Legislative Update from Rep. Cheryl Youakim
Dear neighbors,
There are only nine days remaining in the 2026 legislative session. House DFLers are working hard to respond to the challenges that our communities are facing. By the nature of a tied House, with every bill requiring bipartisan support to pass, the path isn’t always easy. The work is important though, and we know Minnesotans expect results, not gridlock.
On Monday, we passed a bipartisan bill to provide our public K-12 schools with increased funding from the School Land Trust Account. Yesterday, the Senate took action on the bill and added an amendment. Now the bill will have to have a brief conference committee.
Once an identical bill is agreed upon by both the Senate and the House, the question will go on the ballot this fall. If voters approve the constitutional amendment this fall, schools will receive an additional $40 per student. Thank you to all those who helped get this bill across the finish line in the House! We are now waiting for Senate action.
OIG Bill Passes House
This week, the House DFL passed a strong and effective independent watchdog by establishing the Minnesota Office of the Inspector General. I voted yes on the bill. Alongside the anti-fraud measures we have already passed and additional protections still moving through the Legislature, this legislation is about ensuring that public dollars go where they are intended and stay out of the hands of criminals.
At the center of this effort was a simple reality: everyone is angry about fraud against our public programs. Minnesotans expect accountability and they deserve confidence that taxpayer dollars are being protected. We stayed focused on the people harmed most when these programs are attacked like seniors, children, and people with disabilities who rely on these services every day.
Every person at the Capitol agrees there is a problem to solve. The challenge was to build a solution that was thoughtful, effective, and durable. That work takes time. Because of the careful approach taken in crafting this legislation and the leadership of Rep. Matt Norris, this Office of the Inspector General will be prepared to prevent fraud from day one, with real oversight tools and the independence needed to do the job right.
HCMC Update
Many of you have written to me about the importance of addressing the financial challenges Hennepin County Medical Center is facing and ensuring the critical facility can remain open. Thank you for sharing your concerns. We are working hard to develop a solution to help HCMC continue serving our community before we adjourn. In fact, we spent a third day in our House Tax Committee hearing from Rep. Esther Agbaje and Rep. Danny Nadeau regarding a bill that is taking shape. This is one of the top bipartisan priorities, and I’m hopeful we’ll be able to get it done.
HCMC is a shining example of how our health care system should work; they accept patients from across the state, whether they have private insurance or are on medicaid. From across every region in the state, HCMC provides critical care for a significant number of burn and trauma patients and serves as the gold standard for physician training for over 30% of the physicians trained in Minnesota.
On a personal note, during her undergrad, our daughter Madeline had a research internship at HCMC in their emergency room. She has said that time spent there inspired her to go and helped her get into medical school. She is now a doctor in Denver, Colorado and hopes to eventually come home to practice here in Minnesota. My daughter asked me to share her story in our recent House Tax Committee hearing.
I am encouraged to hear both leaders in the House share their prioritization of this.
House passes Health Budget Bill Aligning Minnesota with H.R. 1
This week, the House passed the state Health Budget bill aligning with the Federal HF1. I voted no, because Minnesotans deserve a health care system that expands access to care, lowers costs, and protects vulnerable families, not one that shifts the burden of harmful federal policies onto our communities.
The reality is that HF1 represents the largest rollback of health care coverage in recent American history. As many as 140,000 Minnesotans may lose coverage due to the devastating cuts and new requirements for Medicaid. These changes won’t improve care or reduce costs. Instead, they create expensive and inefficient bureaucratic hurdles that will force more people off their health insurance and make our health care system more costly in the long run.
When people lose access to preventative care, they delay treatment until conditions become emergencies. That means even worse health outcomes, even more overcrowded emergency rooms, and even higher costs for everyone. Hospitals across Minnesota (especially in Greater Minnesota) are already under enormous financial strain. Reduced funding and rising numbers of uninsured patients could push many rural hospitals to the breaking point, worsening health care deserts and leaving families with nowhere nearby to turn during a medical emergency.
I will continue fighting for a health care system that delivers affordable, accessible care when people need it and protects the health and dignity of every Minnesotan.
Mental Health Month
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. While mental health is important to address year-round, Mental Health Awareness Month provides a dedicated time to check in with your loved ones and remind them that they are not alone, and help is available.
Minnesota provides a number of resources to help those who are struggling. If you need emotional or mental health support, or are worried about someone else, please call or text 988 or visit 988Lifeline to chat online with a trained specialist.
Last week, I voted ‘Yes’ on an important suicide prevention measure, supported by SAVE - Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. The bill requires the state to ensure suicide prevention measures are included on existing and future bridge projects around the state.
We need to be proactive about suicide prevention in all respects, and this is one step forward in that mission.
Community at the Capitol
This week the Capitol rotunda has been filled with Minnesotans advocating for issues including funding for our schools, affordable healthcare, funding for food shelves, and more. Hearing the voices of Minnesotans in the people’s house is what this place was built for.
As the wife, mother, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law to public school teachers, I love it when local leaders come and advocate for investments in our public schools and our community! Thank you to Hopkins School Board Member Sara Wilhelm Garbers, Alice Smith parent Shannon Kreisel, for visiting with Rep. Patty Acomb and me and for caring about our students!
Wednesday, I also met with Mayor Nadia Mohamed, who was here representing Cities for Safe and Stable Communities as well as St. Louis Park. We discussed the need for increased funding to cities due to costs and fallout from Metro Surge. There is a small appropriation moving through the Senate that I hope gets larger. Unfortunately, we were not able to convince our GOP House colleagues to make this important investment.
Keep in Touch
As bills are progressing through the final weeks of session, there are a lot of moving parts. I may not be as responsive to your emails regarding individual pieces of legislation. But please know that I read each of your emails and take your thoughts to heart as we hear final bills on the House floor. 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.
Have a great weekend!
Rep. Cheryl Youakim
46B – Hopkins, Edina, & St. Louis Park