Dear Neighbors,
It’s been a busy week with lots of late nights and full agendas in committees as we wrap up our first major deadline to advance bills through the legislative process. We have passed the first deadline and are moving on to the second next Friday as the final individual bills are being heard in committees. Next week, you will see committees craft their final versions of legislation before they head to the House floor. Here’s an update from the Capitol:
Floor Action
In response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, I voted to pass broadly bipartisan legislation divesting Minnesota’s state pensions of Russian and Belarusian assets, and codifying Governor Walz’s Executive Order barring Minnesota from contracting with Russian companies.
 Hopkins’ sister city of Boryspil has been in my thoughts every day. Taking this action is the least we can do to show our support for the Ukrainians in their pursuit of freedom and peace. You can read my official statement of support here.
 The Minnesota House also approved a strong package of investments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research, as well as caregiver support and respite services grants. My colleague Rep. Dave Lislegard developed the bill with Sen. David Tomassoni, the Senate’s chief author who is currently living with ALS.
The legislation invests $20 million to the Office of Higher Education to – with the support of the Minnesota Department of Health – award grants to conduct clinical and translational research. It also delivers $5 million for caregiver support programs – administered by the Minnesota Board on Aging – for families of people with ALS. This includes services, information, education, and training to respite caregivers and volunteers about caring for, managing, and coping with care.
Committee Action
We had another action-packed week full of bill hearings in the committees I serve on. Education Finance, Taxes, and the Local Government subcommittee are having their final hearings on individual bills as we move to the second policy deadline and then onto the third deadline that deals with the larger finance bills.
The majority of my focus has been in the Property Tax Division I chair. We held our final hearing on individual bills on Wednesday and will roll out the Property Tax Division Report. Next Monday we will be walking through the bill and taking testimony with the final vote on the division report in committee next Wednesday. The division report will include many of the bills we heard in our committee dealing with property tax cuts, renters credits, tax increment financing, and more. The division report will then be rolled into the full tax bill.
Connected to Community
Help Plant Valley Park’s Garden
The City of Hopkins, with grant funding from the Nine Mile Creek Watershed, has created a demonstration garden in Valley Park to show the environmental benefits of pollinator-friendly native landscaping. The garden features native grasses, flowers and fescue grass (also called eco-grass).
At the garden, residents and visitors can sit on benches to relax, or explore the garden and learn how to use native plants in their yards. Learn how to help volunteer to plant here.
 Lawn Workshops in St. Louis Park
St. Louis Park residents are invited to participate in two upcoming online workshops for free, hosted by Metro Blooms.
 Visit with Hopkins LAC
It's always great to visit and connect with the Hopkins Legislative Action Committee (LAC). I am grateful for the work they are doing to advocate for our students and our schools. We talked about how we can close gaps in the funding shortfalls our schools are facing in special education and English Language learning. Mental health and providing meals for students are both areas they are also focusing on. On another note, the Hopkins LAC is one of the first advocacy organizations I joined almost 20 years ago. It is always nice to connect with old friends. To learn more about Hopkins LAC and their work, you can follow this link.
 Congrats, Hopkins Girls Basketball Team!🏀
Congratulations to the 2021-2022 Hopkins Girls Basketball Team on their Class AAAA state championship win! This marks the 8th state championship for the Hopkins girls’ basketball team. These scholar athletes should be very proud of their accomplishments on the court and in the classroom.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.cheryl.youakim@house.mn or 651-296-9889. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.
Wishing you a warm weekend,
 Cheryl Youakim
State Representative
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