Neighbors, I hope you had a safe and happy Fourth of July. My family celebrated with a patriotic feast – brats, burgers, pasta salad, Cole slaw, potato salad, fruit, and homemade vegan angel food with vegan whip cream!   Mother Nature sure didn’t hesitate in turning up the temperature following the holiday! During these extreme heat weather events, and with more on the way, it’s extremely important (especially for seniors and children) to stay indoors and in air-conditioned spaces when possible. In response, Rochester Public Transit (RPT) is activating the fare-free “Cool Place to Be” program. During this time, people caught outside in the extreme heat can notify an RPT driver that they need to escape the heat and cool down, and no fare will be charged to board the bus. Learn more about the program here. Paid Family Medical Leave is Working!When we passed Minnesota's Paid Leave law in 2023, we made a simple promise: no one should have to choose between their paycheck and caring for themselves or the people they love. Six months in, more than 75,000 Minnesotans have already been approved for Paid Leave benefits, allowing workers to take paid, job-protected time off to welcome a new child, recover from a serious health condition, or care for a loved one. More than 38,000 families have used the program for bonding leave with a new child. The program is reaching the people it was designed to help. More than half of applicants earn less than $78,000 per year, nearly half live outside the Twin Cities metro, and before Paid Leave, many of these workers had no access to paid family or medical leave through their employers. That's especially important because, nationwide, only about 27% of workers have access to paid family leave through their jobs. Strong families build strong communities, and Paid Leave is helping ensure that Minnesotans can care for themselves and their loved ones without sacrificing their financial security. I'm proud to have supported this landmark investment in working families, and I'll continue working to protect and strengthen programs that help make Minnesota one of the best places in the country to live, work, and raise a family. Threats to Disability ServicesPeople with disabilities were not fear mongering when they said they are worried they will lose rights. The Trump Administration has made clear its intention to cut disability services. Moving special education compliance out of the dept of education. Redefining disability and medically frail for MA eligibility, including removal of automatic conditions. Changing SSA recertification rules. Immigration changes for status change that force people to return to their home county before a status. Removing access to Medicaid for legal immigrants with domestic abuse status exceptions. The list goes on and on. Last month I wrote a column for the post bulletin talking about this. You can read it here. I will always support our most vulnerable and push back against the division. New LawsOn July 1st, many new laws from the 2026 legislative session took effect. Some highlights include helping schools establish anonymous threat reporting systems so students and families can safely report concerning behavior, implementing a mandatory social media mental health warning, and more. You can find a list of the new laws and summaries here. While I’m glad for the progress we made in these areas, I can’t help but be reminded of the potential that was not realized this session. We could have given Minnesotans whose constitutional rights were violated by federal agents a legal remedy. We could have banned secret police by outlawing the use of masks and unmarked vehicles to terrorize our communities. We could have saved lives with an assault weapons ban and safe storage requirements. We could have delivered on the things Minnesotans are demanding most – if it wasn’t for Republicans blocking progress at every turn. The next step is to dust ourselves off and get back to work. I’m committed to a Minnesota where everyone can thrive – and I know that getting there is possible. Stay Connected with the LegislatureThis is the final newsletter you’ll receive from me until 2027. Minnesota law requires that certain official communications halt 60 days after legislative adjournment in election years to not give an unfair advantage to incumbents. However, you can still reach out to my office with any questions, comments, and concerns. In the meantime, you can also stay up-to-date with the latest by following my Facebook page. It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Kim Hicks State Representative |