Dear neighbors, I hope you and your loved ones are well and enjoying the first weeks of spring. My colleagues and I are hard at work at the Capitol. With about a month left in the legislative session, we’re dedicated to getting our work done and improving the lives of Minnesotans. Helping Minnesotans with Rising Costs House DFLers have a plan to help Minnesotans cover the rising costs of child care, housing, health care, and more. Our Tax bill contains several provisions to help with these large expenses, including: - A new tax credit to provide families with up to $3,000 for each child under five, with a cap of $7,500, and $325 for each child under 17
- Expanded eligibility and benefits for the Renter’s Credit and Homestead Credit State Refund that will benefit more than a million Minnesotans
- A cap on co-pays for life-saving prescription medication, including insulin, EpiPens, and inhalers
- An increase of the Student Loan Tax Credit to $1,400
- Measures to ensure that seniors who earn less than $75,000 per year don’t pay taxes on Social Security payments
Republicans are calling for tax cuts that would benefit large corporations and wealthy Minnesotans, but House DFLers are focused on supporting the people who need it most. You can read more about our proposal here. Connecting with MinnesotansMore than 60 people from our community joined Rep. Dave Pinto, Sen. Erin Murphy, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, and me to discuss public safety two weeks ago. Each person brought their own experiences and expertise to the conversation, which made it a valuable learning opportunity. I appreciated the thoughtful questions and comments that people shared during our discussion.  I recently attended an uplifting event hosted by Youthprise, a non-profit organization that supports and empowers young Minnesotans. It was a celebration of the amplification of youth voices and Black leadership in Minnesota. There was also a beautiful tribute to Wokie Weah, the President of Youthprise.  The Coalition of Asian American Leaders has been a force behind key legislation to support the AAPI community. This nonprofit works hard to address issues in education, economics, immigration, and anti-Asian hate. I gathered with members last week to celebrate Bo Thao-Urabe, the founder and former Executive Director of CAAL. Her work to bring AAPI leaders together and to harness our power to improve the lives of Minnesotans by connecting, learning, and acting collectively will continue. I’m looking forward to the new leadership of CAAL and the organization’s continued growth.  I had an opportunity to tour the Hastings Veterans Home last Friday. The main dormitory of the building was built in 1902, as a state hospital. It’s beyond its useful life and no longer supports the program and housing needs of the veterans. To address this issue, the organization is requesting $60 million in bonds from the state. I appreciated the opportunity to speak with residents and staff, and I will continue working to support Minnesota’s veterans.  Looking Ahead We’re planning to pass several major bills this week. If you’d like to stay informed, please follow me on Facebook. I’ll be sharing updates on our progress throughout the week. Feel free to share this email with friends, family, and neighbors who might be interested as well! Sincerely, Kaohly Vang Her
State Representative |