We’re in the final hours of the 2024 legislative session, as our state constitution requires us to complete our work on Sunday, May 19th at midnight. As I write this update, we’re debating adoption of a gun violence prevention measure that holds straw purchasers accountable for illegal transactions and bans binary triggers. Earlier today, we started our debate on the ERA bill. After four hours of discussion on amendments, we tabled the bill to bring up conference committee reports. It is my hope we will be returning to the ERA discussion later this evening or early Saturday morning.
Honored to do this work with such dedicated colleagues and staff servingon the Education Committees!
The House retained all but one of our finance and policy provisions and adopted some Senate provisions that made the bill stronger. We had a fantastic Education Finance team that produced a bill built on the investments we made last year. A few my favorite highlights in the bill are:
$32+ million new money invested in the Read Act to pay for teacher’s time when they are getting training. Our local school districts will receive: $251,591 (Hopkins), $310,441 (Edina), and $156,753 (St. Louis Park).
$35 million in direct appropriations to our schools in literacy aid to implement the Read Act. These were funds appropriated last year that school’s would have had to apply for in December. Now they are going directly to schools this July with $278,661 to Hopkins, $343,843 to Edina, and $173,619 to St. Louis Park.
A student teacher stipend pilot project that will pay student teachers placed in our public schools during the 2024-2025 schools year. Students from our teacher prep programs at the U of M (Duluth, Crookston, and Fond Du Lac), State Colleges and Universities (Minnesota State Mankato, Bemidji, St. Cloud, and Winona), and at Augsburg College will receive just shy of $7,000 during their student teaching placement.
A robust absenteeism pilot project in 12 school districts across the state to innovate and collaborate on ways to keep our students engaged and in our classrooms. The school districts will receive funding to be part of these demonstration zones in Minneapolis, Columbia Heights, Burnsville, Northfield, Rochester, Mankato, Windom, Red Lake, Moorehead, Sauk Rapids-Rice, Cook County, and Chisholm.
Funds for the Minnesota Youth Council and YMCA’s Youth in Government to bring more student voices to the Capitol.
During the conference committee process, we combined the Children and Families Supplemental budget into our Education Finance Conference Committee Report. Chair Dave Pinto and I came into the Minnesota House together after the 2014 election. We both had a passion for funding early childhood and our K-12 school system. It was very exciting to be able to work together on a bill that focuses on our youngest learners and those heading into the world after high school.
Here’s a look at additional legislation and conference committee reports recently passed:
The Commerce Policy conference committee report, which provides funding to support the enactment of the Minnesota Consumer Data Privacy Act (MCDPA), adjusts two industry assessments at the Dept. of Commerce, provides major change shifts where cannabis programs are housed, cancels unused grants, and more.
The Environment and Natural Resources conference committee report, which includes significant investments in tree planting and addressing Emerald Ash Borer, a public water inventory update, policies strengthening and enforcing Minnesota’s air quality statutes, a regulatory framework for helium gas production, and nation-leading extended producer responsibility legislation for packaging recycling.
The Human Service Policy conference committee report, which continued the work of historic investments to help our most vulnerable. This bipartisan legislation clarifies several items in last year’s bill, which makes improvements for Minnesotans with disabilities, those in recovery from substance use disorder, and recipients who rely on waiver services.
The Health Supplemental Budget and Policy budget bill. This strong bill takes meaningful action to enhance health insurance coverage, improve health care access, increase patient protections, reform Emergency Medical Services, and help address mental health in Minnesota.
The Elections Committee Policy and Finance conference committee report. The policy provisions of the report focus on improved voter access and election transparency. It targets policy areas where the state can improve voter turnout and ensure that if voting is restricted, voters have a means of redress. It enhances disclosure requirements for those seeking to influence elections, expands voter access and comprehension, and increases election transparency.
The Higher Education Supplemental conference committee report. The legislation adds to last year’s record funding increase for Minnesota’s colleges and universities that froze tuition at Minnesota State for two years, fully funded the University of Minnesota’s systemwide safety and security request and provided free college to students with a household income under $80,000, among other investments.
The Agriculture Supplemental budget, which includes the reauthorization of the Food Safety and Defense Task Force, farm-to-school grant funding, creates the first Spanish language commercial pesticide applicator exam., addresses the groundwater nitrate crisis, and more.
The Climate and Energy Budget and Policy bill, which includes reforms to the permitting process for clean energy projects, support for geothermal energy power, and additional investments and policies to ensure we reach the 100% Clean Energy by 2040 goal the Legislature set last year.
The conference committee report cracking down on hidden, deceptive fees to ensure consumers have fair, upfront pricing for event tickets, restaurant meals, hotels, credit cards, and more.
New State Flag Raised
On Minnesota’s 166th birthday, Saturday, May 11, 2024, the new Minnesota State Flag was flown over the Capitol for the first time!
Photo courtesy of House Photography
Connected to Community
It was wonderful to welcome and give a behind-the-scenes tour for Juli Rasmussen, her two grandchildren, and her daughter of the State Capitol this week. It’s always rewarding to have a chance to visit with folks from our area in the House Chamber- especially during these chaotic, unpredictable schedules in the final days of session.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me with questions, input, or ideas at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. With the fluid nature of the end of session, email is the quickest way to get in touch.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – This evening, the Minnesota House passed the conference committee report on HF 5237, the Education Supplemental Budget bill. The report also includes the Children and Families Supplemental Budget bill – originally passed on its own – following a compromise with the Senate. The report passed on a vote of 70-58.
The Education Finance Budget portion of the report, authored by Rep. Cheryl Youakim (DFL – Hopkins), retains most of the budget proposal originally passed by the House, building on the Legislature’s investments last year by increasing funds for the READ Act, expanding Pre-K opportunities, providing paid student teaching experiences, addressing absenteeism, and establishing physical and mental health standards in Minnesota schools.
“Minnesotans deserve the resources to meet their students’ unique needs,” said Rep. Cheryl Youakim (DFL-Hopkins), chair of the House Education Finance Committee. “That’s why we are continuing our commitment to deliver world-class public schools for every community in every corner of the state.”
The Education Finance provisions in this conference committee report add new READ Act funding and provide districts with increased flexibility in using last year’s appropriations. It expands Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten programs by 5,200 seats beginning in 2025 and establishes working groups to ensure that English learner funds are being used in alignment with best practices and that teachers and paraprofessionals have comparable rates of pay to other jobs with similar requirements.
The conference committee report includes multiple provisions to ensure teachers and paraprofessionals have the training they need to meet student needs, including a pilot program to pay student teachers. It also includes multiple provisions to address the growing rate of student absenteeism. Finally, the bill ensures students have access to the same baseline information about their physical and mental health through state standards so they can adopt and maintain healthy behaviors throughout life.
The Children & Families portion of the report, authored by Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL – St. Paul), also retains virtually all of the budget proposal originally passed by the House. It advances needed child-protection reforms; funds food bank, food shelves, and emergency shelter; strengthens child care and early learning; and furthers the ongoing transition to the new Department of Children, Youth, and Families.
“Every Minnesota child deserves a great start, and every family deserves the support needed to make that happen,” said Rep. Dave Pinto (DFL-St. Paul), chair of the House Children and Families Committee. “This conference committee report delivers on our shared values of investing in children and families so that all Minnesotans can thrive.”
The Conference Committee Report now goes to Governor Walz for signature.
I hope folks have been able to enjoy our Spring weather! While it has been a busy week at the Capitol, it did not escape my notice that it was National Teachers Appreciation Week. Thank you to all of our teachers out there who do so very much for our students each and every day! A special shoutout to the teachers in my family: Jacques, Gannon, Danielle, Theresa, Leila, Shannon, and Kayli.
We’re in the final days of the legislative session, with our work required to be done by midnight on May 19.
The bulk of our time this week was spent on the House Floor, debating and passing our proposals for new policies and supplemental budgets. Much of this work is building off our efforts from last year, ensuring our investments have the greatest impact possible for Minnesotans.
With May underway, I’d like to wish everyone a Happy Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month! We’re proud of the contributions Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have made to our state, and this month, we celebrate their cultural heritage and history.
Education Finance Conference Committee
It is an honor to Co-Chair the Education Finance Conference Committee again this session. While this is a supplemental bill, and not as large as last year’s investments, there is still a lot of work for Senator Kunesh and I to do with our fellow conferees. We had our first meeting this morning and will be working through the weekend and into early next week to complete our conference committee report.
You can find information on all of the appointed conference committees here. When you click on the HF/SF link, you can see the conferees, the materials for the conference committee, spreadsheets, the schedule for future meetings, and the video of previous meetings. The materials have a summary of the provisions in the House and Senate bills as well as the complete language lined up side-by-side so that you can see the similarities and differences between the bills. These are the documents that committees use to walk through the bills and come to a consensus on spending and language.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to keep in touch and contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol.
We continue long days on the House Floor, with debate stretching after midnight most evenings. We are passing legislation to improve the lives of working and middle class families across Minnesota. Some of the votes are bipartisan, some break on party lines. What I am proud of is the work that has been done in committee to take changes and suggestions from members on both sides of the aisle.
The House continues to debate and pass supplemental budget and policy bills on the floor, covering important issues such as education, labor, housing, the environment, and more. As a member of the House Taxes and Ways and Means Committees, I’ve been balancing early morning committee meetings with late night floor sessions. I haven’t gotten this little sleep since our kids were young. But the work is meaningful, rewarding, and will keep Minnesota moving forward.
Once we have passed all the budget bills off the House floor, and the Senate passes their versions of the bills, folks will be spending time in conference committee ironing out the differences. Those conference committees will then send one version out and to the House and Senate floors for an up or down vote. You cannot amend the conference committee report. Once they pass the respective floors, they go to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
On Monday, the House passed the 2024 Legacy Budget bill with broad bipartisan support on a vote of 118-13. The bill invests nearly $240 million in Minnesota’s outdoor heritage, clean water, parks and trails, and arts and culture from the Legacy Amendment fund. Middle-class
On Tuesday, I joined Education Finance Vice Chair Clardy, Education Policy Chair Pryor, Rep. Edelson, Rep. Sencer-Mura, and Rep. Bianca Virnig at a press conference to announce our intent to pass the K-12 Education bill. You can watch the press conference here and see the coverage of the press conference here and here. The K-12 Education Finance supplemental budget bill builds on our investments last year by increasing funds and flexibility to the Read Act, gets more teachers in our schools, keeps more students in the classrooms, and brings student voices to the table. If you want to take a deep dive into the bill, the House non-partisan summary is here.
The rest of the week, the House passed:
An Environment and Natural Resources bill with new investments in tree planting, improving air quality, holding repeat polluters accountable, and tackling solid waste and recycling.
A Children and Families bill that reforms our child protection system and builds on historic investments in economic support for families, food security, and emergency shelter.
A Transportation, Labor, and Housing bill that invests in railroad safety and public transit, enhances worker rights and safety, improves housing stability for renters and seniors, and funds homelessness prevention.
We passed a Pensions and Retirement bill with bipartisan support, which prioritizes educators’ retirement security, improves our pension systems’ health, and strengthens the benefits retirees can expect.
On Friday, we started House floor session at 12:30 pm after an early morning Ways & Means Committee. We will work into the early morning hours, but as I write this, we have passed the Tax bill, the Jobs and Economic Development, and started the Higher Education bill and the Elections bill.
In the next update, I will fill you in on the details of those bills as well as the rest we will be passing off of the House floor before we head into conference committees.
Gun Violence Prevention Measures Advance
Last year, DFLers took long overdue action to save lives and prioritize Minnesotans’ public safety by enacting criminal background checks and “red flag” laws. We’re building on the work we delivered last year and this week, the House passed the following measures:
HF 601 – Requires lost or stolen firearms to be reported promptly to law enforcement. Lost and stolen guns are often used in crimes or end up in the hands of those who may cause harm to themselves or others. This bill will assist in the recovery of guns and help prevent gun trafficking, so weapons don’t end up in the hands of those ineligible to possess them.
HF 4300 – Requires guns to be stored safely. Heartbreakingly, gun violence is the leading cause of death among children. This is an important step to prevent access by children and help stop tragic accidents.
HF 2609 – This bill has two components. First, it improves Minnesota’s law prohibiting the straw purchase of guns, which occurs when an individual buys a firearm for someone ineligible to have one. The bill increases penalties for straw purchasing and expands the circumstances under which the crime can be prosecuted. Second, the bill bans so-called “binary triggers” which modify guns to more closely mimic fully automatic weapons. The shooter used one of these devices during the February tragedy that occurred in Burnsville, and these weapons have no place in our communities.
Visits to the Capitol
When the legislative session ends on May 20, we will be moving out of the State Office Building and across the way to the Centennial Building. Many of you have visited me at the Capitol and have seen the beautiful work of art (Las Mujeres) that I have been hosting from the artist Jimmy Longoria. Friday morning, Jimmy came to pick up the painting while we are in our two-year temporary offices. A huge thank you to Jimmy Longoria for letting me enjoy this incredible piece of art for the last 10 years! You can see more of Jimmy’s artwork here.
On Friday morning, Edina student athletes visited the Capitol to celebrate their championship wins. Rep. Heather Edelson arranged to have the teams come and receive a legislative resolution to honor their achievements. Unfortunately, I was unable to join in the festivities because I was in the Ways & Means Committee. Congratulations to these student athletes from these Edina teams: Girls’ Hockey, Boys’ Hockey, Girls’ Soccer, Girls’ Swim & Dive, Debate Team, and Robotics Team. Your perseverance and hard work paid off!
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889. Email is the best way to get in touch with these long days on the House Floor.
It’s an honor to represent our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors in St. Paul.
St. Paul, Minn.— This evening, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed HF 5237, the K-12 Education Supplemental budget, on a 68-61 vote.
“Minnesotans want to make sure our schools have the funding to meet their students’ needs,” said Rep. Cheryl Youakim (DFL-Hopkins), chair of the House Education Finance Committee. “That’s why we are continuing the investment in our public schools that we made last year. Once again we invest in the Read Act, put more teachers in our schools, keep more students in our classrooms, and make sure our students have a seat at the decision-making table.”
HF 5237 builds on the legislature’s historic investments last year by adding $37 million in new Read Act funding and providing districts with increased flexibility in using the $35 million of last year’s Read Act appropriations.
“All students deserve a world-class education and an opportunity to succeed,” said Rep. Mary Frances Clardy (DFL-Inver Grove Heights), vice chair of the House Education Finance Committee. “That’s why House DFLers are delivering investments to improve school readiness and critical skills like reading to foster an environment where all kids can learn, grow, and thrive.”
It expands Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten programs by 5,200 seats beginning in 2025 (one year ahead of the schedule set in last year’s budget) and establishes working groups to ensure that special education and English learner funds (which both saw significant increases of approximately $1.8 billion in funding over the next four years in last year’s bill) are being used in alignment with best practices.
The K-12 Education Supplemental Budget includes multiple provisions to ensure that teachers and paraprofessionals have the training they need to meet student needs, including a pilot program to pay student teachers. It also includes multiple provisions to address the growing rate of student absenteeism. Finally, the bill provides students uniform baseline information in their curriculum about their physical and mental health as a state standard so they can adopt and maintain healthy behaviors throughout life.
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