Dear Neighbors,
Thank you to everyone who attended the recent town hall with Sen. Scott Dibble, Rep. Katie Jones, and me. Understandably, folks in our community have a lot on their minds and it’s always rewarding to connect with those we have the honor to serve.
Since the event, Rep. Jones and her husband Peter welcomed their new addition – Hans – to the world! The couple didn’t let the birth of a child get in the way of their commitment to multimodal transportation, as they brought Hans home using a cargo e-bike! Congratulations and all the best to the family.
Making Life More Affordable
Minnesotans are working hard, but many families are feeling the impact as costs continue to rise in their daily lives. Groceries, housing, child care, health care, and energy bills are the biggest parts of a family’s monthly budget, and are leaving too many people wondering how they’ll keep up. Our middle class is disappearing, and for too many, the American Dream seems more and more out of reach
House DFLers rolled out our plan focused on lowering the biggest expenses families face. Our proposals target the core costs that make up the majority of household budgets with the goal of making everyday life more affordable for Minnesotans across the state. While actions from the Trump administration – like reckless tariffs that are adding as much as $1,700 in extra costs for the average Minnesota family – and starting a war in Iran that’s causing gas prices to spike, we’re working on effective solutions to drive key costs down so families who are working hard every day can afford to live, plan for the future, and thrive in Minnesota. Read more about our proposal here.
Holding ICE Accountable & Supporting Our Communities
Since ICE began its surge, Minnesotans have shown the power of standing together in the face of overreach by the federal government unlike anything we’ve witnessed. Communities across the state spoke out against the dangerous and unconstitutional actions carried out by federal officials, and your voices made a difference. We were recently able to cheer the removal of Kristi Noem from her post at the Department of Homeland Security, with this being just one example of what’s possible when neighbors stand up for one another.
But our work isn’t over. While the numbers of agents aren’t what they were several weeks ago, ICE continues to terrorize communities. The Trump administration also refuses to provide any meaningful acknowledgement of the harm they’ve done. Minnesotans deserve answers, justice, and a respect for everyone’s constitutional rights. That’s why I’m pushing so hard for a bill to give Minnesotans a path to bring action in state court when federal officials violate these rights. So far, Republicans have stood in the way of progress, but in an evenly divided House, we only need one of them to join us in declaring that constitutional rights are worth protecting.
My DFL colleagues have brought forth other key proposals that include banning ICE activity in schools, child care centers, college campuses, and health care facilities; requiring federal agents to identify themselves; and banning the use of masks and unmarked vehicles. Many people were also unable to work either because they didn’t feel safe leaving their home or because their employer was forced to close, and as a result, are facing a challenge paying rent. To prevent a housing crisis from taking shape, I fully support our Housing Stability Action Plan, which has solutions like a $40 million rental support package, extending the pre-eviction notice to 30 days so tenants have more time to find rental assistance, flexibility for tenants to access rental assistance from community organizations, and an option for virtual eviction proceedings in court. We’ll keep fighting to use every tool at our disposal to support our neighbors, defend constitutional rights, and hold those who’ve harmed our communities accountable.
Action to Address Gun Violence
The generation of Minnesotans coming of age today shouldn’t have to accept the deadly consequences of gun violence as normal. Another major priority of House DFLers this session is advancing commonsense measures to save lives, including banning assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, reenacting the ban on binary triggers, requiring the safe storage of firearms, regulating so-called “ghost guns,” and requiring lost or stolen guns to be reported.
These policies are widely supported by Minnesotans and proven to save lives. Yet when they’ve been considered in committee, Republicans have largely blocked progress on these bills in the House, preventing them from moving forward. This is another example of how, with a tied House, we need just one Republican willing to stand with Minnesotans instead of the gun lobby to advance these solutions. We owe it to those we lost to gun violence – including Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, whose lives were taken last August at Annunciation Catholic Church – and their families to keep fighting for action that will save lives.
Please continue to be in touch if I can ever be of help. It’s an honor to represent you at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Rep. Jamie Long
DFL Floor Leader, Minnesota House of Representatives