MAP Caucus Working on Critical Legislation

Dear Neighbors,

The MAP caucus is working in both chambers to ensure that our community's interests are well represented at the Capitol. We have worked on several important bills, but foremost on our minds is reforming our criminal justice system. 

Assistance for Small Business

One bill we approved earlier in the week will create a $62.5 million fund for small business grants. Businesses with 50 or fewer employees can receive grants up to $10,000 each. This is a massively important bill that will provide our local businesses with the assistance they need to continue on during these difficult times. Of the $62.5 million total, there are several carve-outs:

• $18 million for micro-businesses with six or fewer full-time employees,
• $10 million for minority-owned businesses,
• $2.5 million for women-owned businesses,
• $2.5 million for veteran-owned businesses, and
• $2.5 million for ethnic malls with at least 25 vendors (e.g. Hmong Village, Somali Karmel Mall). Individual grants can be up to $250,000 for each mall owner and must be used primarily for rent forgiveness for mall vendors.

To be eligible, the business must meet the following requirements:

1. Have a permanent physical location in Minnesota, 
2. Be owned by a permanent resident of MN, 
3. Be in good standing with the Sec. of State’s office and the Dept. of Revenue as of March 1, 2020, and 
4. Demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Grants will be awarded by lottery and the funds will be evenly split in their allocation to Greater Minnesota and Metro-area businesses. This bill has already been signed into law by Governor Walz, and applications will be accepted during a 10-day period beginning on Tuesday, June 23, and lasting through Thursday, July 2. You can find more information on how to apply here. 

Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020

The House debated police reform for several hours last night, and passed significant legislation. The same can’t be said for the Republican led Senate which has not listened to the POCI caucus recommendations and is unlikely to pass important changes. Here are the reforms the MAP caucus has helped support:

Reclaiming Community Oversight

Putting power into the hands of the people and neighborhoods that police officers are sworn to serve and protect.

• Retroactive Repeal of Statutes of Limitations (Vang)
• Warrior Training Prohibited (Richardson)
• Choke Hold Ban (Moran)
• Duty to Intercede (Becker-Finn)
• Police Residency Reform (Hassan)
• Data Collection and Regulatory Reform/etc. (Mariani)
• Arbitration Reform (Her)
• Law Enforcement Oversight Council Reform (Gomez)

Reforming Accountability

Restoring confidence and trust in the systems that are meant to provide justice for all Minnesotans.

• Use of Force Reform (Moran)
• Prosecutorial Reform (Becker-Finn)
• Investigatory Reform (Mariani)
• Cash Bail Reform (Noor)

Re-Imagining Public Safety

Ending the unacceptable culture that is responsible for the murder of George Floyd and far too many others who look like him.

• Public Safety Peer Counseling Debriefing (Noor)
• Police Officer Critical Incident Review (Kunesh-Podein)
• Community Led Public Safety (Gomez)
• Mental Health Training (Richardson)
• Autism Training (Richardson)
• Restore the Vote (Moran)

House DFL PROMISE ACT

After our tour of our damaged communities we recognized the need for immediate aid from the state. The House DFL introduced the PROMISE Act that will do several things to make it easier for our Asian American communities to rebuild. Here are the provisions of the bill we hope to pass today:

• Create a special panel to review cases and provide direct compensation to impacted individuals.
• Partner with cities and community organizations to create economic relief programs for impacted businesses and organizations.
• Give local units of government flexibility and tools to prevent gentrification.
• Direct the Minnesota Department of Commerce to assist business owners, and require insurance companies to notify the department of any rejected claims.
• Help with the rising cost of leases for eligible residential and commercial properties.
• Eliminate the sales tax on the purchase of construction materials used to rebuild damaged or destroyed properties. 
• Provide property and sales tax cuts for eligible properties.
• Establish a “Metropolitan Area Redevelopment Corporation” to create a long-term plan for equity-driven redevelopment and transformation.

Hmong TV Appearance on Facebook

• Representatives Jay and Tou xiong will appear with Hmong TV on Facebook Live today to discuss the special session and other ongoing issues. You can watch them here.

Representative Samantha Vang (DFL – Brooklyn Park) is chair of the MAP Caucus. She can be reached at rep.samantha.vang@house.mn or 651-296-3709. The other MAP Caucus members include Assistant Majority Leader Fue Lee (DFL - Minneapolis), Rep. Kaohly Her (DFL- St. Paul), Rep. Tou Xiong (DFL - Maplewood), Rep. Jay Xiong (DFL- St. Paul), and Sen. Foung Hawj (DFL - St. Paul).