Neighbors, I hope everyone remained safe during Monday’s severe weather outbreak. With such events becoming increasingly common in Minnesota due to climate change, now is an excellent time to create a family emergency plan and prepare an emergency kit. The US National Weather Service offers helpful guidance on putting one together.  If you're reading this on your mobile device, please take a moment to verify that your emergency alerts are turned on. Look for "emergency notification" or "government alerts" in your settings. These alerts provide crucial timely warnings for those in dangerous situations and may save a life. The Minnesota House has been working hard on the Floor on budget bills. We've passed several good governance bills to keep the lights on while we face federal uncertainty in our divided legislature. We fought for and passed a people-focused Agriculture Budget that feeds Minnesotans, safeguards workers and consumers from looming threats like bird flu, and supports small, emerging farmers in an economy tilted towards large corporations. DFLers included increases in funding for Farm to School and Early Care and Local Food Purchasing programs, which nourish our kids while also providing stability to local farmers. We increased workplace protections for meat and poultry workers and ensured retail milk and poultry will be tested for bird flu. We’re also helping the next generation of farmers by increasing down payment assistance for those just getting started in agriculture.  While I'm proud of these accomplishments for our community, some budget bills contain harmful provisions that will negatively impact our constituents, and I cannot in good faith vote for them knowing the ramifications on vulnerable Minnesotans. On Monday, I voted “NO” on the Higher Education Budget Bill. While I’m incredibly happy that the bill successfully defended the North Star Promise, which has provided thousands of Minnesota families with free college tuition, the bill included drastic cuts to Mayo’s residency training programs and partnerships with the University of Minnesota. Being right in Rochester it may not feel like it, but there’s a dire shortage of healthcare access to communities across Minnesota, especially in rural areas. We need to be helping train more doctors, not less. On Tuesday, I voted against the Commerce policy bill -- the bill essentially rolls back protections for coverage of pre-existing conditions for Medicare recipients needing supplemental insurance like Medigap. In 2023, Minnesota Democrats implemented an open enrollment requirement for these plans to ensure access regardless of pre-existing conditions. This year's Commerce policy bill includes a provision eliminating the protections we put in place, potentially making healthcare unattainable for many Senior Minnesotans. I could not in good conscience support this bill knowing its harmful impacts on our community. While I hope this provision will be addressed in conference committee, I want to be absolutely clear: I will not vote for legislation that endangers my neighbors or harms my community. With the federal government already working to reduce services Americans depend on, I refuse to participate in similar actions at the state level. Join us for Another Town Hall! Thank you to the 500+ people who joined us last weekend for a town hall with our partners at ISAIAH. Several of my legislative colleagues and I were proud to participate and dedicate our work to building a budget that puts people first. If you weren’t able to join us, you can catch me alongside Rep. Tina Liebling, Rep. Andy Smith, and Sen. Liz Bolden this weekend as part of the DFL’s town hall tour! We’ll be focusing on the impacts of federal cuts and how we can combat them and protect Minnesota. You can register for the event here.  For Your Recipe Book If you’re like me, the news coming out of Washington has been overwhelming lately. In between calling my congressmembers and working to protect our progress here in Minnesota, one thing that keeps me going is cooking food for my friends and family. Food connects us, comforts us, and fuels us to continue to fight extreme MAGA policies that hurt people. In the name of community and longevity of our fight, I want to share some of my favorite recipes that are staples in our household. This week’s is an internet recipe I keep coming back to – Frog Eye Salad! It’s got all of the sweet, refreshing flavors that go right along with springtime. I hope you love it as much as I do! Stay Connected with the LegislatureUnfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach me. 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. It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Kim Hicks State Representative |