It was a busy week in the district, meeting with constituents, advocates, and community organizations that are doing great work for our residents of House District 46B. I have also been meeting with legislative members and staff to work on legislation as well as education organizations this week.
Here’s an update from the Minnesota House:
Tuesday, January 21st marked one week since a court ruled that Rep. Brad Tabke duly won his election and we’ve finished the week with no reassurance from GOP leadership that they wouldn’t overturn that free and fair election results. In fact, one of their legislators actually publicly stated that the first course of action in the House should be to kick out Representative Tabke. When an election result is upheld on election night, in a public recount, and in a court ruling, it’s time for the losing side to concede. That is how our democracy works. It is imperative that we have assurances from GOP leadership that Rep. Brad Tabke will be duly seated.
House DFL Leader Melissa Hortman held a press conference on Tuesday this week urging House GOP Leader Lisa Demuth to return to the negotiating table so we can do the work the people of Minnesota elected us to do. I’ve been ready to do so; Minnesotans expect their state government to function, and they deserve to have a robust and collaborative legislative session that delivers results for our communities.
Our work as legislators extends beyond the State Capitol building itself; some of the best work and ideas about how to keep Minnesotans moving forward are formed in the communities we were elected to represent and find solutions for. Here’s a look at who I connected with this week:
On Monday, we honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. This summer, My husband Jacques and I had a chance to visit Washington D.C. and tour the monuments. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stands strong, looking at the horizon towards a hopeful future. We’ve made progress on his dream, but there is still much to do.
A huge thank you to Captain Scott Vadnais for allowing me to ride along with a crew of Edina Fire Fighter/Paramedics Monday evening! It’s clear your team has knowledge, compassion, and dedication to the community and the region. Of course, I forgot to take a picture with the whole crew when we had dinner together. But, here is a picture taken with Captain Scott Vadnais & Fire Fighter/Paramedic John Meyer 15 hours into their 24 hour shift when I got to leave and go home to sleep. Thank you for your service!
Tuesday, I had great conversation with constituent David Homan from Citizen Climate Lobby. I met with folks from the Education Partnership Coalition regarding their legislative platform and providing more access across the state. I also had a discussion regarding Full-Service Community Schools grants with the Minnesota Department of Education. And I finished the day with a conversation with Matt Shaver from Ed Allies about what they are focusing on this year for students across our state.
Wednesday, I finished a long day of meetings centered on teachers and education funding at Hopkins Vail Place listening to inspirational stories shared by clubhouse members. Members from the two other Vail Place sites in Minneapolis and Ramsey joined us as well. The http://vailcommunities.org model empowers mental wellness through community, purpose, and opportunity. Vail Place’s staff helps their members find jobs, housing, and mental health support. Members run the clubhouse through an advisory council and board that hosts social activities, cooks meals together, provides peer to peer support, and much more. Members and staff are breaking the stigma around mental health every day. I am a proud author of a bill to help them expand across the state. A huge thank you to the members for sharing their stories and for your advocacy!
On Thursday, I shadowed Hopkins High School Principal Crystal Ballard. I visited the new CNA classroom where students can get training and hands on experience as a certified nurses aid so that when they turn 18 they can take the test to become licensed. I also attended a weekly district budget meeting with Principal Ballard. Then back to the high school to meet with an amazing group of students that shared their thoughts about their senior year experience. We finished in Mrs. Heimlich’s AVID class where students had a chance to hear from two Hopkins graduates about their college experience. Thank you Principal Ballad, for the opportunity to get just a glimpse of the work you are doing at Hopkins High School and to the students for sharing their thoughts!
Thank you House Capital Investment Co-Chair Fue Lee for taking a tour of St. Louis Park’s two bonding projects with Rep. Larry Kraft and me. City staff, Mayor Mohamed, and Council-members Dumalag and Brausen did a great job highlighting the environmental and safety needs the projects will address.
Friday morning, I started my day at the Edina School Legislative Action Coalition breakfast. A huge thank you for an informative meeting and the very thoughtful questions for Rep. Greene, Sen. Mann, and me, especially from the engaged students who are advocating for their peers and their schools. The rest of the day was filled with meetings with education chairs in the House and Senate, non-partisan staff, as well as a meeting with Beacon Interfaith Outreach on affordable housing and organization called Stride to discussion some education proposals they have.
A friendly reminder I’ll be hosting a community conversation tomorrow, January 25th at 11:30 a.m. at the St. Louis Park Library (3240 Library Ln, St. Louis Park, MN). Everyone from our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors are welcome to attend. I’ll be hosting more of these in the other cities (Hopkins and Edina) that encompass District 46B. I also have one Tuesday, January 28 at the Edina Library from 6:30-8:00 pm.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime with questions, or if I can help clarify any misinformation about what’s happening in St. Paul. I can be reached at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889.
I hope this email finds you well. It was a busy week and I’d like to give you an update on what’s going on at the Capitol and in our community.
I started the week off on Tuesday at the Edina Morningside Rotary with Rep Julie Greene, hearing from Hennepin County Sheriff Dawanna Witt. The Sheriff and her department are doing incredible work keeping us safe and connecting with the community!
On Tuesday, I also had the chance to meeting with folks from the folks at Education Evolving & Minneapolis Foundation. I love doing a deep dive into education policy, data collection, & the work both groups are doing to meet our students needs.
Wednesday, I joined Rep. Greene and other legislators on a tour of the Uptown Planned Parenthood clinic. We heard about all the medical services they provide in our communities, including, medical abortions, birth control, vasectomies, cancer screening, annual exams, vaccines, and more.
I had a chance to meet with St. Louis Park city staff to discuss upcoming legislation they are considering. And I appreciated connecting with Vail Place, a Hopkins mental health non-profit, to discuss a bill I will be authoring for them to expand their clubhouse model across the state.
Wednesday, I met with the Friends of the Boundary Waters to talk about their legislative platform. I was also able to engage in a productive conversation with the Land Stewardship Project & IATP (pictured below) about how our farm to school program has helped build the market for local farmers and provide students healthier food. I finished the day with three more meetings: an inspiring visit with Hopkins parent who’s advocating for more staff in our schools; a chat with Dr. Yelena Bailey at the Professional Educator Licensing Board regarding our teacher workforce ;and a briefing meeting on the fiscal note process with the Legislative Budget Office.
On Thursday evening, Principal Paddok and School Board Members Mancini and Cox gave Rep. Kraft and me a tour of the St. Louis Park High School’s recent renovations. The newly expanded cafeteria, the Link, the open library, and improved career center are well crafted. What a wonderful, enriching environment for learning!
Thursday morning, Rep. Larry Kraft invited me to Methodist hospital to talk about the DWI bill he is working on in response to the tragedy at Park Tavern. Thank you RN Melissa Frity and hospital President Jennifer Myster for empowering survivors with their stories and how you are supporting your staff.
My virtual meetings on Thursday included the folks from Youthprise – Afterschool Advance to discuss potential legislation. I also had a great meeting with Sabrina Scott, an incredible Hopkins High School student in the Propel program. She had great questions on political engagement, the legislature, and partisanship.
Friday morning began by attending the Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition (LAC) breakfast. This breakfast always feels like coming home. Being a member of the LAC was my first experience with political advocacy. Thank you to Principal Eromosele for the warm welcome and to Superintendent Mhiripiri-Reed for the send off. The student ProStart team made us breakfast, the cheesy sausage and grits were amazing! The LAC members did a good job advocating for more school funding and it was great to here from the student members of the LAC team. And of course, always love to hear teachers present. They bring so much passion and energy to their jobs.
Fridays are also the days I meet with education stakeholders. Sometimes we meet in one large group and at other times it is with the groups individually. Today I had my every other week meeting with the BELL group that is made up of organizations representing school boards, administrators, teachers, social workers, counselors, and other education groups from across the state that play a vital part in educating our students. I also worked on legislation and of course, answered constituent emails.
Capitol Update
On the first day of session (January 14th), in accordance with Minnesota law and our state’s Constitution, Secretary of State Simon was the lawful presiding officer, and continues to be the lawful presiding officer until the House is duly organized. Secretary Simon declared that 67 members were present and that this number did not constitute a quorum so he proceeded to adjourned the session for the day. House Republicans then acted unlawfully when they attempted to organize the Minnesota House, elect a Speaker, and take other actions in the absence of a quorum. I am very disappointed that the GOP is putting nonpartisan staff in this difficult position by requiring their assistance on the GOP’s unconstitutional operations.
These actions taken were said to be wrong by the Secretary of State in his press statement on January 14, 2025. Further, the Secretary of State sent to both DFL and GOP leadership on January 10, 2025 a letter where he clarifies that a quorum requires 68 as set forth in our State Constitution and previously upheld in law. This matter has now been sent to the Supreme Court for adjudication.
One of the unlawful actions Republicans have taken, that I’m especially concerned about would funnel your taxpayer dollars to pay for the GOP’s legal defense. That isn’t right. And so it seems that we find ourselves in a sort of a soft coup, and as a legislator who has served in the House for over 10 years, I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything quite like this.
Negotiations on a power-sharing agreement continue. DFL-Leader Hortman’s recent offer amended the power-sharing agreement to provide Republicans with control of the House for the first three weeks of session, including the speakership and control of committees, with the power-sharing agreement resuming when the House returns to an anticipated 67-67 tie. In addition, it would refer election contests to the Ethics Committee and create an Oversight Committee with Republican control for two years, a sole Republican chair, and a permanent one-seat majority on that committee. I believe this is a more than reasonable solution and should be accepted so that all members of the Minnesota House can get back to focusing on the critical issues facing the state.
Just today, DFLers held a press conference to announce how we are prioritizing Minnesotans and lowering costs for them. You can read more about these initiatives here.
One of the unlawful actions Republicans have taken I’m especially concerned about would funnel your taxpayer dollars to pay for the GOP’s legal defense. That isn’t right.
And so it seems we find ourselves in a sort of a soft coup, and as a legislator who has served in the house for over 10 years, I can’t say I’ve ever experienced anything quite like this.
Negotiations on a power-sharing agreement continue. DFL-Leader Hortman’s recent offer amended the power-sharing agreement to provide Republicans with control of the House for the first three weeks of session, including the speakership and control of committees, with the power-sharing agreement resuming when the House returns to an anticipated 67-67 tie. In addition, it would refer election contests to the Ethics Committee and create an Oversight Committee with Republican control for two years, a sole Republican chair, and a permanent one-seat majority on that committee. I believe this is a more than reasonable solution and should be accepted so that all members of the Minnesota House can get back to focusing on the critical issues facing the state.
Community Conversations
Mark your calendars for my six upcoming community conversations that we be held at our local libraries. Find the date and time that works for you and I hope to see you there!
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out with questions, ideas, and input on how we can continue to move our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors. I can be reached at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or at 651-296-9889.
Thank you for the honor of representing you in the Minnesota House of Representatives.
I sent out an update earlier this week with our community conversation dates, but I thought I would get back on track with our normal Friday updates. I also wanted to update you on the status of the Minnesota House of Representatives.
I’m sure you’ve heard about a tumultuous start to the year as the Minnesota House prepares for session to begin next week. I think it’s important to share with you the gravity of the situation and why my DFL colleagues and I are working to protect the integrity of our institution.
In November, Minnesotans voted for equal numbers of Democratic and Republican state representatives. A 67-67 tie in the 134-member Minnesota House of Representatives is extremely rare, but I see it as a golden opportunity for Democrats and Republicans to show Minnesotans that we can govern together on a bipartisan basis.
Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have walked away from power sharing negotiations and are now attempting to leverage a two-week plurality to assert two years of control over the State House of Representatives. During a January 6 press conference, Republicans confirmed their plan to try to use a two-week, one-seat advantage to seize control of the House for the next two years, even though Minnesotans voted for equal numbers of DFL and Republican state representatives.
Republicans also made clear that they would use their temporary one-vote advantage to unseat Brad Tabke of Shakopee, a duly elected DFL state representative, and order a special election regardless of the fact that he won his election. This in effect disenfranchises the 21,980 voters who cast their ballots in the November 5 election. This has never been done in Minnesota history and sets a very problematic precedent that would create future instability for the House.
I’m calling on my Republican colleagues to honor the election results and sign a power-sharing agreement that has been negotiated for over two months. A majority in the Minnesota House requires 68 members, and Republicans have only 67 members. It takes 68 votes to pass a bill, which means we must work together for Minnesota on a bipartisan basis to get things done.
Democrats are ready to get to work. I am hopeful that a power-sharing agreement can be adopted before the new legislative session begins on January 14. At this time, my focus is on doing everything within my power to make that happen. I have no interest in denying quorum by not attending floor sessions, but we cannot allow this illegitimate power grab to occur.
In the last few months, I have been preparing to be the House Education Finance co-chair. I have been working on legislation, meeting with K-12 education stakeholders, meeting with new members of our committee, and talking with my Republican co-chair. I want to get to work with my Republican colleagues under shared power. This situation can be resolved, but first Republican leadership needs to return to the negotiating table.
Earlier this week, Rep. Juile Greene, Senator Ron Latz and I had a chance to sit down with the Edina City Council and city staff to hear about their legislative priorities. I’m excited to partner with the city on their bonding bill and other items that they are looking at pursuing.
Just this morning I spoke on a legislative panel at the Association of Metropolitan School Districts breakfast. I also had the opportunity to meet with schoolboard members and the Superintendents from both St. Louis Park and Edina school districts.
Association of Metropolitan School Districts legislative panel
I also met with Edina City councilors and St. Louis Park counselors last week to discuss priorities of our community.
Edina Superintendent schools Dr. Stacie Stanley, school board member Cheryl Barry, and Rep. Julie Greene.
St. Louis Park schools Superintendent Dr. Carlondrea Hines, schoolboard members Virginia Mancini and Colin Cox, and Rep. Larry Kraft.
Please contact me anytime with questions, ideas, or to let me know how I can be of assistance to you. I can be reached at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. Thank you for the honor of working for Hopkins, Edina, and St. Louis Park at the State Capitol.
Happy New Year! The legislative session is just around the corner so mark your calendars for my upcoming Community Conversations, details are below. Hope to see you there!
Edina Library (5280 Grandview Square, Edina) Tuesday, January 28 – 6:30-8 pm Saturday, Feb. 22 – 1:30-3 pm
St. Louis Park Library (3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park) Saturday, Jan. 25 – 11:30 am-1 pm Tuesday, Feb. 25 – 6:30-8 pm
MNSure Open Enrollment
Through January 15, Minnesotans can sign up for 2025 health insurance through MNsure, Minnesota’s health insurance marketplace. This is the annual opportunity for Minnesotans to shop, compare, and buy a private health plan. MNsure is the only place you can apply for financial help to lower the cost of your monthly insurance premium and out-of-pocket costs. Most Minnesotans who enroll through MNsure qualify for financial help. Don’t hesitate to reach out to my office at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov with questions or if you need assistance.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at the email address listed above, or by phone, at 651-296-9889. Email is the quickest way to get in touch. You’re also welcome to follow me on my Facebook page for more updates from our communities and the State Capitol.
Lastly, I’d like to thank my committee legislative assistant, Shamat Abraha, for her service to Hopkins, Edina, and St. Louis Park, as well as the Education Finance Committee as she embarks on a new journey with the House Taxes Committee. Thank you for all your work and dedication, Shamat!
I’m pleased to welcome Robin Schmidt to the team as our new committee legislative assistant. Robin will also be working with the House Education Finance team this biennium.
Stay warm this week!
Youakim signature Cheryl Youakim State Representative
I hope this email finds you well and warm and safe with the fresh blanket of snow we woke up to yesterday. A big thank you to our city and state snowplow drivers!
The new legislative biennium is just around the corner and the impact of our work from the last two years is still taking shape. During a campaign cycle, I am not allowed to contact you directly until after the November election. So I wanted to catch you up and share with you a link to the new state laws that went into effect July 1 and August 1. There are also new laws that will be going into effect on January 1. I am proud of the work we did around consumer protection, public safety, investing in our communities, and increasing the funding to our schools. There is still much work to be done, and I am looking forward to the upcoming session.
When session gets underway on January 14th, we will work in tandem under a 67-67 tie in the Minnesota House of Representatives. Speaker Hortman and Republican Leader Demuth have negotiated how the House will run in the 2025 session, and agreed to an overall committee structure. The membership of committees will be equally divided and represented by DFL and Republican co-chairs. I’m excited to continue as a co-chair of the House Education Finance Committee, in addition to serving on my other assignments which include the Taxes and Ways and Means committees. You can find the 2025-2026 House membership here as well as the new committee structure and membership here.
I’m organizing my community coffee hour schedule for January and February; please stay tuned on those details! I appreciate these opportunities to connect with constituents and hear from them in person in the district. As always, I make sure to provide locations in each of our cities: Hopkins, Edina, and St. Louis Park.
Wishing you and yours a peaceful holiday season. However you celebrate, I hope you have a chance to enjoy this time with loved ones.
Happy Holidays!
Youakim Signature Cheryl Youakim State Representative
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