Dear neighbors, My colleagues and I hit the ground running when the 2022 legislative session began on Monday. We are introducing new legislation, attending public hearings, and working on important issues with Minnesotans and fellow lawmakers. Upcoming Town Hall Rep. Dave Pinto, Sen. Erin Murphy, and I want to hear from you as the 2022 legislative session begins. That’s why we are holding a town hall this Saturday, February 5 at 1 p.m. We will provide information about what we are working on and opportunities to share your questions, ideas, and feedback. The event will take place on Zoom. If you’d like to join us, please register here. You can share questions you’d like us to answer as well.  Our Plans for 2022House DFLers have released several plans for this year’s legislative session, including: - A $100 million public safety proposal to make our communities safer and address rising crime rates. This plan contains grants to support nonprofit organizations that are working to prevent crime, help local governments fund community policing, and strengthen investigations.
- A climate action plan that invests in more than 30 initiatives to mitigate and prevent climate change. These initiatives will help lower energy costs and provide good-paying jobs as well.
- An economic security plan that includes Paid Family & Medical Leave and Earned Sick & Safe Time, policies that give workers time to care for themselves and their loved ones. It also takes steps to increase the supply of safe and affordable housing and to support frontline workers.
- An education plan that invests in child care and early learning, expands mental health resources, increases funding for special education and English language learner programs, lowers the cost of college, and more.
Members of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus also released a list of priorities. We will work hard to address systemic disparities in several areas, including housing, education, and public safety. Our goal to fix the system so our communities can focus less on “surviving” and more on “thriving.” Connecting with MinnesotansI’ve connected with many people during the first days of the legislative session. Yesterday, I heard from Minnesotans who support the slate of ERA bills that we heard in the Judiciary Committee.  It is time that we as a state decide to guarantee the rights of all our residents, regardless of gender. I am proud to be the chief author of HF 406, legislation that would amend Article I of the Minnesota Constitution to provide for gender equality under the law.  I met with an amazing group from the National Federation of the Blind in Minnesota this morning. We discussed HF 2458, a bill that provides rights for blind parents in the care of their biological children and when they adopt. I am delighted to be a co-author of this bill. I also met with Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota and AmeriCorps members from Habitat for Humanity – Twin Cities for their advocacy training. My work matters because it’s the advocates’ voices that I am lifting up. There is so much we need to do about housing. Together, we can find solutions that will meet the housing challenges we face as a state. Stay Connected If you’d like to stay updated during the legislative session, you can watch hearings and floor sessions on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel. House Public Information Services also publishes daily updates at https://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessiondaily/ and on their Facebook page. If you’d like to receive updates from me, you can subscribe to these emails here and follow my Facebook page. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions, ideas, or feedback. You can reach me by email at rep.kaohly.her@house.mn or call (651) 296-8799. I look forward to working with you this session! Sincerely, Kaohly Vang Her
State Representative |