Dear Neighbors and Friends,
We're continuing to make strong progress passing budget bills on the House floor. This week, we passed three major bill packages:
- The Veterans and Military Affairs bill delivers robust support for Minnesota veterans and their families while funding operations for the Minnesota Department of Military Affairs. A landmark provision of the bill grants long-overdue recognition to Hmong and Lao veterans who served in Special Guerrilla Units (SGU) during the Secret War in Laos. These veterans risked their lives supporting American interests after receiving promises of support that were never fully realized. The legislation immediately confers "Veteran of the Secret War in Laos" status to Minnesota residents who were naturalized for their service.
- The Commerce bill funds the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the Office of Cannabis Management. It includes measures to protect Minnesotans from securities fraud, addresses rising homeowners' insurance premiums, and preserves consumer protections previously enacted by Democrats.
- The House Budget bill makes strategic investments aimed at helping people remain in their homes and creates new affordable homeownership opportunities, among other important initiatives. As a dedicated member of Housing Committee, I was honored to advocate for innovative solutions to addressing our housing crisis in Minnesota. Everything else in life is harder if you don’t have a safe and secure place to call home, which is why Republicans and Democrats worked together to put forward meaningful investments aimed at keeping people in their homes and creating new affordable homeownership opportunities.
As the Trump administration claws back investments in affordable housing, Minnesota is stepping up to ensure more of our neighbors can afford a roof over their heads. We’ll do what we can, but with 100,000 housing units short of what Minnesotans need, we deserve a more serious partner in the White House. Our Housing Budget bill also invests over $31 million in emergency rental assistance, which will help more than 8,000 Minnesotans stay in their home, $45 million towards the construction of new homes, and authorizes $100 million in Housing Infrastructure Bonds to fund the construction and renovations of affordable homes all over the state.
The importance of housing stability and ensuring safe and secure housing for all Minnesotans is paramount. Supporting families so they can remain in their homes, safeguarding them from exploitative practices, and addressing concerns about corporate influence on housing affordability are key priorities. While it is evident that further efforts are required to address Minnesota's housing challenges, I am committed to actively engaging with this issue and continuing to advance legislation aimed at facilitating homeownership, promoting housing stability, and fostering opportunities for Minnesotans to build generational wealth through their homes.
You can read more about our Housing Budget here. The House and Senate have both passed their own Housing Budgets, with significant differences. We’ll hammer out those differences in a conference committee before passing a final version in the coming days.
The House’s Higher Education Budget: As the Trump administration seeks to control colleges and universities throughout the country, Republicans sought to deploy that same playbook on Minnesota’s campuses while making it more difficult for students to access higher learning. In our Higher Education Budget, DFLers fought to keep right-wing extremism out of our higher education institutions and protected opportunities for all Minnesotans to continue their education after high school.
Since it was first introduced, the North Star Promise Program – providing free college tuition to students whose families make less than $80,000 a year – was highly targeted by Minnesota Republicans. Instead of providing a helping hand to those who face financial barriers to higher learning, they’d rather those hurdles stay in place. We know that Minnesota’s higher education system can be an effective path out of poverty, and stood firm against cuts to this program in our budget that gives students access to a degree without taking on unsustainable debt.
Last session, we prioritized breaking down barriers to higher education and are reversing a 10-year enrollment decline exacerbated by the pandemic. By protecting pathways to higher learning, we know we can continue to grow undergraduate enrollment and make it easier for all students to attend Minnesota’s colleges and universities. You can read more about our Higher Education Budget here.
New Walker West Music Academy Celebration: Last week's ribbon cutting at the new Walker West Music Academy marked a momentous occasion, celebrating the enduring legacy of Rev. Walker and Mr. West while reaffirming a commitment to leading with music and fostering generational change, one note at a time. I was deeply honored to champion the funding for this new building and the generational impact it will continue to foster.
The academy's remarkable journey—from an upstairs duplex to its award-winning ensembles gracing prestigious stages—underscores the profound impact of community investment in the arts.
Walker West stands as a powerful testament to how music education strengthens our cultural fabric, and I remain steadfast in my support for institutions that enrich our communities and inspire our youth.
Keep in Touch
Please don’t hesitate to reach out anytime with input, or questions, or to let me know how I can be of assistance at rep.samakab.hussein@house.mn.gov or 651-296-5158. Be sure to ‘like’ and follow my new Facebook page.
Thank you for the honor of serving our community.
Sincerely,
Rep. Samakab Hussein