Happy Friday! The MN 2024 Legislative session has begun and I’m excited to continue this work with our community and Rep. Larry Kraft who represents the other half of Senate District 46.
After the historically productive 2023 Legislative Session, DFLers remain committed to improving people’s lives and building a Minnesota that works better for everyone. In 2024, we will continue working side by side with our neighbors and community members. Together, rooted in the values we all share, we will work to lower the cost of living, deliver economic security for working families, and ensure everyone has the tools they need to thrive.
To that end, I’d love to see and hear from you at an upcoming community engagement event. On March from 6:00-7:30 pm, Senator Latz, Rep. Kraft, and I will hold a district town hall meeting at St. Louis Park City Council Chambers.
I am hosting one more community conversation this month on Saturday, February 24 from 10:30-noon in Hopkins. Everyone is welcome to attend these nonpartisan gatherings for a productive dialogue. I will also be hosting two more Community Conversations in March, dates to come.
Session and Committee Work
We started the week at the Our State Our Future conference which is an annual tradition setting a bipartisan and productive tone for the session to come. This year’s theme involved the importance of early childhood care and education.
Our first week of session consisted of several floor sessions. I’m honored to continue to serve in the role of House Education Finance Chair, and we spent our meetings this week going over the implementation of our historic investment in schools across the state. The Minnesota Department of Education has been a steadfast partner with helping ensure these dollars are directed to school districts and distributed appropriately. Students deserve a quality education and quality services, and the DFL majority delivered historic funding for our schools last session to make sure our kids have the resources our kids need to succeed. But you cannot turn around twenty years of underfunding in one session, we still have work to do this session to stabilize our school district’s funding streams.
Outstanding Legislative Leadership Award & Black Entrepreneurs Day at the Capitol
On Friday, I was also honored to receive an Outstanding Legislative Leadership Award from the Coalition to Increase Teachers of Color and American Indian Teachers in Minnesota. This coalition has been working on increasing teachers of color in our classrooms all over the state so that our students can see themselves in those who are teaching them. They have been doing incredible work growing and diversifying our teacher workforce!
Friday was Black Entrepreneurs Day as the Capitol, and I had the pleasure of meeting M. Ann Pritchard of MAMP Creations. She is an author, artist, and actor. She creates unique gifts with positive messages.
Murdered & Missing Indigenous Relatives Day of Remembrance
On Wednesday we honored Murdered and Missing Indigenous Relatives Day of Remembrance. Members of the Native American Legislative Caucus in the House took a moment to reflect on this day, its importance, and held a moment of silence. You can watch the remarks here.
Connected to Community
DFL lawmakers held a press conference this week to promote a bill to require health care insurance coverage for infertility treatments. Fox 9 covered the event and you can read more here. I also had the opportunity to meet with constituents from RESOLVE, an organization that supports folks struggling with fertility. I am a proud co-author of the legislation that was proposed last year and hope we can get it across the finish line this session.
Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to volunteer with my fellow Edina Morningside Rotary members at Bridging. This amazing organization has been serving families since 1987, by providing household goods and furniture to those who are getting stabilized in housing. They accept donations of gently used household goods and furniture, as well as monetary donations, at their site in Bloomington. They have an extensive list of what they accept on their website, so if you are decluttering, downsizing your home, or need a place to donate a gently used couch, check them out!
I had great conversations with our school counselors at the Capitol for their advocacy day and folks advocating for childcare affordability! A big thank you to school counselor Carolyn Berger and Angela Sandoval from Rise Early Learning for all you do for the kids in our communities!
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions or input. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
Thank you for the honor of serving our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina residents at the State Capitol.
Minnesota schools won $2.2 billion in new funding the last time the Legislature met, but as lawmakers reconvened this week, the 2024 legislative session thus far carries little hope of a splashy education encore.
Restraint instead is the message, and it’s been heard by education advocates, who nonetheless plan to continue to push for additional revenue as district budgets are squeezed.
“We educate the children and we won’t quiet our voices,” said St. Paul Public Schools Superintendent Joe Gothard, who serves as board president of the Minnesota Association of School Administrators.
The voices are welcome, and the needs will be heard, but much of the help to be offered may have to wait until next year, said state Rep. Cheryl Youakim, DFL-Hopkins, who chairs the House Education Finance Committee.
Gothard and others, while thankful for a boost in per-pupil aid and funds to help cover special education and English-language learner costs, say the new money did not make up for years of underfunding and, in many cases, left districts like St. Paul still having to dip into rainy-day funds to balance 2023-24 budgets.
They would like an additional 2% on the basic per-pupil aid formula — the funding stream they deem most flexible and that is used to pay staff salaries, transportation and other general operations. The cost: $160 million, according to the Minnesota School Boards Association.
“We understand that’s probably going to be an uphill battle,” Scott Croonquist, executive director of the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), said Monday.
Looming over this year’s legislative funding requests is a potential shortfall in the state’s next two-year budget. That forecast, which was released in November, is to be updated at the end of February, giving hope to some groups — early-education and child-care advocates among them — that prospects may brighten and new investments still might be possible.
But the consistent message from lawmakers has been: “There’s no money,” said Matt Shaver, policy director for the education advocacy group EdAllies.
For that reason, he touted last week the potential value of a modest $1 million increase in a fund that pays prospective educators to student teach. Most are not paid during those 12-week programs — a significant barrier to people who are looking to change careers or come from diverse backgrounds.
“We don’t have enough teachers of color in the pipeline,” Shaver said.
Pushing for more
On Wednesday, the House Education Finance Committee heard about the launch of a program to bolster the ranks of special education teachers — work made possible by last year’s sweeping education bill. On Thursday, the panel is expected to be updated on the new universal free meals program and the Read Act, which is changing the way children learn to read.
Bob Indihar, executive director of the Minnesota Rural Education Association, said that the Read Act, and its requirements to train teachers in the new instructional methods, has been a major point of discussion during the past year, and will need some fine-tuning this session.
“We’re looking at how it can get paid for long term, how to fulfill timelines and finding time to train the personnel,” he said via email Monday.
On Wednesday, Youakim singled out the Read Act as a potential beneficiary of one-time funding.
Croonquist said AMSD is pursuing permanent funding for a new program allowing hourly workers to tap into unemployment insurance during the summer. It has been credited with helping districts retain bus drivers and other employees, but is limited to one-time funding through 2025. Last summer, districts paid out about $40.5 million in benefits, leaving about $95 million to spend this year and next.
The 2023 session provided a major lift to early childhood advocates by enabling more low-income families to access quality child care or preschool programs. Early learning scholarships that for years stood at $70 million were raised to about $196 million a year in 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Efforts ensued to expand the scholarships to middle-income families this session at a potential cost of about $500 million. Then came the November budget forecast.
Ericca Maas, director of policy and advocacy for Think Small, which administers the scholarships in Hennepin and Ramsey counties, said this week the group will continue to promote a middle-income expansion, even with legislators preaching austerity.
I hope your February has been enjoyable. I’m looking forward to some snow and seeing the new Minnesota Department of Transportation snow plow fleet in action! Over 35,000 Minnesotans submitted their ideas and winners have been selected. Here is your Class of 2024 Minnesota MNDOT Snowplow Fleet.
The 2024 legislative session begins on Monday, February 12 at noon. Although the work hasn’t stopped since we adjourned in May, I’m excited to be back at the Capitol to build on and continue to make progress for our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors.
A great way to stay updated on our work in the House is via the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services, which offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. You can subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website. You can also watch live hearings through the posted hearing on the calendar and recording hearings thru the individual committee links. If you are ever interested in coming to St. Paul and watching a hearing, you can reach out to our office about details or utilize this link to get some of your questions answered.
Thank you to everyone who joined our recent Community Conversation in St. Louis Park. I’d love to connect with you to hear what your priorities are for this session at my next Community Conversation, which is Saturday, February 24 at Hopkins Library.
Here’s an update from the Capitol:
New Child Tax Credit & Filing Assistance in Minnesota
With our nation leading Child Tax Credit, families will save up to $1,750 for each dependent. Democrats are aiming to cut child poverty by one third with this rebate. You can claim the tax credit by filing a 2023 income tax return. The $1,750 credit is for each child 17 years old and younger. For all tax filers, this credit begins to phase out at an income level of $35,000 and fully phases out at a maximum of $90,750 for a family with four children. Check out if you’re eligible here:https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/child-tax-credit
Most taxpayers who are eligible to claim the new Child Tax Credit are also eligible for free tax preparation assistance. I’ve been pursuing efforts to further study what a statewide free tax preparation program could look like in Minnesota. Currently, over 170 sites offering free tax preparation assistance are now open to help those filing income tax and property tax refund returns. Sites are staffed by certified volunteers and offer in-person and virtual options with most being open through April 15. You can find income requirements and qualifications for free tax preparation on the Child Tax Credit webpage.
Please share this information with your friends, neighbors, and hold on to it when you’re filing for your taxes.
Minnesota Values Project Survey
Almost seven years ago, the Minnesota House DFL started the Minnesota Values Project (also known as MVP) as a partnership between Minnesotans, elected officials, and organizations to create a shared vision for the future of our state. Working together, we’ve strengthened our communities by improving education opportunities, making affordable health care a reality, and increasing economic prosperity for all Minnesotans.
Through this project, we have facilitated hundreds of meaningful conversations with people across Minnesota about their priorities. We’re continuing this work and want to engage with as many Minnesotans as possible. Looking ahead to the 2024 legislative session, we’re looking to hear more perspectives and feedback from Minnesotans. As part of this effort, you’re invited to take the new Minnesota Values Project survey.
The survey only takes a few minutes, and as we build a shared vision for our state, your input is crucial in this process. We look forward to hearing from you. In addition to taking this survey, as always, don’t hesitate to contact me with your feedback or if I can ever be of assistance.
Connected to Community
I always enjoy opportunities to connect with our local school boards, city councils, and other community leaders to learn more about local needs.
We had a great conversation at the Edina City Council work session on Wednesday evening. It is always wonderful to hear about all the work our amazing public servants are doing!
Thank you to the Association of Minnesota School Board Association and the Minnesota School Board Association for the breakfast, conversation, and the chance to see friends excited to talk about funding our public schools!
This year’s informative and creative State of the City Hopkins put on Wednesday evening included food from local restaurants and “Parks & Rec” characters delivering the highlights in city programs, services, and development projects. I especially loved Heidi Garrido as Leslie Knope.
I was glad to join the St Louis Park Mayor, City Council, and staff along with Rep. Larry Kraft, Senator Ron Latz at a recent city work session. It is always helpful to hear about legislative priorities and to partner with our cities to enhance our community!
I had the opportunity to meet with Edina school leaders at their Legislative Action breakfast! Superintendent Dr. Stacie Stanley kicked it off and handed it over to amazing students and schoolboard members to walk thru their priorities. Thank you all for your advocacy for public education in our community!
Yesterday evening, I served on an Education Panel in Shakopee with my colleague Rep. Brad Tabke and House Education Policy Chair Rep. Laurie Pryor to recap our historic education budget and to hear their thoughts on implementing changes and answering any questions they had.
I was honored to have recently earned an award from the Minnesota School Psychologist Association. I am so incredibly grateful to the hard working school psychologists in our schools and doing so much for our students’ wellbeing and health!
Stay Connected
Please continue to contact me anytime with input, ideas, or questions 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 communities at the State Capitol.Have a great weekend!
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe we’re already two weeks into 2024. I hope the new year is off to a great start.
A new year means new opportunities to gather at one of my Community Conversations in our community! The first one was last Saturday at the Hopkins Public Library. Constituents from all parts of the district joined in a great discussion around a variety of education topics, healthcare access, needs of our veterans, and much more. All Hopkins, Edina, and St. Louis Park neighbors are welcome to attend any event they are interested in. Here are the upcoming dates and locations:
Hopkins Public Library:
Saturday, Feb. 24 from 10:30 a.m. – Noon
Edina Public Library:
Wednesday, Jan. 24 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Wednesday, March 6 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
St. Louis Park Library:
Wednesday, Feb. 7 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.Saturday, March 9 from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
New Laws
New laws also took effect at the beginning of the year. These include the historic investments we made in public schools and students, taking action to address gun violence, making significant progress in tackling climate change, enacting Paid Family and Medical Leave, providing free college for families earning under $80,000 a year, protecting reproductive freedom, and so much more.
Earned Sick and Safe Time is also a big win for workers across the state, especially for hourly workers who may not currently have access to paid sick time. This new law requires employers in Minnesota to provide employees one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked, capped at 48 hours each year. An employee is anyone who works at least 80 hours in a year for an MN employer and is not an independent contractor.
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has helpful information, including how sick time can be used here.
2024 Session
The 2024 legislative session will get underway on February 12th. The latest state economic forecast shows a stable budget and an economy that continues to grow. We’re building a strong middle class together, and economic security for working families is critical to our Minnesota’s shared success. DFLers in the House, Senate, and Governor recognize Minnesotans continue to face rising costs for essentials like child care, food, housing, and health care. We are committed to addressing these needs and making life easier for folks. You can follow our work in committee or on the House Floor on the MInnesota House’s nonpartisan Public Information website.
Connected to Community
At the end of December, I had the opportunity to tour the new addition of the St. Louis Park Emergency Program facility. Their mission is to strengthen the community by responding to the basic emergency needs of individuals and families. A big thank you to Derek Reise for the tour and for the incredible work you all do for our community!
It’s been a wonderful opportunity to sub in our local public schools. Recently, I subbed at Concord Elementary in the Edina school district. The substitute teacher shortage is definitely felt and I am so grateful to have the opportunity to see firsthand the work being done in the classroom and to see how our students’ academic, and social and emotional learning needs are being met.
St. Louis Park’s new mayor, Nadia Mohamed, and I had a chance to connect with a group of wonderfully engaged St. Louis Park folks at The Elmwood. Thank you for all the great conversation!
On Tuesday morning, I was honored to be inducted into the Edina Morningside Rotary Club by President Dr. Afira Hassan and President-Elect Bocar Kane! Thank you to the club for the warm welcome. Rotary’s mission of “Service Above Self” is something that is close to my heart. Check out emrotary.org for more information about the club.
On Tuesday, I also joined Senator Alice Mann and Senator Ron Latz in welcoming the Senate Capital Investment Committee to Edina to hear about the city’s Grandview Crossroads project. Mayor Hovland, Fire Chief Slama, City Manager Scott Neil, and Engineering Director Chad Milner put together a great presentation!
On Friday morning, I attended the annual Hopkins Legislative Action Coalition’s legslative breakfast. The Hopkins LAC is a group of parents, students, and school board members who help advocate for increased investments in Hopkins Public Schools. The delicious breakfast was served by Hopkins High School students who are part of the culinary ProStart team and students also spoke on the growing career and technical pathways the school has been developing over the years. Thank you to the school board, school administration and staff, and the parents for sharing their experiences and thoughts with the legislators who represent the Hopkins Schools!
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 with questions, input, or if you need any assistance. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors in St. Paul.
I hope this email finds you well and enjoying the holiday season! I love this time of the year; it’s a time to reflect, recharge, and spend quality time with family and loved ones. I wish you and yours a beautiful holiday and a special New Year.
This fall, I received my short-call teacher substitute license and have been spending time subbing as a teacher in our schools. While I have been a substitute paraprofessional over the last six years, substitute teaching has provided a new challenge. Both jobs have given me an opportunity to be in our classrooms and to see the incredible work our public schools are doing to educate our students and meet them where they are at.
The 2024 legislative session is just around the corner, slated to begin February 12. I have been busy meeting with organizations, advocates, local electeds, and others to hear about their success, challenges, and thoughts for the upcoming session. I want to also hear about the issues that are most important to you. That’s why I want to share with you our Minnesota Values Project Survey, an easy way to share your values, hopes, challenges, and ideas on solutions with us at the legislature. It only takes a few minutes to complete and can be found here. Thank you!
I’m also excited to announce my series of Community Conversations. Mark your calendars! Here are the dates, times, and locations:
Hopkins Public Library:
Saturday, Jan. 13 from 10:30-12:00 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 24 from 10:30 a.m. – Noon
Edina Public Library:
Wednesday, Jan. 24 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 6 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
St. Louis Park Library:
Wednesday, Feb. 7 from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. Saturday, March 9 from 12:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Updating Minnesota’s Flag & Seal
Minnesota has a new state flag! The outdated and busy flag we retired had prompted a multi-year advocacy effort of Minnesotans to design a new flag; one that is truly representative of the best of our state and one we can all be proud of. A seal has been chosen also. The new designs will take effect on Statehood Day, May 11th.
Effective Jan. 1, 2024, Minnesota’s earned sick and safe time law requires employers to provide one hour of sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked and can earn a maximum of 48 hours each year unless the employer agrees to a higher amount. An employee is eligible for sick and safe time if they work at least 80 hours in a year for an employer in Minnesota, and are not an independent contractor. More information is on the Department of Labor and Industry’s page here.
Catalytic Converter Theft Declining
Since the pandemic, catalytic converter theft has been steadily on the rise nationally, causing financial hardship and headaches to Minnesotans having to replace them. This year, Minnesota was one of 42 states to enact a new law with stronger penalties for catalytic converter theft, including policy measures that make it more difficult for thieves to sell back these stolen auto parts to scrap dealers. The Pioneer Press reported has an article on how this is impacting our capital city with theft rates down 95%. We’re also seeing a decline statewide due to increased metal prices.
I’ve heard from many neighbors in the west metro about the urgency to find solutions to this growing problem, and I’m glad we were able to pass a strong, bipartisan bill to help bring these theft rates down.
Connected to Community
Last month’s local elections took place and resulted in the United States’ first Somali American elected as mayor of a U.S. city- our very own St. Louis Park. Nadia Mohamed comes with an impressive background having served previously on the City Council, and earning the City’s Human Rights Award in 2018, and working in public administration. We also had a variety of newly elected school board and city councilors elected in our communities. St. Louis Park had a school board race, and Hopkins had an uncontested school board race with four candidates for four seats. Hopkins also had a city council race which ended in a recount and a two point victory. Edina had an uncontested schoolboard race with three candidates for three open seats. Thank you to all the candidates who filed to run and all those who voted in our local elections! Voting is civic engagement in its purest form.
I recently toured a local pharmacy in our area to hear about the amazing work they are doing to keep our communities healthy and at an affordable price. Thank you, Luke Slindee for the invitation and for educating me on the many facets of our locally owned pharmacies.
I also had the opportunity to receive the 2023 Legislative Award in recognition of my work and support of the BARR Center (Building Assets, Reducing Risks), which focuses on improving school culture and student outcomes with an evidence-based system. With the legislation I passed, 18 new Minnesota schools were able to implement BARR!
I had a great visit at the Bakken Museum in November to learn about the many educational opportunities they provide. I will definitely be making another visit on my personal time to enjoy the exhibits.
I also toured Intermediate District 287 to hear about their amazing work they are doing with our students who have greater needs. The budget bill we passed this session came with more opportunities to meet their students where they are at. A big thank you to all those who work across the state in our Intermediate and Cooperative schools!
I was honored to host the Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee in Hopkins last month as part of their statewide bonding tour, visiting sites and projects for proposed investment in a 2024 Bonding bill.
The City is requesting help to fund two Hopkins’ projects – the installation of a sprinkler system at Dow Towers, and two park buildings that will serve as recreation and resilience hubs for the West Metro. I’ll be carrying these requests next session to invest in these valuable Hopkins’ projects.
I also appreciated having the chance to see firsthand the work of Vail Place in Hopkins, a community resource center for adults with mental illnesses. They help with a variety of resources including essential daily living services (housing, employment, health and wellness, etc.); and connections to other critical community resources (medical, dental, benefits, etc.).
In December, I attended Minnesota Chamber of Commerce Women In Business Annual Luncheon hosted at Starkey in Eden Prairie. It’s always a wonderful opportunity to talk with women business owners across the state. We heard from the folks at Starkey and were able to learn more about what they are doing to help Minnesotans experiencing hearing loss.
The Holiday in Hopkins on Small Business Saturday was a success! I did some shopping to support our Mainstreet local businesses, visited the Hopkins Art Gallery, and enjoyed the Christmas tree lighting. I love a community that works hard to bring people together!
I recently had a chance to try a great new coffee shop in on Hopkins Mainstreet called Pangos. It was wonderful ambiance, great coffee, and delicious empanadas! We are lucky to have them here in our Hopkins community.
I’m grateful to Mayor Jake Spano for his years of dedicated service to the City of St. Louis Park! The incredible, innovative, and compassionate servant leader who knows how to get things done will be missed. It was fun to watch the community celebrate his body of community work on Monday night.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn.gov or 651-296-9889 if you have questions or need assistance. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
Thank you for the honor of serving our Hopkins, St. Louis Park, and Edina neighbors at the State Capitol.
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