuts for the ultra-wealthy and corporations, and cuts to Medicaid, are expected to bring additional negative impacts. Instead of bringing down prices like they promised on the campaign trail, Donald Trump and Republicans in Congress are on the verge of enacting a sweeping tax cut for corporations and the ultra-wealthy, and they’re going to pay for it by slashing federal spending on health care for children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. This will have dire consequences for the people of Minnesota and our state budget. In addition to monetary consequences, Donald Trump and Elon Musk are attempting to dismantle the federal government – this week, there’s been talk of a looming executive order to dismantle the department of education, which would be catastrophic for our education systems from early learners to higher education. I’m hopeful that through this chaos, folks who previously have not paid much attention to the ins and outs of our Federal and State government will see how government impacts us all every day – from the roads we drive on, to the medications we need, and the food we eat. Meanwhile, rather than working with Democrats to pass legislation to help Minnesotans navigate these impacts, House Republicans are wasting time playing politics by bringing partisan MAGA bills to the House floor, knowing they will not pass. It is time to focus on a budget that will help Minnesotans weather this storm. I will do everything in my power to ensure I fight for our district and continue to amplify the needs of all our residents.  Fighting Harmful GOP Bills In these past few weeks, Republicans could have brought any number of bills forward that would help increase healthcare access, support public education, or lower the cost of healthcare, groceries, and housing. Instead, GOP leaders have publicly stated their strategy is not to pass legislation, but instead to take meaningless votes on “messaging” bills that speak to their activist base. It has been concerning and infuriating that House Republicans have introduced harmful bills that would negatively impact our trans, non-binary, and two-spirit Minnesotans, dehumanize our undocumented neighbors, gut the Minnesota Paid Family Leave Law, expose workers to exploitation from corporations, and create pathways for more gun violence jeopardizing the lives of our youngest citizens. Minnesota has always led the nation in standing up for our LGBTQIA2S+ neighbors, and Democrats will continue to show up and defend the human and civil rights of all our residents. Republican politicians in Minnesota are falling directly in line with Trump’s extreme and cruel agenda by prioritizing political theatre, burning valuable legislative hours on targeting our youth and vulnerable Minnesotans rather than addressing the real and imminent issues facing our state. Minnesota deserves better than leadership that wastes time on vindictive crusades while bipartisan bills pile up and real problems go unsolved. In their last week of taking advantage of their one-seat majority, the GOP introduced legislation to prohibit local governments from passing ordinances that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, effectively eliminating sanctuary resolutions and separation ordinances. My DFL colleagues and I will continue fighting against HF 16 to protect our immigrant communities. We refuse to support state laws that mirror Trump's policies, which villainize and terrorize our undocumented neighbors. I will do everything in my power to protect our immigrant communities, which form thriving businesses that contribute billions in revenue that contributed to the surplus we saw during my first term. Without our immigrant communities, we would see negative effects on our infrastructure and state growth, particularly for first, second, and third generation Minnesotans who are our students, workers, and community members. We must continue to protect human rights.  Connecting with Community It was an honor to participate in the East Side Health and Well-being Collaborative's Legislative Engagement Day. I valued hearing directly from partner organizations about their vital community work, sharing my experience in youth and community initiatives, and discussing current legislative hurdles and local advocacy strategies. I'm eager to collaborate and support the East Side and all communities going forward.  Recently, I hosted a pivotal discussion on Dual Language Programming in our K-12 schools, a critical step for our students' future and our community's success, especially as we move into the READ Act's second phase. Recognizing every child learns differently, our focus remains clear: open communication and collaborative strategies to boost literacy for all Minnesota students. A heartfelt thank you to Reps. Mary Frances Clardy and Samakab Hussein for their invaluable expertise and partnership in driving this vital work.  Thank You, District 65B It's an honor to be in my 2nd term here in the Minnesota State Capitol serving as the House Representative for District 65B's cities of St. Paul and West St. Paul, in the counties of Ramsey and Dakota. I will continue working alongside Minnesotans to build a future where everyone can get ahead, not just the rich and powerful. I will continue to stand up for Minnesotans' rights and freedoms, and I will do everything in my power to protect people from the chaos, cruelty, and incompetence coming out of the Trump Administration. As your state representative, I am passionate about ensuring housing and health accessibility for all, education for all, and food stability for every person and family. I support our frontline workers from nurses to janitors to teachers. I am working to support local businesses throughout the district and create innovative solutions for the strong need to revitalize Downtown St. Paul. I hold the position to continue to be vocal for those who make our state and communities better who are feeling isolated by the threats of the MAGA agenda. I value your input and encourage you to continue sharing your priorities and ideas for improving our community and state. I'm committed to representing District 65B's values at the Capitol and advocating for an equitable budget that helps all Minnesotans thrive.  |