Having trouble viewing this email??View it as a Web page.

Dear Neighbors,?

We?re wrapping up week three of this year?s legislative session and the road ahead is starting to take shape, especially with the recent news from our updated budget and economic forecast. The latest numbers show that Minnesota?s economy is growing, and while the investments and policies we put in place last year have put our state on the right path, we know that there?s still more work to be done, especially when this economic growth isn?t being felt by so many in our community.

While corporate profits soar, many working families are still facing challenges to keep up and are feeling uncertain about their future. By tackling the rising cost of child care, health care, and housing, we are growing the middle class. Through jobs with good pay, benefits, and working conditions, Minnesotans can build better lives. By creating a Paid Family and Medical Leave program, we are growing the middle class. By giving people the opportunity to earn a college degree debt-free, we are helping Minnesotans build a better future. By investing in public infrastructure like roads, bridges, and broadband, we are growing the middle class.

There?s more work to be done, and we?ve already gotten started this session. Here?s the latest on my work, and the resources available to our community:

?

?

Food Assistance as Medicine

Last year, Minnesota set a record for the number of visits to food shelves - 7.5 million! That beat the previous record from the year before, and it?s not the kind of historic numbers we like to see.?

Several bills have been introduced to address this issue, including one of mine, House File 3469. This bill would establish the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as a medicine pilot program. Participants would receive a $175 monthly benefit along with assistance navigating the often-complex federal requirements that have resulted in almost 6,000 Minnesotans losing eligibility for the program. It would also implement a two-year moratorium on terminating food assistance for those who are eligible.

Presenting my bill alongside Peter Woitock, government relations specialist at Hunger Solutions Minnesota

Studies tell us that food insecure households spend almost 45% more on health care costs than families that have food secure homes. Food is medicine. You can read more about my legislation and our efforts to combat hunger here.?

?

?

File for the Child Tax Credit

Nearly 300,000 Minnesota households are eligible for the nation-leading Child Tax Credit the DFL passed last year! With our Child Tax Credit, families will save up to $1,750 for each dependent. Democrats are cutting child poverty by one-third with this rebate.??

You can claim the tax credit by filing a 2023 income tax return. The $1,750 credit is for each child 17 years old and younger, with no limit on the number of children. For all tax filers, this credit begins to phase out at an income level of $35,000 and fully phases out at a maximum of $90,750 for a family with four children.??

Minnesota families: If you qualify, file your taxes to make sure you claim the benefits available to you.

?

Making Insulin More Affordable

Ever since we passed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, Minnesota has been leading the charge in reducing the cost of insulin and protecting against price-gouging. Earlier this month, Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a landmark settlement with the Eli Lily insulin company that caps insulin at just $35 for the next five years.?

Drug companies raised the price of insulin by over 1,100% between 1990 and 2020, and this settlement ensures that Minnesotans can afford their lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect.

You can learn more about the settlement and how to get insulin for just $35 a month here: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/MNinsulin35/.

?

?

Support for Cleaner, Greener Small Businesses

Small businesses in Moorhead looking to reduce on-site air emissions, clean up contamination, or generate less waste can now apply for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency?s Small Business Environmental Loan program. The program offers zero-interest loans up to $75,000 to tackle these high-impact projects.

You can learn more and apply here.

?

?

Stay Connected

If you haven?t yet, don?t forget to take my 2024 Legislative Survey to help guide my work this year. You also always reach out to my office at [email protected] or 651-296-5515 with any questions you may have on our work in the Minnesota House. I look forward to hearing from you!

In community,?

?

Rep. Heather Keeler

Minnesota House of Representatives