 Dear Neighbors, It was amazing to soak in the sunshine and join our community in our beautiful resistance against authoritarianism and a fascist regime. I was blessed to be among such an incredible lineup of activists, musicians, local and national leaders, as well as the over 100,000 Minnesotans standing in solidarity for ICE accountability, denouncing the war in Iran, and protesting the harm the federal government is causing our state and the nation. It was an honor to share the stage with them and remind everyone that in our collective action toward shared liberation, we must never forget our trans, two-spirit, and non-binary neighbors. We need everyone to stand with us and fight for our right to live peacefully and unapologetically as ourselves.  Important House Votes Last week, the House Chamber voted unanimously to repeal César Chávez Day in Minnesota. I stand in solidarity with Dolores Huerta and all victims and survivors of sexual abuse. Repealing this day is an important step toward healing and justice. I am happy both the House and Senate chambers recognized the importance and urgency of moving swiftly to get it to the Governor’s desk to be signed into law. The Governor declared March 31 as Farmworkers Day to continue recognizing the impact of agricultural workers.  While I had high hopes for continued bipartisan partnership after this vote to deliver results for Minnesotans, Republicans proceeded to vote against every measure to protect children, keep ICE out of our schools, and take meaningful action on gun violence prevention. Last Thursday on the House floor, Republicans chose to put: - The Gun Lobby before our kids.
- Trump before Minnesota.
- Politics before people.
I was proud to push back against the nihilistic worldview of House Republicans that suggests we are powerless to effect change. There must be hope and light in this world. I believe we have the power to build a future defined by peace, where we save lives through our work at the Capitol. We can and must enact laws to ban assault weapons in Minnesota. Republicans have shown they do not care to do what is right to address the gun violence epidemic in our state; they prefer talking points over real solutions. Watch my floor remarks here.  Holding the Gavel I cannot begin to express how excited and proud I was to hold the gavel as Vice Chair of the House Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee. This is not only a historic moment for the Minnesota Legislature, but a reminder to everyone who aspires to be in spaces not originally built for them: we can break those ceilings. It is a great honor to help lead the decision-making process to improve our judicial system—ensuring it holds individuals accountable while providing survivors with the tools they need for their journey of healing and peace. We must center restorative justice practices and a sense of humility to reform our judicial ecosystem, focusing on healing and moving forward together.  Unrestrict MN Day on the Hill I take pride in being the Chair of the House Minnesota Reproductive Freedom Caucus and fighting for bodily autonomy rights for all. It was an honor to speak at this year’s ‘Unrestrict MN Day on the Hill.’ Every Minnesotan deserves to be treated with dignity and respect and have the freedom to make their own healthcare decisions. While our state has made incredible progress in recent years, freedom and equality under the law cannot be taken for granted. This is particularly true as the federal government is actively trying to undermine reproductive freedom and rescind our basic rights—including the very existence of the trans community. Equal rights belong to all of us, and it’s time to put the Minnesota Equal Rights Amendment on the ballot once, and for all.  |