Following last week’s special election in Roseville, Rep. David Gottfried (DFL-Roseville) has been sworn in and is now a member of the Minnesota House, reverting us back to a 67-67 tie and ending GOP control. Committees now have equal membership of Democrats and Republicans, which will also reinstate co-chairs. For me, this means I’ll serve as a DFL co-chair of the House Education Finance Committee and share the gavel with GOP co-chair Kresha. We’re working together to discuss and vet legislation to craft a budget that serves all of our students in Minnesota.
On Monday, we welcomed the 11 Minnesotan Sovereign Tribal Nations to St. Paul to share their time and wisdom with the Minnesota Legislature and Governor Walz.
Trump Executive Order to Dismantle the Department of Education
Yesterday, the Trump Administration issued an unconstitutional Executive Order that seeks to erode access to high-quality education for children in Minnesota and across the country by dismantling the U.S. Department of Education (USED). Currently, the USDE uses formulas to distribute money that are based on numbers of students served and/or the needs of a type of student. It is complex math with many variables. Unfortunately, the folks that do the math were all fired last week.
States are being told that money will be sent to them in the form of block grants where states will have “better control”. However, block grants come with strings attached requiring states to include or remove certain policies or funding streams, essentially removing local control. Block grants are not a formula and can become political. Our students deserve better than that.
There has also been an indication that some of the work that the USED does for our students can just be shifted to other departments; department that do not have expertise in the needs of our students or the distribution models.
Trump’s Executive Order puts resources for students with special needs at risk; guts the Department’s Office of Civil Rights, which protects students from discrimination and sexual assault; and hamstrings the processing of financial aid, raising costs for college and university students who will have a harder time accessing loans, Pell Grants, and work study programs. Minnesota stands to lose $2 billion a year for these students.
Committee Work
We continue our work in the Taxes Committee with the power sharing agreement. Rep. Aisha Gomez is now co-chairing the commitee with Rep. Greg Davids. We heard a variety of bills regarding expanding the child tax credit, increasing property tax aids and credits, as well as increasing sales tax and property tax exemption for farmers. We also heard a bill to ensure free tax preparation sites for low income residents continue.
In Education Finance Committee, Rep. Ron Kresha chairs the committee on Tuesdays, and I will chair the committee on Thursdays. Tuesday we heard a bills on seat time, innovation zones, and a bill extending the short call substitute pilot project. On Thursday, we heard Rep. Sandra Feist’s bill to update the compensatory revenue formula following the implementation of Universal School Meals. Kare11 did a story and breaks it down here. We also heard Rep. Rehm’s bill to deliver additional investments in Unemployment Insurance for the hourly workers in our schools (our paraprofessionals, nutrition staff, and bus drivers) who have not been able to access unemployment in the summer months when they are unemployed.
DWI Reform
Representative Larry Kraft, Senator Ron Latz, alongside advocates announced a bipartisan bill of which I’m a coauthor. The bill reforms Minnesota’s DWI policies in a press conference recently at the Park Tavern, the site of last year’s deadly crash in St. Louis Park.
The driver of last year’s tragedy had received 5 previous DWI convictions and was found to be four times over the legal limit following the crash. Friday’s proposal significantly increases the amount of time people with multiple offenses are required to be on ignition interlock, doubles the lookback period for offenses, and removes obstacles for offenders to get on interlock in an effort to prevent future incidents like this from happening again.
Constituent Visits
Thank you to Dr. Julia Dworsky for talking with me about (HF1010/SF832) that creates a certified midwife program. The bill will help grow the maternity care workforce, especially in areas of Minnesota where our hospitals can be one or more hours away.
Tuesday I had two bills up in different committees. In Public Safety, my bill makes clarifying changes to the Hometown Heroes Act. Thank you to the MNFire Initiative for all you do for our firefighters! In Education Policy, my bill would provide school districts flexibility in setting their calendars. Local representation from St. Louis Park Schoolboard Member, Colin Cox, came to testify in favor of the bill.
Thank you to Edina resident, Tyson Helder, who visited during the MN Land Title Association’s Day at the Capitol. We talked about two bills to protect home owners during land transactions.
Constituent Carl Holmquist came up to visit during Leading Age Day. Thank you for filing me in on legislation that will affect the Glenn in Hopkins and other senior living facilities.
I had a blast showing a group of folks from the Hopkins Senior Center around the House floor this week! They had great questions and enjoyed the Minnesota Historical Society tour as well.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime with questions, input, or ideas at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. I am honored to serve our communities of Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina at the State Capitol.
In light of Tuesday’s special election results, beginning next week, House committees are expected to rotate gavels, with DFL and Republican co-chairs setting their respective agendas and deciding which bills to discuss – though it’ll take bipartisan support for any bill to pass through committees. More information about committee membership and schedules can be found at www.house.mn.gov/committees. I’ve been working well with my Republican co-chair on the House Education Finance committee over these past weeks, but I am excited to be a fully voting member again. Starting next week, we will have three weeks for committees to put together their budget bills with their co-chair.
Floor Action
As I mentioned in my previous update, we continue to see divisive legislation making its way to the House Floor with no chance of passing. On Monday, we were prepared to block a bill to delay the new, popular Paid Family and Medical Leave program that’s been passed into law and set to take effect January 2026. The author tabled the bill, signaling your grassroots community efforts to stop legislation that would delay Paid Family and Medical Leave from taking effect.
On Thursday, House Republicans calendared 17 bills before the official tie goes into effect. All but two bills were brought up and tabled by Republican leadership. When a bill is “on the table”, it remains available to be taken up at any time with a basic majority vote. It should make things interesting for the rest of the session and the next. We did hear two bills on the House floor on Thursday evening that would roll back the reproductive health care and access bills we passed last session.
Committee Work
On Monday, in the Ways and Means Committee we heard a bill (HF25) to give taxpayer funds to unregulated crisis pregnancy centers and maternity homes. We also heard a bill to redistribute a budget surplus, bypassing our fiscal responsbility to fund the emergency fund, the state reserve fund, and pay back our schools if we have shifted any of their payments (this was done in 2005, 2010, & 2011 when there were large budget deficits).
This would no longer happen if HF4 becomes law. Our current funding structure during the 2023-2024 session made it possible to invest in Universal Meals, index our school formula to inflation, create the Paid Family and Medical Leave bill, and much more.
Tax Committee was busy this week. We heard a plethora of bills that provided sales tax exemptions in a variety of areas, excluding different properties from property taxes, and more. Taxes is always an interesting committee. On Wednesday, I presented HF805 to the Tax Committee. Currently, if a non-profit daycare owns their building they get a property tax break, however if those non-profit daycare centers rent, they do not receive the same break. I crafted HF805 as a renter’s credit, similar to those who rent residentially. I would like to thank Kylie Cooper, the Executive Director from Rise Early Learning Center, for testifying on HF805. Your expertise was essential for the Tax Committee to hear about.
Photo credit: House Photography
In Education Finance we heard overviews of the education formula, compensatory aid, and about all the different measures we invest in to get more teachers into our classrooms. We also heard a few bills regarding proposals to grow teacher apprenticeship programs across the state. We currently have three successful qualified teacher apprenticeships programs in Minnesota.
Constituent Visits
A group of folks from our community came up to the Capitol for Health Care Lobby Day. We had a robust discussion around access to affordable health care and prescription drugs, creating a public option, and the barriers folks have to navigate every day.
I visited with student board members from MyHealth Clinic in Hopkins to discuss access to mental health support and reproductive care for all Minnesotans. Visiting with students engaged in public policy always brings me so much hope for Minnesota’s future.
It was Minnesota Private College Day on Tuesday. Thank you to Elsie St. John from Gustavus Adolphus College for sharing your story about how the Minnesota State Grant in Higher Education has done for you. I am so excited that you are going to school to be an elementary teacher, we need more folks like you in the classroom!
Hunger Day on the hill brought constituents representing a large collation of groups that are combating hunger all over the state. It was a great discussion with constituents from The Food Group, Second Harvest and the Hunger Coalition around the increased need to fund our food shelves and to extend Market Bucks to our local grocery stores. They also expressed concern around United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) farm-to-school grants being cut at the federal level.
Thank you Matthew Beach, who was here for Insurance Day on the Hill, for discussing fees on services and the ins and outs of the insurance agency. It is also fun to catch up on Hopkins schools and high school sports.
Tuesday I also had a chance to catch up with our Metropolitan Council Member Anjuli Cameron on a variety of local topics. She was also here for Alzheimer’s Day on the Hill. We discussed the need for education and support for families who have a loved one experiencing Alzheimer’s. This is a personal issue for me and I am so glad that we have such a strong state coalition as a resource.
Hospitality Day on the Hill is an opportunity to hear from our local businesses in the hospitality industry. I had the opportunity to meet Sarah Enrico who owns Food Gallery Catering to talk about the challenges her industry faces and possible solutions.
Wednesday also brough a group of constituents to visit with the Rise and Repair Coalition. They shared with me their focus on the bills moving through the legislature around climate justice and Indigenous rights.
I also had an informative meeting with constituent Larry Hiscock who was at the Capitol advocating for increased funding for wrap-around-services for Minnesotans experiencing homelessness. We talked about his work with Fairview Health Services in their community advancement department. Housing insecurity has a direct impact on health outcomes in so many ways. It was nice to hear about the great work that is being done by so many organizations to try and increase health outcomes in our community.
Thank you to the group from AARP for meeting with me and sharing all the areas in which you are advocating for this year. From creating a fund to provide restitution for those who have experienced financial scams to protecting vulnerable adults from unlawful evictions, AARP’s advocacy work has a large imprint on Minnesotan’s lives.
A big thank you to Rep. Julie Greene for organizing a group of students to come to the Capitol and learn about it’s inner workings. They met with legislators, a lobbyist, our House Chief Clerk Patrick Murphy, took a tour of the Capitol, and sat in on the House Education Finance Committee. They even had a chance to visit with the Co-Chair of the House Education Finance Committee, Rep. Ron Kresha.
Real ID Taking Effect in May
Beginning May 7, 2025, Minnesotans 18 years of age or older will not be able to use their standard driver’s license or identification card to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Instead, they will need one of three options:
Minnesota REAL ID driver’s license or identification card.
Minnesota Enhanced driver’s license or identification card.
Other federally-approved forms of identification. They are listed online here, but include:
U.S. passport or passport card
Foreign government-issued passport
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
Permanent resident card
Border crossing card
Federally recognized, tribal-issued photo ID
U.S. Department of defense ID, including IDs issued to dependents
If you are not sure which license type is right for you, check out the Driver Vehicle Services’ website here.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out anytime with questions, input, or ideas at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-9889. I appreciate hearing from you! Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors at the Capitol.
This week a new state economic forecast confirmed that there is a decrease of the surplus, which includes the uncertainty of a federal funding freeze. With President Trumps’s off and on again tariffs, pausing of grants, and threats to cut Medicare, inflation is up and the growth on domestic products (GDP) is down.
Last November, the state budget forecast showed a $3.7 billion surplus over the current budget cycle, a $616 million positive balance in the upcoming biennium, and our highest budget reserve fund ever–all due to responsible DFL governance. But as of today, Minnesota’s projected positive balance has shrunk to $456 million.
Instead of bringing down prices as they promised on the campaign trail, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are on the verge of enacting a sweeping tax cut for corporations and the top 1% of earners, and they’re going to pay for it by slashing Medicare which is the largest portion of the federal investments in health care for children, families, seniors, and people with disabilities. We receive $128 billion dollars from the federal government; that is 1/3 of our state budget. If even one fourth of those cuts happen, it could blow a huge hole in our state budget.
This latest budget forecast means that the Legislature must be laser-focused on working together to set a balanced state budget by the time session ends on May 20.
As your state representative, I’m committed to fighting for an economy where everyone in Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina can get ahead. I will continue to oppose bills to place barriers to healthcare access, cut education funding, and repeal policies that help Minnesotans thrive like Paid Family and Medical Leave.
Despite the devastating, proposed cuts at the federal level, we did receive some good news in Minnesota reflecting our commitment to deliver reliable investments into our state’s schools. In the 2023-2024 biennium, DFLers delivered an education budget that updates Minnesota’s general education formula to be indexed to inflation. In previous years, Minnesota schools have needed to wait until the legislature passes the biennial budget to know whether or not the education funding formula would be increased. The Minnesota Department of Education recently shared with Minnesota school districts, due to indexing, the new increase to the per-pupil formula allowance taking effect for the 2025-2026 will translate to a new investment of $7,481 per student which is a $200 per pupil increase.
You can read my press release for more details here.
Floor Action
On Monday, the Minnesota House debated House File 12, a Republican-sponsored bill that would exclude our transgender athletes from playing sports in our schools. This is in direct conflict with our Minnesota Human Rights Act, as well as the Minnesota State High School League’s policy that has been in place for the last ten years with no issues. I spoke on the House Floor about the dangerous path this bill would take us on if passed. History has shown us that once you start excluding a group of people just because of who they are, it doesn’t end there, and it never ends well. You can view my floor remarks here. House Democrats were unanimous in their opposition to the bill, which did not receive enough votes to pass the Minnesota House.
On Thursday, we voted down HF 13, a ‘Shoot First’ bill which would remove Minnesota’s duty to retreat, allowing Minnesotans to use deadly force when they feel any level of threat in our public spaces. When this policy has been put in place in other states, it has been shown to lead to even more gun violence victims and more loss of life. Minnesota continues to make progress on reducing gun violence. The bill failed to reach the 68 votes needed to pass on a party line vote. I was glad we were able to pass two bipartisan bills to address sex trafficking in Minnesota and will continue to work across the aisle with my colleagues on setting our state budget for the next two years.
Committee Work
Committees are starting to get busy as the GOP continues to move their agenda through committees without hearing many of our bills.
On Monday in the Ways & Means Committee, we heard a Rep. Baker (R) bill to delay the implementation of Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML). This program is on track to be implemented in 2026 and to delay it would cost Minnesotans money and valuable time.
On Tuesday in Taxes we heard change market value exclusions on home day care properties and a tax credit for remodeling underutilized buildings which Hopkins Mayor Patrick Hanlon testified in support of. I am excited to have my first bill up this session in the Tax committee next week to provide non-profit daycares a break on property taxes. In Education Finance, we heard a bill to expand non-public pupil aid to counselors to K-6 students. Current law allows for counselors in non-public schools in grades 7-12.
Wednesday in the Taxes Committee, we heard a variety of interesting proposals including one that provides a $9 billion dollar tax cut to benefit those in our higher tax brackets. We also finished our discussion around tax exemptions for data center purchases.
On Thursday, the Tax committee heard bills to increase funding for Soil and Water Conversation Districts, tax exemptions on particular properties, and a bill to provide a tax credit for sustainable aviation fuel. We finished up the week of hearings in Education Finance with an informational hearing on two bills that would allow school districts to ignore any of the initaitives we put into place to help our schools and students, including how they are able to allocate funds within the school district.
Constituent Visits and Events
Saturday, Jacques and I attended the Hopkins Education Foundation Gala. It was fun to spend time with friends while supporting the Hopkins School District. We also got to see the new mascot costumes for the Hopkins Royals.
This week was very busy at the Capitol with multiple groups of constituents and organizations visiting to advocate for a variety of legislative policy. A group of developers and contractors met with me to talk discuss the ‘Homes for All’ bills.
A big thank you to Rep. Julie Greene for organizing a group of students to come to the Capitol and learn about it’s inner workings. They met with legislators, a lobbyist, our House Chief Clerk Patrick Murphy, took a tour of the Capitol, and sat in on the House Education Finance Committee.
Community Education is a very important part of our public schools. I had the opportunity to meet with a group of community education leaders to discuss some of the challenges they are facing with programs across the state and how legislators can help.
I had a chance to meet with an amazing group of U of M pharmacy students, as well as two practicing pharmacists. We discussed the barriers to patient care and the need for increased reimbursements for our pharmacies all over the state.
As the Lead on the House Education Finance Committee, I frequently meet with school districts across Minnesota. I had a great conversation this week with members of the South Saint Paul school district: Superintendent Brian Zambreno; School Board Chair Kim Humann; School Board Member Paul Cummings; Representative Rick Hansen and Mary Frances Clardy. They were asking for additional Compensatory Aid so they can help their students thrive.
The Full-Service Community Schools model is an incredible program providing state funds for districts to develop public private partnerships so they can provide wrap around services to our students and families in our public schools. Thank you to Craig Sweet for the visit to talk about the increased funding needs for full-service community schools to expand across Minnesota.
Constituents David Homans with the Citizens Climate Lobby and Karin Cotter with the Center for Energy and Environment met with me during the Clean Energy Business Day. Thank you for all you are doing to make sure we leave the planet a little better for the next generation.
Some of Minnesota’s finest from the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees met with me on Thursday. These are the folks that work in every one of our state agencies in areas from cybersecurity, public safety, healthcare, and more. Thank you for your service to our state!
It was great to see Hopkins Councilmembers Heidi Garrido and Brian Hunke who were visiting the Capitol with the League of Minnesota Cities.
I also had visits from our incredible school social workers, the Minnesota Catholic Conference, and the PACER Center. It is wonderful to see the Capitol full of folks who want to have their voices heard. As we continue our work to produce a balanced two year state budget, we will continue to hear from groups from all over the state.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime with feedback, questions, or concerns at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or by phone at 651-296-9889.
It was a very full week this week at the Capitol. I had a few late nights with my final Community Conversation in the series on Tuesday night as well as our SD 46 Town Hall on Wednesday night. A big thank you to everyone who turned out for for both events. We had excellent participation and questions ranging from concerns around federal funds disappearing to how we can better protect our environment. I always look forward to these events when we can gather and connect in person to hear about what’s on your mind. Please feel free to reach out directly anytime to share your input and questions.
In these final weeks before the March 11 special election, my colleagues in the Republican controlled House are spending a lot of time in committees on bills that will not have 68 votes to pass the House floor. It has been frustrating as we could be spending time on bills that actually have a chance of moving forward. This week, we voted down a bill to halt the Blue Line extension in the north metro – an area that none of the bill authors represent. We also heard a bill to alter the ability of the Governor to continue a state of emergency beyond 14 days without a supermajority of votes in the legislative body. This is concerning; politics should not be in the mix when Minnesota may be facing a natural disaster (like a flood or Avian flu), a cybersecurity, or another global pandemic.
One thing DFLers and some Republican legislators have found common ground on is concern over cuts to Medicare and Medicaid by the Trump administration. A small handful of Republican state legislators sent a letter to their congressional counterparts urging them to stand up against these cuts, as they’ll hurt people who rely on these services in all corners of the state. I hope this show of support for public health means they’ll join us this session in strengthening healthcare and MinnesotaCare, rather than cutting it as some have proposed.
We did pass two bipartisan bills off of the House floor on Thursday dealing with a bonus for state employees who finds innovation and efficiencies within their agencies. We also passed a bill that will start on the path towards getting dark money out of politics.
Committee Work
On Monday, in the Ways and Means Committee, we discussed HF 5, a bill that adds another layer of reports from the Office of the Legislative Auditor that many of us felt was unnecessary. We also heard from the Minnesota Management and Budget about a bill we passed last session to make sure we are looking at inflation on the revenue and expenditure side of the state budget – comparing apples to apples.
On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursdays I serve on the Taxes Committee. This week, we heard a HF 4, a problematic bill proposing to redirect state investments dedicated to our schools, nursing homes, and folks with disabilities. If this bill passes, the state would have no flexibility to meet a downturn in the economy or if the federal government decides to cut funding to Minnesota. This may sound good on a bumper sticker, but it is not fiscally prudent, could lower our state bond rating, or even cause a special session to remove funds appropriated to our schools or other local municipalities. Another bill we discussed would increase the Research and Development fund by providing handouts to large corporations by $1 billion over four years.
HF 5 was up next; a bill that would also decimate transportation and transit funding in the seven county metro area. Among other items like reducing funding for Meals on Wheels funding, HF 9 rolled back improvements we made in the renewable energy realm, and a bill I support authored by Rep. Norris to discharge the indebtedness from victims of domestic violence. We finished the week discussing a bill giving a larger tax break to data centers, and a bill to provide an optional property tax abatement to land banked property for affordable housing construction.
In the Education Finance Committee this week we heard a bill to create a statewide Office of Inspector General, a bill to allow advance payments for the education credit, and a bill to correct a grant to a Little Falls school district. Thursday had an amazing group of 15+ student testifiers that asked us to reject HF 29, a bill to repeal Ethnic Studies in Minnesota classrooms and stall the revised social studies standards until 2030. The students were poised and inspirational.
Constituent Visits
This week was full of visits by organizations and constituents. Rep. Larry Kraft and I met with constituents up at the Capitol with the Minnesota Nurses Association to talk about workplace safety and fair wages.
I also had the opportunity to meet with constituent Payton Jones from International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. We discussed how a bonding bill would create more jobs. We also talked about the need to strengthen workplace protections for IBEW workers.
I had the chance to talk to two board members of the Future Farmers of America (FFA). President Lauren Stoel (Lake Wilson, MN) and Reporter Natalie Clemenson (Zumbrota, Minnesota). They filled me in on the opportunities FFA provides for leadership and the incredible agricultural education they have received around ag business, animal science, crop and soils science. Our future is bright with these engaged students.
During Certified Public Accountant day at the Capitol, I had a chance to catch up with CPA and business owner Anthony DeGiulio from Hopkins. I always learn something new when we talk and thank you for sharing the CPA’s legislative agenda.
It was great to catch up with Jerald Stiele from Hopkins Auto Body who came to advocate for the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers. We used to be in the Minnesota Rotary together, small world.
Rabbi Jill Avrin and Kent Rissman from the Joint Religious Legislative Council met with me to discuss the issue areas they are highlighting this year: helping widowed spouses of veterans that currently lose education benefits, expanding the child tax credit, and providing funds to mitigate harm if gambling is expanded. Thank you for your advocacy!
Keep in Touch
As I mentioned above, please don’t hesitate to contact me anytime with what’s on your mind, or if I can provide assistance. You can reach me at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. You’re also welcome to follow me for additional updates on my Facebook page.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins, Edina, and St. Louis Park neighbors at the State Capitol.
A big thank you to the folks who turned out for the Community Conversation last Saturday. The snow and cold didn’t stop neighbors from coming out to have their voices heard. We had conversations around education funding, discussed chronic absenteeism, heard strong support for our LGBTQ+ communities, and much more. I appreciate all of the input! A special shoutout to our amazing public libraries for providing the space to gather!
We have heard a slew of bills in our committees that only have Republican authors, have strong opposition in the Senate, and will not be able to garner the 68 votes on the House. It is my hope that we start to spend more time in committees on bills that we can work on together as we await the March 6 forecast to start our work on the two year state budget.
State of the City Video Recording Now Available
Did you miss Hopkins’ State of the City this year? A video recording of the event is now available. Check it out to learn about local government issues and city initiatives from the past year, and a look ahead at 2025.
Cold Weather & Energy Assistance Resources
With the cold weather still upon us, I want to share a quick reminder that Minnesota’s “cold weather rule” is now in effect, which protects residents from having their electric or natural gas service shut off until April 30.
To ensure your service is safe from disconnection, you must make and keep a payment plan that you and your utility provider agree on. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s website.
Also, an initiative the state legislature strengthened in 2021 may help lower costs. While older homes have their charm, many homeowners needing basic home improvements like repairing windows, removing asbestos, repairing cracked foundations or siding often face challenges paying upfront for these pre-weatherization measures. Minnesotans using CenterPoint or Xcel Energy can schedule an appointment with the Home Energy Squad to visit their homes to identify low cost energy-saving solutions. Each visit is approximately two hours, and during that time, the Home Energy Squad will perform various energy-saving tests, inspect your insulation, heating and cooling systems, and water heater. Learn more here.
House Floor Activity
On Thursday, we discussed House File 20 on the House Floor. It is a bill that would give currently private data to powerful special interests. The bill stems from a case the fossil fuel industry and would make it nearly impossible for the Minnesota Attorney General to join other state’s AGs to join in collective actions to protect their citizens. Without 68 votes, Democrats were successful in stopping this bill from advancing. HF 20 was “tabled” which means it could be taken up again at any time.
Committee Work
In the Ways and Means on Monday, we heard from the Legislative Budget Office on the process of putting together fiscal notes. Fiscal notes reflect the cost of implementing what a bill is proposing.
During Thursday’s Taxes hearing, we had an overview from the Minnesota Department of Revenue (DOR) and the work that they do, as well as the Governor’s tax proposal. On Thursday, we heard from the League of Minnesota Cities, Association of Minnesota Counties, and the Minnesota Inter-County Association on their legislative priorities for this session.
In the Education Finance Committee on Tuesday, we heard a large education bill proposal from the House GOP that makes changes to the Read Act including removing the requirement for the reading curriculum to be culturally responsive. It would also remove oversight from the Minnesota Department of Education on grant allocation to school districts around education innovation. The bill also allows districts to ignore any requirements we placed to secure school funding in the 2023-2024 legislative session until the 2029-2030 school year. While the bill should have made at least three more committee stops, it went directly to the House Floor with only GOP support.
On Thursday, we had a robust discussion on a bill proposed to redirect funds from the Student Support Personnel Aid (SSPA), that we funded in 2023-2024, to a School Safety Account. SSPA allowed our school districts to hire more school psychologists, nurses, social workers, and counselors in our schools, while the School Safety Account can also be used for cybersecurity and funding building safety updates. There would be no guarantee, if the SSPA funds are moved to the School Safety Account, that the funds would be used in accordance with the legislative intent to put more trained professionals in our schools to help our students. There was an incredible group of students and school staff that testified in opposition to the bill. Including, students from Edina High School that are pictured below. The bill was laid over for possible inclusion in an education bill.
Kidney Disease Awareness
Kidney disease is one of the top 10 causes of death in the US, but only 10% of adults with the disease know they have it. Early detection is vital for slowing or stopping further kidney damage, which is a key focus of the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). The NKF is dedicated to eliminating preventable kidney disease, supporting new innovations, and dismantling structural inequities in patient care. A simple step to assess your risk for this disease is to take this 60-second quiz Kidney Health Quiz.
Constituent and Organizations Meetings
This week was very busy with constituents and organizations that visited the Capitol this week to advocate for bills and share their thoughts. I started the week meeting with a group of teachers who are on the Education Minnesota Governing Board to talk about school funding and pensions.
Emily Beck is a constituent who was advocating for the awareness of kidney disease and was kind enough to share the 60 second quiz to see how to keep your kidneys healthy.
I also had the chance to meet with Dawn Uribe, and her husband Gary, who runs Mis Amigos Preschool to discuss the challenges that industry is facing.
I met with a group of constituents who were at the Capitol for a rally with Faith in Minnesota, ISAIAH, and We Make Minnesota to support Paid Family Medical Leave, maintain transit investment, support affordable housing, and more.
Dr. Deborah Thorpe was at the Capitol to advocate for increasing the reimbursement for treating Medical Assistance recipients. She is an Ob-Gyn who has spent years practicing gender care and is very concerned about the Federal government’s recent positions regarding our LBGTQ+ community.
I had an inspiring visit with the organizations that make up the Education Partnership Collaborative who focus on making sure our students and their families have the supports they need to be successful.
On Thursday, it was mental health awareness day and I met with folks from Fraser, Vail Place, and UABLE to discuss the barriers folks face to receive care and support.
Talked with a group of amazing aspiring teachers who advocated last year for paid student teaching and other ways to make sure we support students who want to become teachers in our classrooms.
Town Hall Reminder
I’m sharing a friendly reminder about our upcoming SD 46 Town Hall Meeting on February 27th in St. Louis Park! I hope you can attend; I’d love to hear from you.
Community Conversations
I also have a few more community conversations I’m hosting. Check out the remaining dates below to find a date, time, and location that works best for you.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions, ideas, or input. I appreciate hearing from you! I’m always happy to see how I can help.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol.
Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s great to be back at the State Capitol. It’s been quite a busy week between committee meetings, constituent meetings and meetings with organizations on their legislative platforms. Let’s dive in.
Committee work is underway with the GOP leading the House agenda for the next four weeks. Republicans have already introduced several pieces of harmful legislation that would hurt our students, neighbors, healthcare systems, eliminate reproductive freedoms, transit, and more. They’ve even introduced their own version of a “Parents Bill of Rights”, essentially dictating what their children learn in schools, blocking American History curriculum and more content they don’t agree with.
Committee Meetings
In the Education Finance Committee, we had an overview of the Governor’s budget proposal and the Minnesota Department of Education’s budget proposal. Next week we will be rolling into bill hearings.
In the Ways and Means Committee we would traditionally hear an overview of the State Budget and November forecast from non-partisan staff and the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget. Instead, Chair Torkelson had a conservative, partisan presentation from the Center of the American Experiment, an organization that later disparaged our committee members’ comments on their podcast.
In Taxes, we heard a variety of bills from sales tax exemptions for baby materials to sales tax exemptions on construction materials. We also heard a proposed controversial constitutional amendment that would raid our emergency and rainy-day funds, as well as funds used to stabilize our school district budgets. Additionally, we heard a bill to increase an exemption on the estate tax from $3 million dollars to $14 million.
Your Input Needed: Keep it Digitally Safe!
In the United States, we have guardrails on all kinds of products like seatbelts in cars or warning labels on tobacco products. We do things to protect ourselves from products that are legal, but deadly without safety measures. I’m interested in learning how that could be applied to social media.
The Keep it Digitally Safe, or KiDS, Campaign is a global contest inviting parents and kids to submit social media warning label ideas to raise awareness about the risks associated with social media and promote safer online practices. Individuals and teams can submit their entries at keepitdigitallysafe.org. All entries must be submitted by 8:00 a.m. CST on Friday, April 18.
KiDS aims to amplify the impact of significant risk and real physical harm occurring on social media every minute of every day.
Through public messaging created through the KiDS Campaign, SAVE and other organizations want to implement real change for accountability and transparency from social media companies through legislative action.
Guidance to School Districts regarding ICE
Minnesota Attorney General Elison joined the Minnesota Department of Education to provide guidance around U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement entering our schools. You can see the guidance here.
Minnesota schools continue to be bound by law to provide public education to students regardless of immigration status, must protect student data, and cannot be compelled to enforce a federal program or changes in federal policies.
Constituent Meetings
On Monday, I had the opportunity to chat with the owner and folks from Mac’s Liquor in Hopkins. We went over the legislative agenda and talked about concerns around liquor in grocery stores and the ability to continue to sell THC products. Thank you for the conversation!
Affordable Housing Day had different groups visiting on Tuesday to discuss the need for affordable and market rate housing, as well as the barriers to building up that housing stock. I met with a mother and daughter who volunteer with Beacon Housing. Thank you for your advocacy to make sure folks have a place to call home. A group from Reach for Resources in Hopkins here for Minnesota Social Services Day. We discussed the need for better reimbursement models to meet their caseloads. I also met with folks from People for Pride in Living to discuss their alternative education programs and the investment they need to continue their good work.
Wednesday brought a variety of folks visiting the Capitol to advocate. Duluth schools to discuss career technical education (CTE) pathways, a visit from ServeMN and Americorp to discuss their Math Corp program, an amazing group of CTE teachers to talk about the programs they expanded because of the investments we made last session, and folks from iCivics to discuss civic education programming. I also had a chance to meet with one of our new reporters from the Sun Sailor, Nina Thompson.
I had a well-attended Community Conversation last Saturday! Thank you to the 25+ people who attended. We had a thoughtful discussion around topics from affordable housing and education funding to protecting our climate and property taxes.
A big thank you to Hennepin County Sergeant Howse for letting me ride along on Saturday night! Hennepin County has an incredibly large territory to cover and provide response support to so many of our communities. I appreciate their dedication to public safety and service!
Upcoming Town Hall Meeting
Please join Rep. Larry Kraft, Senator Latz, and me at our upcoming Town Hall meeting in the St. Louis Park City Council Chambers. Hope to see you there!
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or to let me know how I can provide assistance. It’s an honor to represent our St. Louis Park, Hopkins, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol.
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