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Dear Neighbors,

The dropping temperatures make it a cozy time to enjoy the holiday season. Please stay safe out there on the sidewalks and roads. Dropping temperatures can make things very icy. Minnesotans embrace any weather, so The Sun Sailor has put together a Free West Metro Winter Calendar of family friendly events; and a couple feature St. Louis Park and Hopkins! Check it out here [ [link removed] ].

On December 8th, I had knee replacement surgery. I would like to thank the folks at TRIA and Methodist Hospital for the incredible care! Jacques was able to take time off of work to help with my recovery and I would like to thank family and friends for all of the well wishes and support. Our small four-season porch has been a nice place to recoup and continue to do my legislative work.

Rep. Youakim working at home.

I am also thankful that my husband had sick time available to take care of me and that I have health insurance, which covered most of the cost. I am proud of the work we have done on Paid Family and Medical Leave, as well as earned sick and safe leave so that others have the same opportunities to take care of themselves and their family members. While we have done a lot of work, there is still more to do to support people and their health. My colleagues and I will continue to fight for affordable and accessible health care for all Minnesotans.

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Community Conversations

Input from our communities is critical, especially now with federal chaos impacting our neighbors in Minnesota. That’s why I’m hosting a series of Community Conversations, January through March, to gain input from community members on issues that matter to you the most. These are an open format where I provide a brief update on what to expect this session and then open up the table for questions and discussion. Here are the dates for January:

*January *

Saturday, January 24 – 11:00 am to 12:30 pm at the Hopkins Library ("22 11th Ave. N., Hopkins)
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Tuesday, January 27 – 6:30-8:00 pm at the St. Louis Park Library ("3240 Library Lane, St. Louis Park)"

Wednesday, January 28 – 6:30-8:00 pm at the Edina Library "(""5280 Grandview Square, Edina)"

Community Conversations
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Addressing Fraud

I believe in a government that works for people, and public dollars should serve public needs like child care, health care, senior care, and more. That’s why fraud in any form — targeting consumers, veterans, small businesses, and government programs — is unacceptable. 

Last week, Tim O’Malley joined as Minnesota’s Director of Program Integrity, and I’m encouraged by Governor Walz’s appointment. Working together, we will continue to protect taxpayer dollars, vital services, and ensure accountability across state government. Read more here.

Through a variety of tools such as executive action, bipartisan legislation, and agency-level reforms, Minnesota has also:


* Ordered audit and pause of payments for 14 high-risk Medicaid programs tied to the federal investigation and shut down HSS entirely
* Created a centralized fraud investigations unit within the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension
* Established a statewide Inspector General Coordinating Council to improve cross-agency collaboration
* Invested in an Office of Inspector General in the Minnesota Department of Education
* Funded additional auditors, internal control specialists, and grant oversight professionals
* Expanded whistleblower protections and anti-kickback penalties
* Required enhanced licensing, documentation, training, and unannounced site visits for high-risk providers
* Implemented new tools for data analytics, prepayment review, and fraud reporting

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Are you missing money?

It is that time of year when we remind Minnesotans that we have an unclaimed property database that folks can access. Nearly 33 million people in the United States (1 in every 7) have unclaimed property. Unclaimed property is any type of financial asset, such as a dormant bank account, uncashed checks, insurance payouts, or unclaimed deposits that are transferred to the state after an owner fails to collect it. This is essentially Minnesota’s financial lost and found. The Minnesota Department of Commerce has a video explaining how Minnesotans could have money and property that goes unclaimed [ [link removed] ]. The video also explains how to find out if you have property to claim. Search Commerce’s Unclaimed Property [ [link removed] ] by clicking the link. 

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Keep in Touch

Please continue to contact me anytime at [email protected] or 651-296-9889 with questions or input. Email is the quickest way to get in touch.

As we close the chapter on 2025, let us look ahead, to the light of 2026 with hope. Thank you for the honor to serve you in the Minnesota House.

Happy Holidays,

Cheryl Youakim Signature

Cheryl Youakim
State Representative 








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