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Howard Banner




Dear Neighbors,?

I want to start by saying I am horrified by the attack on former President Trump and mourn the loss of a rally attendee who was participating in the democratic process. Political violence is wrong in all shapes and forms and we must condemn it in one voice.

Times like these, we must not give into despair, fear or hate. Instead, we must lean on each other and our shared values: Everyone deserves the freedom to live without fear of gun violence. Everyone deserves the freedom to vote and peacefully participate in our elections.

Our politics can and should be a positive force, especially when we see ourselves as problem-solvers. Together, we will participate in our democracy and invite others in. We will show decency to all people, even those we disagree with. And we will work together to make changes at every level of government to make our community and country a better place.

I believe in our democracy and our resolve to strengthen it together.

Before I get into the latest legislative news and resources available to Minnesotans, I want to give you a heads up that this will be my last update until after the election. Whether seeking reelection or not, legislators cannot send certain communication to constituents from the Capitol during an election period, including newsletters like this. However, I?m still available to help with any state-level issues and will continue to be responsive to community members, so please stay in touch.

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*July?s New Laws, **First Generation Down Payment Assistance*

Our work this year is starting to take effect, with several new laws we passed this year having been implemented earlier this month. They include funding for the READ Act 2.0 to boost student literacy, a plain language requirement for driver's license tests, criminalizing the use of ?deep fakes? to influence an election, and investing nearly $80 million in lottery proceeds covering more than 100 projects to protect Minnesota's natural resources.

Last week, I joined Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan and Senators Clare Oumou Verbeten and Mary Kunesh to celebrate the rollout of Minnesota's First Generation Down Payment Assistance Program. Led by Rep. Esther Agbaje, this new program will help create more than 4,000 new homeowners, and with intention, reduce barriers that are responsible for our nation's worst racial homeownership gap. To learn more about the program and if you qualify, visit firstgendpa.org. [ [link removed] ]






Down Payment Assistance





You can read about all these new laws and more in this nonpartisan summary of what was enacted on July 1 [ [link removed] ].?

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*Accessible State Parks*

One of the best summer activities is visiting Minnesota?s beautiful state parks, and now, thanks to the dedicated disability justice organizers in our state, our parks are accessible to more Minnesotans with all-terrain track chairs now available at 13 Minnesota State Parks. Track chairs are all-terrain, electric-powered chairs that can be used on designated trails within the park. These chairs can help visitors explore areas of the state parks in new ways, often on trails that are not suitable for regular wheelchairs.??

Track chairs are available year-round in some locations, and seasonally in others. To reserve a chair, call the park you plan to visit [ [link removed] ]. ?






PARK ACCESS





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*Prescription Drug Price Transparency*

All Minnesotans deserve to live healthy lives, but too many people are forced to pay exorbitant prices for prescription drugs. Prices for medications continue to skyrocket while pharmaceutical companies rake in massive profits.

In addition to the law I championed capping co-pays for certain products for chronic conditions like inhalers, insulin, and EpiPens at $25 per month, my colleagues and I also took action to shine a bright light on drug costs by requiring pharmaceutical companies and other parties to report certain data on price hikes. In June, the Minnesota Department of Health issued its inaugural List of Drugs [ [link removed] ] with Substantial Public Interest.?

Next, the department is gathering input from Minnesotans about how prescription drug prices impact their health care, what affordability concerns exist, and which drugs might benefit from pricing transparency. You can give your recommendations and share your stories about how drug prices have impacted you or your family by taking this survey [ [link removed] ].

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*Stay Connected*

Though I?m unable to send these newsletters for the next few months, I?m always able to take your questions, comments, and ideas on how to make our community and state better. Please continue to reach out to me at [email protected] or 651-296-7158.

You can also stay up to date by following my official Facebook page [ [link removed] ], subscribing to these regular email updates [ [link removed] ] if you haven?t already for when they start back up, and checking my legislative webpage [ [link removed] ] for the latest information from my office.?

Have a great summer and fall!

In partnership,?

?

Michael Howard








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