Neighbors, Our second committee deadline was on Friday, and it was a very busy week for legislators and all our committees to consider bills which will move on in the legislative process. Our third and final committee deadline is next week, preceding the short Easter/Passover break. Committee work will largely conclude and most of our legislative action will involve floor votes as we craft our new budget. Last week, I presented my bill in the Education Finance Committee to fund a grant to the Alliance of Chicanos, Hispanics, and Latin Americans (ACHLA) to support English language learners, low-income students, migrant students, and Latinx students with improving English and math proficiency. I welcomed testifiers to talk about the bill.  In the Human Services Finance Committee, I presented a measure to establish a Task Force on Disability Services Accessibility, which establishes pilot projects to reduce accessibility barriers in disability services, requires a report to the legislature, and appropriates funding for the task force and pilot projects. I also presented a bill reorganizing and consolidating language related to live well at home grants to support older adults, delaying the use of more costly services. The Capitol and CommunityI met with some amazing advocates from our disability community during their Day on the Hill.  I also spoke at the Disability Day on the Hill rally. It is important to support our Disability Service Providers (DSPs) and ensure services continue and they are paid a competitive wage.  MedicaidOn May 11, the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is ending and people on Medicaid will need to update their information. Many people who will lose Medicaid should be able to get low-cost health insurance through the federal and state insurance marketplaces You can watch a short video here for more information. Free Park DaysThe Minnesota DNR has announced the 2023 Free Park Days. The first of four days is April 22. You can find a park near you here.  Feeding Our KidsGov. Walz recently signed the universal school meals bill into law. This is an excellent way to make sure our kids are ready to learn and can thrive by making sure they have access to breakfast and lunch at school. It looks like everybody thought it was a pretty good day!  Photo Credit: Ben Hovland MPR Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate.  Stay Connected with the LegislatureIt is easy to stay connected to news from the State Capitol. The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website. Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so call or email any time. You can find my information on my House website. You can also like my Facebook page, and follow me on Twitter. It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Kim Hicks State Representative |