Legislative Update from Rep. Sandra Feist

Neighbors,  

Despite the turbulence of a divided legislature, I want to lead this newsletter with good news: On Monday, we passed my legislation off the House Floor to expand access to restorative practices in Minnesota. I’m incredibly proud of this bipartisan work – especially since very few stand-alone bills have made it to the Governor’s desk this session. 

This bill, now awaiting Gov. Walz’s signature, was driven by the advocacy of Sarah Super and other survivors who wanted to expand options for accountability and healing. I'm truly grateful to Sarah and her team of advocates who shared their stories in hearings and in many conversations with legislators. The result was a bipartisan bill that could pass individually with 98 votes in support. I was truly moved by the hearing and the bipartisan process that led to this bill's passage. 

Note that we are getting to the phase of the legislative session when difficult decisions are being made in an effort to create a budget for this biennium. Thursday, Governor Walz and our legislative leaders announced a deal regarding global State budget targets for the upcoming biennium. While there are positive things in the agreement that protect much of the progress Democrats made during the last term, one of the many budget cuts is the removal of undocumented Minnesotan adults from MinnesotaCare, whose initial coverage was a provision the DFL-led Legislature previously passed last term. While undocumented children will still be covered, all undocumented adults will lose access at the end of the year.  

I do not support this decision and call on my Republican colleagues to reconsider their willingness to shut down the state government, and all the services Minnesotans rely on, unless they strip healthcare access away from our undocumented neighbors. Notably, this is not just immoral, it is also bad policy: 

• Undocumented Minnesotans contribute more than $200 Million in taxes to our state’s budget, do essential work, and support families with members who are citizens. 
• Countless studies have shown that in states that adopted the ACA Medicaid Expansion, there were significant reductions in the uninsured rate and uncompensated care costs to hospitals, reducing overall costs to the healthcare system. In Minnesota, in the first year following adoption of the ACA Medicaid Expansion, uncompensated care costs lowered by 17% from $305 million in 2014 to $268 million in 2015. The numbers show that lowering the uninsured rate results in lower uncompensated care costs. This would play out in Minnesota with the MinnesotaCare expansion, if we allow its implementation to take full effect – undocumented Minnesotans only gained access to this care at the beginning of this year, so we haven’t given it near enough time to see the benefits. 
• Notably, hospitals benefit greatly from the MinnesotaCare expansion and the uncompensated care they provide will place a great strain on these healthcare institutions. This strain will be exacerbated if immigrants are cut off from preventative, proactive care and wait until their health conditions are dire before seeking medical care. 
• Undocumented immigrants play critical roles in Minnesota’s economy, on our farms, on construction sites, and in direct care roles, in particular.  

Ultimately, the COVID-19 pandemic made it clear that the relationship between community health and economic health is tied together. Slashing health care for the frontline, mixed-status families that kept Minnesota running -- at a disproportionately greater risk to their health and safety -- undermines our shared value to protect those who kept us safe while we sheltered in place.   

As an immigration attorney, I continue to see firsthand how the Trump administration’s hateful vendetta against immigrants is costing our communities and our state irreparable pain and suffering and is taking an economic toll. We cannot let these destructive patterns play out at the state level. 

Working for Minnesotans

Another one of the bills Sen. Mary Kunesh and I worked to pass this session also gained some recent media attention. Our bill supports the Ombudsperson for American Indian Families by adding the Ombudsperson to the list of entities exempt from certain court filing fees. This eliminates a financial barrier to the Ombudsperson in effectively weighing in with the Minnesota courts on complaints regarding non-compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and the Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act (MIFPA). Imprint News wrote a great article on the bill, which you can read here. The article describes the important work of the Ombudsperson across the state to support children and families protected under ICWA and MIFPA. 

I’m also proud of the House’s budget bill we passed a few weeks ago from the Veterans Committee. This was my first term serving on the Veterans committee, and I continue to be grateful for the great bipartisan work being done there to support Minnesota’s veterans. During the debate over the Veterans Budget last week, I spoke in support of an amendment by my colleague, Rep. Emma Greenman, to add her important bill addressing pervasive “claim sharks,” who syphon off the benefits that veterans are entitled to and can receive assistance in applying for without charge. You can watch my comments on the House Floor here. 

Hard Work Paying Off

It’s great to see the impact of the historic 2023 investments playing out in Minnesota’s schools. We recently learned that graduation rates have reached a historic high in Minnesota, showing how impactful it is when we invest in our schools and our kids. While we still have work to get to nation-leading education outcomes for all student groups, I find encouragement in this data and will continue to push for stabilizing education funding in our state so each and every student can thrive. 

I also was delighted to see our junk-fee bill have an everyday impact – I noticed when I recently used Grubhub! While a small change, the DFL ban on junk fees has made it so that companies can’t trick you into spending more money than you intended by adding on hidden fees at the end of your transaction. As a music lover, I’ve also noticed the difference all-in pricing has made for concert tickets! 

Advocates for the Boundary Waters

I joined an inspiring gathering of advocates for the Boundary Waters, kicked off by Sen. Tina Smith! It's an honor to collaborate with state and federal leaders to protect our precious natural resources from the threat of destructive copper sulfide mining. 

Town Hall Meeting with Rep. Ilhan Omar

On Wednesday, May 28th, I'll be joining Rep. Ilhan Omar and other local leaders for a town hall meeting. From gutting public education to Trump’s trade war with our allies, to the firing of tens of thousands of federal workers, Trump’s policies are making life worse for everyone except his billionaire friends. Every day, people are standing up to Trump and his cronies to protect our families, schools, communities, and fundamental rights. Congresswoman Omar and state leaders will provide an update on what is happening, discuss how they are fighting back, and answer questions. 

This event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is required via Eventbrite. If you are not able to attend in-person, the event will be livestreamed on Congresswoman Omar's social media. There is no need to register for the livestream. 

If you have any questions, please email MN05.Info@mail.house.gov or call 612-333-1272. 

Eye of the Storm

When I get full of nervous energy, I like to do wooden puzzles of impressionistic paintings. Something about the process of recreating the elegant swirls of color and surprisingly intricate composition centers me and stops my mind from spinning.  

My most recent puzzle was the famous Renoir painting: “Luncheon of the Boating Party.” It fit nicely with the summery weather we’ve had over the past week! 

Stay in Touch

Unfortunately, due to technological restraints, replies to this inbox won’t reach me. If you have questions, ideas, or feedback that you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email me at rep.sandra.feist@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-4331. Also, you can follow my official State Representative Facebook Page. 

Sincerely,  

Sandra Feist  

State Representative