Saturday, May 18, 2019Hola, Minnesotanos!
 Con un nuevo presupuesto estatal aprobado tanto en la Cámara de Representantes de Minnesota como en el Senado, los miembros de la Legislatura ahora pasan la mayor parte del tiempo en negociaciones tratando de encontrar un consenso. Muchos legisladores recibieron citas para los comités de conferencia, que están celebrando audiencias públicas para identificar similitudes y diferencias en los presupuestos de la DFL de la Cámara de Representantes y el Senado Republicano.
 El presupuesto de DFL de la Cámara de Representantes se denomina Presupuesto de Valores de Minnesota, porque sabemos que los presupuestos son más que simples números en una hoja de cálculo: están arraigados en nuestros valores más preciados. Los Minnesotanos se preocupan el uno por el otro, y queremos vernos triunfar. Queremos escuelas excelentes y atención médica asequible para nuestras propias familias, y queremos lo mismo para nuestros vecinos, amigos, familiares y compañeros de trabajo.
Los demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes de Minnesota y los republicanos del Senado tienen enfoques muy diferentes al presupuesto estatal. El gobernador Walz y los demócratas de la Cámara de Representantes fueron elegidos por hacer campaña para hacer nuevas inversiones en la gente de Minnesota, ya sea en nuestras escuelas, atención médica, carreteras, tránsito, ancianos y familias trabajadoras. El presupuesto republicano del Senado protege las lagunas fiscales de las empresas y reduce los servicios básicos de atención médica para cientos de miles de nuestros vecinos y amigos.
 Estén atentos para otra actualización sobre las negociaciones del presupuesto.


Hello, Minnesotans!
With a new state budget approved in both the Minnesota House and Senate, members of the Legislature are now spending the majority of time in negotiations trying to find consensus.  Many legislators received appointments to conference committees, which are holding public hearings to identity similarities and differences in the House DFL and Senate Republican budgets.
The House DFL budget is called the Minnesota Values Budget, because we know that budgets are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet – they are rooted in our most cherished and deeply held values. Minnesotans care about each other, and we want to see one another succeed. We want great schools and affordable health care for our own families, and we want those same things for our neighbors, friends, relatives, and co-workers.
Minnesota House Democrats and Senate Republicans have very different approaches to the state budget. Governor Walz and House Democrats got elected by campaigning on making new investments in the people of Minnesota – whether it’s our schools, health care, roads, transit, elders, and working families. The Senate Republican budget protects corporate tax loopholes and cuts basic health care services for hundreds of thousands of our neighbors and friends.
Stay tuned for another update about budget negotiations.

Saturday, May 18, 2019


 
A legislative update is available in Hmong here, Spanish here, and Somali here. 

Neighbors,

The clock is ticking, with little over 48 hours left in the legislative session. The House and Senate are still at odds over our state budget, but we will continue to fight to make sure destructive Senate cuts to 1.5 million Minnesotans' healthcare, and to our schools, do not go through. 

While we continue to negotiate a state budget, we've also passed several bills off the House floor. 

Bringing down the cost of prescription drugs
This week we passed bipartisan legislation to bring down the cost of prescription drugs. 

The legislation will regulate and require transparency from a little-known but powerful part of the healthcare industry, called Pharmacy Benefit Managers, or PBMs. PBMs are a middle man between drug manufacturers and patients, and they have the ability and strong incentives to raise drug prices. They've been allowed to raise drug prices with no accountability or transparency, preventing pharmacies from offering lower-cost drugs, taking home giant profits, and leaving patients with the bill. 

All Minnesotans deserve the highest standard of healthcare and medication that they can afford. I'm proud that we stood up for Minnesotans who depend on these prescriptions to stay healthy, and took a significant step in reducing the price of prescription drugs. The bill is now on its way to the Governor's desk for signature! Read more about the bill here and here. 

Care for Seniors
Last week, we approved a package of strong reforms protecting seniors against abuse, neglect, assault, and other maltreatment in Minnesota assisted living facilities. The House and Senate were able to reconcile differences to finalize a bill to license assisted-living facilities and require them to maintain standards of care. We were the only state in the nation not to license these facilities, and this bill us long overdue. Our seniors deserve the care they need to live with dignity and safety. Read more here.

Let's keep Minnesota in the top 3 best states in the nation. We can only do that by investing in Minnesotans and making sure everyone has a chance to succeed - not by passing tax cuts for those at the very top. 

Have a great week, and please continue to reach out to let me know how I can better serve our community. 

Sincerely,Rep. Jay Xiong

Saturday, May 18, 2019Reer Minnesota, Waa aan idin Salaamay!
Iyada oo labada aqal ee ee Baarlamaanka Minnesota ay ansixiyeen miisaaniyadda cusub ee gobolka, haddana xubnaha Sharci-dejintu waxa ay hadda wakhtiga intiisa badan gelinayaan wadahadal si ay isfaham u gaaraan.  Sharci-dejiyayaal badan ayaa loo magacaabay in ay ka mid noqdaan guddiyo wadahadal, kuwaas oo qaban doona dhegeysiyo furan si ay iskula eegaan meelaha ay iskaga midka yihiin ama ku kala duwan yihiin miisaaniyadaha ay soo gudbiyeen Aqalka Hoose ee Dimoqraadiga (DFL) iyo Aqalka Sare ee Jamhuurigu. 
Miisaaniyadda Aqalka Hoose ee Dimoqraadiga (DFL) waxa lagu magacaabaa Miisaaniyadda Illaalinta Sharafka Minnesota, waayo, miisaaniyaddu waa ay ka mug weyn tahay lambarro warqad lagu qorqoray oo keliya – waxa ay la xiriirtaa oo ay ku guntan tahay qiimaha dareenka sharafkeenna. Reer Minnesota waa ay is daryeelaan, annaguna waxa aan doonaynaa in aan aragno innaga oo wada guuleysannay. Waxa aannu doonaynaa qoysaskeennu in ay helaan iskuullo wanwanaagsan oo tayo leh iyo adeeg caafimaad oo jaban, sidaa oo kale ayaannan la rabnaa deriskeenna, saaxiibbadeen, qaraabadeenna iyo dadka nala shaqeeyaba.
Aqalka Hoose ee Dimoqraadiga Minnesota iyo Aqalka Sare ee Jamhuurigu aad bay ugu kala aragti duwan yihiin hannaanka miisaaniyadda gobolka. Guddoomiye Tim Walz iyo Aqalka Hoose ee Dimoqraadiga waxa lagu doortay ol’olahoodii ahaa in ay maalgelin cusub ugu sammaynayaan dadka reer Minnesota – iskuullada, daryeelka caafimaadka, waddooyinka, gaadiidka dadweynaha, waayeelka iyo qoysaska shaqeeya. Miisaaniyadda Aqalka Sare ee Jamhuurigu waxa ay difaacaysaa fursadaha ay tujaartu canshuurta ku ilaalsan karaan iyo in ay ka jaraan adeegyada aasaasiga ah ee daryeelka caafimaadka boqolal kun oo deriskeenna iyo saaxiibbadeen ah. 


Hello, Minnesotans!
With a new state budget approved in both the Minnesota House and Senate, members of the Legislature are now spending the majority of t me in negotiations trying to find consensus.  Many legislators received appointments to conference committees, which are holding public hearings to identity similarities and differences in the House DFL and Senate Republican budgets.
The House DFL budget is called the Minnesota Values Budget, because we know that budgets are more than just numbers on a spreadsheet – they are rooted in our most cherished and deeply held values. Minnesotans care about each other, and we want to see one another succeed. We want great schools and affordable health care for our own families, and we want those same things for our neighbors, friends, relatives, and co-workers.
Minnesota House Democrats and Senate Republicans have very different approaches to the state budget. Governor Walz and House Democrats got elected by campaigning on making new investments in the people of Minnesota – whether it’s our schools, health care, roads, transit, elders, and working families. The Senate Republican budget protects corporate tax loopholes and cuts basic health care services for hundreds of thousands of our neighbors and friends.
Stay tuned for another update about budget negotiations.

Saturday, May 18, 2019Nyob zoo sawvdaws,
Peb tau txais pob nyiaj siv tshiab uas dhua hauv Minnesota lub House thiab Senate. Tam sim no, peb siv zog thiab sij hawm sib tham thiab sab laj nrog lub Senate kom sawvdaws pom zoo faib nyiaj kom sib haum.
Lub Minnesota House DFL pob nyiaj siv hu ua Minnesota Values ??Budget, vim peb paub tias cov nyiaj siv yog ntau tshaj cov lej ntawm daim ntawv xwb - pob nyiaj yog ib yam li lub hauv paus ntoo ntawm peb lub neej thiab muaj nuj nqis heev. Cov neeg Minnesota saib xyuas sawvdaws thiab peb xav pom sawvdaws noj qab nyob zoo. Peb xav kom cov tsev kawm ntawv zoo thiab muaj nuj nqis kho mob rau peb cov tsev neeg, thiab peb xav tau tib yam rau peb cov neeg zej zog, cov phooj ywg, cov txheeb ze, thiab cov neeg ua haujlwm.
Minnesota House Democrats thiab Senate Republicans muaj kev sib txawv rau txoj kev faib pob nyiaj. Governor Walz thiab lub House Democrats tau los xaiv tsa los ntawm kev pab tshiab rau cov neeg nyob hauv Minnesota - txawm yog peb cov tsev kawm ntawv, kev kho mob, cov kev rua tsheb, kev caij npav, cov laus, thiab cov tsev neeg ua haujlwm. Cov Senate Republican tivthaiv cov neeg nplua nuj ua lag luam loj los ntawm lawv cov se thiab txiav cov kev pab kev noj qab haus huv rau ntau pua txhiab rau neeg zej zog thiab peb cov phooj ywg. 
Txhawb nrog peb thiab mloog ntxiv mus txog kev sab laj nyiaj txiag hauv Minnesota lub tsev dawb.

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Friday, May 10, 2019
 
Neighbors,

The House DFL carefully put together and passed a budget that will increase access to affordable housing, protect and expand access to affordable health care, address climate change, invest in our schools, provide for common-sense gun safety measures, fix our roads and bridges, and lift up our communities.

So far, the Senate has just said "no," refusing to compromise. I mean, just look at the funding differences between the House and Senate on education for St. Paul students: 

As the Star Tribune wrote in an editorial this week, we did not get elected to "pit sick people against schoolchildren" by sacrificing health coverage to pay for our schools. I urge you to contact Senate Republicans and ask them to come to the negotiating table. 

While we've broken into committees to try to come to compromise, we've also been passing additional measures on the House floor. 

Housing
We passed a Housing Policy bill on the floor this week. There is a growing affordable housing crisis in Minnesota - in our budget we invest in everything from homelessness, rental assistance programs, housing preservation, new development and affordable homeownership. The Housing policy bill contains provisions that strengthen tenant’s rights and ensure mutuality in their relationship with their landlords; modify expungements for evictions cases; and require longer affordability for state financed housing projects. Everyone in Minnesota deserves a safe home, that they can afford. 

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
American Indian women face murder rates that are more than 10 times the national average. It's the third-leading cause of death for Native women. Nobody knows exactly how many are victims of violence, and nobody knows exactly how many women go missing across the nation.

Yesterday my colleagues unanimously passed a bill to create a state task force to address the endemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Minnesota. Behind every victim of violence was a family and community that marched, spoke out, and fought for change at the Capitol, and I was proud to be among my colleagues who voted unanimously for it to pass. 

Equal Rights Amendment
Today we voted on, and passed, a resolution memorializing Congress to remove the deadline for ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. The Amendment would add gender equality to our Constitution, and affirm our fundamental values of fairness. Women have faced historic and current barriers in achieving equal pay, reproductive choice, and access to economic independence - gender equality under the constitution is long overdue. 

University Regents 
Yesterday we voted in four new members of the University's governing board: Janie Mayeron for the 5th Congressional District; Mike Kenyanya for the Student At-Large seat; and Kao Ly Her and Mary Davenport for the Statewide At-Large seats. I recognize how important it is for the members of the governing board to reflect the diversity of our state and our students, and I applaud our colleagues for approving a diverse, qualified slate of new regents. My POCI colleagues and I fought for more diverse representation in the university, and in high schools, and this is a step in the right direction.
 

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

Sincerely,Rep. Jay Xiong

Thursday, May 09, 2019POCI Caucus Applauds Regent Selection Result
St. Paul, MN – Minnesota’s People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus today congratulated the four newly-elected regents to the University of Minnesota: Janie Mayeron for the 5th Congressional District; Mike Kenyanya for the Student At-Large seat; and Kao Ly Her and Mary Davenport for the Statewide At-Large seats.
"We have four talented new regents. The POCI Caucus and I recognize how important it is for the members of the governing board to reflect the diversity of our state and our students, and I applaud our colleagues for approving a diverse, qualified slate of new regents,” said Rep. Aisha Gomez (DFL – Minneapolis). “Our students deserve to see the faces and hear the voices of leaders and role models that look like them.”
“The POCI Caucus is committed to academic inclusion for students and educators of all backgrounds. I congratulate all of our new regents, and the POCI caucus will continue to advocate for educators that reflect the diversity of the students they teach, both in high school and in college,” said POCI Caucus Chair Rep. Rena Moran (DFL - St. Paul).
The POCI Caucus members were strong advocates for Kao Ly Her and Mike Kenyanya.
The People of Color & Indigenous (POCI) Caucus includes Reps. Jamie Becker-Finn (42B), Aisha Gomez (62B), Hodan Hassan (62A), Kaohly Her (64A), Mary Kunesh-Podein (41B), Fue Lee (59A), Alice Mann (56B), Carlos Mariani (65B), Rena Moran (65A), Mohamud Noor (60B), Ruth Richardson (52B), Samantha Vang (40B), Jay Xiong (67B), Tou Xiong (53B), and Sens. Melisa Franzen (49), Foung Hawj (67), Jeff Hayden (62), Bobby Joe Champion (59), and Patricia Torres-Ray (63).
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Saturday, May 04, 2019
 
Neighbors,

Happy Saturday! We finished up reviewing the last of our budget bills this week - now we're on to negotiations with the Republican-led Senate to reconcile (some pretty big) differences between our plan to invest in Minnesota and theirs. 

Elections
We passed an elections budget which will help make sure that every voice is heard in our elections. The bill includes measures to make it easier to vote, appropriates the full $6.6 million in Federal Help America Vote Act (HAVA) funding to secure Minnesota’s elections, includes automatic voter registration, free public transportation on election day, and measures to ensure a full and complete Census. 
 
It also includes Rep. Vang's measure to uphold the Voting Rights Act by repealing a rule that disenfranchises people with disabilities and language barriers. Only Minnesota, Arkansas, and Georgia limit the number of people a person can assist with their ballot. Under Rep. Vang's new provision, all eligible voters will be able to cast their ballots. Environment
Our environment budget funds innovative research that would aid conservation efforts and protect the environment and wildlife for future generations. We address emerald ash borer, chronic wasting disease, and aquatic invasive species to protect the health and well being of our communities and the environment. It includes a provision I proudly co-authored to make permanent the restoration of Lake Bde Maka Ska's name. 

Housing
All Minnesotans deserve access to safe and affordable housing. A place to call home is essential for students to focus and succeed in school, for parents to maintain reliable employment, and working families to be economically secure. House DFLers are committed to providing affordable, safe housing.


Public Safety 
We also passed a public safety budget to allow for gun safety, cash bail reform, cannabis reform, and pathways beyond incarceration. This is the first step toward a public safety approach centered in not just accountability and punishment, but prevention and pathways to redemption. 

Other states are enacting gun violence prevention legislation. Minnesotans are asking us to do the same. The criminal background checks and extreme risk protection orders in our public safety bill are common-sense laws that will save lives.
Minnesota has the fifth-highest probation rate in the nation along with significant racial and regional disparities. The public safety budget addresses this through a five-year cap on terms (except for the most serious offenses), requests the Minnesota Sentencing Guidelines Commission to establish probation guidelines, and has grants for alternatives to incarceration to divert nonviolent drug offenders to treatment.

It also includes “Logan’s Law” which is championed the Eastside's own Logan Graf. Currently, state law makes it hard for female couples to become legal parents. If passed, when a woman conceives through assisted reproduction, her spouse would be treated in law as the biological parent and exempt from the financial and emotional hardships.


AAPI Month



Minnesota’s first and only Asian Pacific Caucus join AAPI people across the country this month in celebrating the achievements and opportunities we have been afforded because of the courage and sacrifices of our ancestors. We honor the men and women who laid the tracks to build this country, who sacrificed their lives for the values of this country, and who broke down immeasurable barriers, so that we could thrive today. We renew our resolve to address inequalities and challenges facing AAPI people, so that all Minnesotans can be afforded equal opportunities into the future.
We celebrate the fact that, on the eve of AAPI month, the Minnesota House passed a measure to finally establish a day to honor the sacrifices America’s Secret War veterans and their families made, fighting alongside American soldiers for the values this great nation stands for. So proud to be working with powerful colleagues to create a state holiday recognizing Hmong veterans who served in the U.S. Vietnam War.


We invite you to share your favorite AAPI role model or moment to commemorate Asian American heritage month.
Thanks for reading, and thank you for the honor of serving you! Please reach out with questions, comments or suggestions any time. 
Sincerely,

Jay Xiong 
State Representative - District 67B

 Nyob zoo sawv,
Tam sim no peb tab tom pib sib tham thiab xaiv tsa rau hauv cov cai faib nyiaj. Kuv zoo siab qhia rau nej tias muaj ntau ntau cov cai uas peb tau txhawb hauv lub Minnesota Asian Pacific (MAP) Caucus. Cov cai no muab kev pab kev cai noj qab haus huv, kev txhais tau lus, thiab kev kawm keeb kwm.
Kev Kawm Qib Siab
Peb tau sau tsab cai faib nyiaj uas tso cov tub ntxhais kawm ua ntej. Tsab cai sau kom tsev kawm ntawv qib siab pheej yig dua, txo nqi qub, thiab kho kom muaj kev nyab xeeb hauv tsev kawm ntawv. Raws li Asmeskas Lub Tsev Saib Xyuas Kev Kawm Ntawv, muaj 775,000 tus tub ntxhais nyob Minnesota uas muaj nqi qub kawm ntawv txog li $ 27.1 billion.
• Tsab cai no yuav nres thiab tsis pub nce cov nyiaj them txhua xyoo rau cov tsev kawm ntawv qib siab ob thiab plaub xyoos uas yog public. Muaj coob tus menyuam kawm ntawv qib siab yuav muaj pab thiab tau txais ntau tshaj $400 ib xyoo ntxiv rau kev pab nyiaj txiag, thiab 1,900 tus neeg ntxiv yuav tau txais kev pab.
• Peb tau xub saib xyuas cov kev nrhiav ncaj ncees thiab kev txhawb txog tub ntxhais kawm qib siab uas raug kev quab yuam los sis tsimtxom. Yuav tsum pab kom cov menyuam kawm ntawv qib siab muaj kev nyab xeeb thiab noj qab nyob zoo.
• Cov nyiaj pab kom tsev kawm ntawv tsis muaj kev tshaib plab.

Nyiaj Kho Kev, Dej, thiab Khoom Siv
Cov nyiaj no qhia txog cov hawjlwm uas tseem ceeb rau neeg ib yam li koj uas nyob hauv Minnesota. Cov nyiaj no yuav faib rau ntau yam teeb meem xws li pab kom cov menyuam muaj peev xwm mus tau rau tsev kawm ntawv kom nyab xeeb; kho cov txoj kev uas tsis tau tiav; hwm peb cov Minnesota tub rog qub; ua kom txhua leej txhua tus tau dej huv; khaws peb cov khoom siv kom zoo; tswj peb cov tsev kawm ntawv qib siab; khaws cia tsoomfwv cov khoom muaj nqi; thiab xa nyiaj txiag rau hauv zos kom muaj kev txhawb nqa kom lawv muaj kev vam meej.
Kev Noj Qab Haus Huv thiab Kev Pab Tib Neeg 
Peb sau tsab cai kom txo tus nqi ntawm kev kho mob, cov nqi tshuaj, ntxiv cov kev pab them nqi kho mob, thiab muab cov neeg mob thiab lawv cov kws kho mob txoj kev tu mob ntau dua qhov qub.
• Minnesota cov kev noj qab haus huv tsis sib npaug, vim li ntawd Rep. Samantha Vang sau kom txoj cai muaj cov neeg lwm haiv neeg pab tau neeg uas tsis yog Asmeskas thiab sau kom nce nyiaj rau Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP) thawj zaug rau 33 xyoo.
• Tsab cai no khaws cov nyiaj txiag rau Kev Pab Kho Mob Nkeeg, uas pab cov neeg hauv Minnesota uas muaj nyiaj tsawg nrhiav kev kho mob thiab muab kev pab kho mob.
• Ntxiv mus tsab cai no kho kom zoo dua rau cov neeg laus, ua phem rau lwm tus, tsis saib xyuas thiab lwm yam kev phem hauv Minnesota cov tsev laus.
Kev Suav Txhua Tus
Lub koom haum Legacy tau sau tsab cai faib nyiaj los txhawb kev kos duab, kev kawm ntawv qhia txuj ci kos duab thiab lwm yam, thiab kev kos duab los ntawm Minnesota cov keeb kwm thiab muab khaws cia.
Tsab cai no pab txhawb Hmoob keeb kwm kev cai thiab kev pab nyiaj txiag, thiab nrog rau nyiaj txiag rau lub Hmong Museum nyob hauv St. Paul. Cov nyiaj yuav mus rau ntawm cov program qhia Hmoob keeb kwm, tau muab los qhia hauv cov chav kawm, khoom puav pheej, thiab kev qhia txog keeb kwm Hmoob. Peb cov Minnesota Asian Pacific Caucus tau nrhiav kev tshawb haiv neeg uas tsev kawm ntawv tsis qhia txog lawm cov keeb kwm. Peb lub Hmoob Museum los sis lub tsev khaws puav pheej hauv St. Paul yog thawj lub ntawm peb Hmoob nyob hauv tebchaws Asmeskas no. Lub hom phiaj yog kom pom thiab sau cov duab, keeb kwm, keeb kwm ntawm tus kheej thiab tsev neeg, thiab teeb meem tam sim no uas cov neeg Hmoob nyob hauv Minnesota muaj.
Ntxiv mus txoj cai no muaj nyaij rau cov neeg tuaj ntawm Somalia tuaj thiab muaj nyiaj pab khaws cia cov lus Dakota & Ojibwe thiab ntxiv rau cov kev kawm txog cov neeg Native American. Txoj cai legacy yuav siv cov kauj ruam tseem ceeb rau kev txhawb nqa thiab muab keeb kwm khaws cia rau tag nrho Minnesota cov neeg.
Kev kawm ntawv yog ib yam nyuaj rau cov tub ntxhais uas tseem kawm lus Askiv. Nrog cov neeg zej zog uas tuaj tshiab rau hauv Minnesota, nws tseem ceeb heev rau peb kom txhua tus neeg hauv Minnesota tau txais cov kev pab uas lawv xav tau rau txoj kev kawm uas npaj lawv rau txais haujlwm los sis kawm ntawv qib siab. Rep. Kaohly Her tau sau kom cov nyiaj nce ntxiv pab rau cov tub ntxhais kawm lus Askiv (ELL).
Ua tsaug rau koj txoj kev xav paub txog hawjlwm hauv Minnesota lub Tsev Dawb! Yog tias koj muaj lus nug, hu kuv ntawm 651-269-4201 los yog email rau rep.Jay.Xiong@house.mn.
Ua Tsaug,
Rep. Jay Xiong

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

MAP Caucus Statement Celebrating AAPI Month
ST. PAUL, MN – Minnesota's Asian Pacific Caucus today released the following statement celebrating the beginning of Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month.
“As Minnesota’s first and only Asian Pacific Caucus, this month we join AAPI people across the country in celebrating the achievements and opportunities we have been afforded because of the courage and sacrifices of our ancestors. We honor the men and women who laid the tracks to build this country, who sacrificed their lives for the values of this country, and who broke down immeasurable barriers, so that we could thrive today. We renew our resolve to address inequalities and challenges facing AAPI people, so that all Minnesotans can be afforded equal opportunities into the future.
“We celebrate the fact that, on the eve of AAPI month, the Minnesota House passed a measure to finally establish a day to honor the sacrifices America’s Secret War veterans and their families made, fighting alongside American soldiers for the values this great nation stands for."
We invite you to share your favorite AAPI role midel or moment to commemorate Asian American heritage month.
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