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Dear Neighbors,
Like many of you, I’m disgusted at the actions of ICE here in our area. Innocent and lawful neighbors across our state are now living in fear of targeted, intentional, and racially profiled violence that makes us all less safe.
Donald Trump has also used his platform of the presidency to unleash unhinged hatred towards members of our beloved Somali community. Because he does not have any ideas on how to solve the affordability issues plaguing our country that his own policies created, he can only try to distract from them by trying to pit us against one another. Once again, his actions have no basis in reality or facts. The vast majority of Somali Minnesotans are citizens or permanent residents; his demands will not accomplish his cruel and senseless goal. But once again, his words will inflame tensions, fuel racism, and endanger lives.
Please be safe out there and let’s try to do our best to support each other. If you or someone you know is affected by the ICE presence, here is some guidance from our partners at the Immigrant Law Center of Minnesota that might be helpful.
If you see any federal activity, call the MONARCA rapid response hotline at 612-441-2881.
Additionally, here are some resources on immigration and your rights compiled by our Senate DFL colleagues.
Paid Family Leave officially launches on January 1st! Passed under the DFL trifecta in 2023, workers will be able to access 12 weeks of paid medical leave for a serious health condition of their own, including pregnancy and recovery. The plan also provides up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child, a seriously ill loved one, or for certain military or safety-related events, allowing a total of 20 weeks of combined leave per year if using both medical and family leave.
DFLers know that we all deserve to be able to care for ourselves or our loved ones without the fear of sacrificing a paycheck or facing financial ruin. Given the amount of economic uncertainty being passed down from the federal government, Paid Leave could not be coming at a better time.
Leave applications for expecting parents are open now! You can learn more, prepare for Paid Family & Medical Leave, and find additional resources at https://pl.mn.gov/.
If you are a small business owner, check this link for specific resources: https://pl.mn.gov/employers/roles-and-responsibilities. You can also reach out to the Paid Leave MN service center directly by calling 651-556-7777 or 844-556-0444. Also, please reach out to my office for any specific questions you might have that I can help with.
Health care is becoming more expensive for Minnesotans, and many families are feeling the impact. As you may know, President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans ended valuable tax credits that helped reduce health insurance costs in the private market. As a result, premiums are expected to rise by as much as 50% next year, with farmers, small business owners, and older adults hit the hardest. They also stripped Medicaid coverage from more than 140,000 Minnesotans, including some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Outcomes from these cuts include fewer people receiving the care they need, additional strain on our hospitals, and – ultimately – more expensive health care for everyone. Worse yet, the GOP delivered these reckless cuts to pay for tax breaks for billionaires and corporations.
DFLers at the Capitol are fighting to make health care more affordable, and as part of this work, we want to hear from you. Please take a moment to share how rising health care costs are affecting you and your family by completing our short survey.
Skyrocketing health care prices and reduced coverage are putting more pressure on working families already struggling with an affordability crisis, as costs of food, energy, child care, and housing continue to rise. Your experiences can help shape real solutions to fix our broken system and make health care more affordable.
Unfortunately, due to technological constraints, replies to this newsletter won’t reach my email account.
To share your input or ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance, please feel free to reach out via email at rep.xp.lee@house.mn.gov, and I apologize ahead of time if I’m delayed in responding due to the holiday season.
I always appreciate hearing from you. You can also follow along on my official Facebook page here.
Sincerely,
Rep. Xp Lee
651-296-1761
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