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Neighbors and Friends,
Early Thursday morning, the 2021 special legislative session adjourned with a new two-year budget. For months, the House DFL worked with the Senate GOP to craft a negotiated budget to help those who were most impacted by COVID-19 recover and thrive in the future. You can read my statement here.
The Housing budget was one of the key pieces of the bipartisan agreement, protecting renters and providing resources for landlords whose tenants have been unable to pay rent during COVID-19. The affordable housing crisis did not start when COVID-19 appeared and it will not disappear overnight, but we invest in innovative solutions to take on housing insecurity as we build back from the pandemic and into the future.
Here are some other highlights of the budget:
- Investments in access to affordable childcare for families and increased funding for providers
- A plan to prevent an eviction crisis and expand access to affordable housing
- Targeted tax cuts for workers and small businesses harmed by the pandemic
- Financial support for frontline workers who risked their own health to keep the rest of us safe during the pandemic
- Investments to improve public health and reduce racial disparities in health care
- Better access to reliable public transit and investments in roads, bridges, and rail
- Substantial reforms to sexual assault laws to help survivors get justice
- Measures to reform policing and increase accountability
- Investments in families who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness
- An overdue pay raise for PCAs and support for home- and community-based services to help people live independently
- Substantial investments to reduce racial disparities and improve equity
- Funding for the Market Bucks program to provide healthy and affordable farmers’ market produce to SNAP/EBT users
- Grants to schools to install solar energy reducing energy costs and the carbon footprint
Second Train to Chicago
Great news out of the Transportation budget – I worked to secure funding for a second train to Chicago. This is a multi-state project taking advantage of federal dollars, with an investment from the state.
 
COVID-19 Vaccination Update
The best way to protect everyone from COVID-19 is to get a vaccine. The Minnesota Department of Health reports more than 3 million Minnesotans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine. Check out Minnesota’s COVID-19 mn.gov/vaccineconnector, or ask your health care provider to help you find a vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccine is now widely available at several clinics in our community. Check here for more information.
Staying Connected
I welcome your questions and comments anytime. You can call me at (651) 296-3824 or send an email to rep.alice.hausman@house.mn.
Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature.
Sincerely,
Alice
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