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Legislative Update from Rep. Katie Jones

Dear Neighbors,

A big thank you to the neighbors who turned out for our District 61 Town Hall last week! It’s powerful to be in community, standing up for each other and our shared values.

Town Hall Photo
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*Wildfire Smoke Moves Tomorrow’s Coffee with Katie Online*

The devastating wildfires in and around the Boundary Waters have created record-breaking air pollution around the state and region. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency issued an alert [ [link removed] ]on Wednesday encouraging everyone to limit activity outdoors and stay indoors as much as possible through midday on Friday. Given that, we are moving our coffee hour to online tomorrow. 

*Coffee with Katie Zoom Meeting
**Friday, July 17th 
**9am-10:30am *

*[link removed]* [ [link removed] ]* or **[link removed]* [ [link removed] ]

Coffee with Katie
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*Opposing the ICE detention facility in Appleton, Minnesota*

I’ve heard from residents across the district about continued concerns about ICE/DHS. Their unjust actions have not abated, as just this week we saw ICE kill Joan Sebastián Durán Guerrero in Maine and Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Texas and used the same excuses to justify the shootings as with the killing of Minneapolitans Renee Good and Alex Pretti. I share community members’ distrust of this agency and oppose their expansion of activity in Minnesota, including the proposed development of an ICE detention center in Appleton.

In 2023 the Legislature established that private prisons can never be used again to house people in state and local custody. Unfortunately, though, Minnesota can’t stop the "federal" government from contracting with private prisons. The latest speculation is based on a 148-page contract posted on a website [ [link removed] ] for federal contractors in early June, which outlines objectives for a “Prairie Detention Facility” that has 1,600 beds – the same name and bed capacity as the Appleton prison. The private company that owns the Appleton prison would not confirm or deny whether it is going to contract with the Trump administration, but the Star Tribune reports [ [link removed] ] that ICE toured the complex for an inspection in May. Paul Schnell, commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Corrections (DOC), recently wrote an op-ed [ [link removed] ] laying out the dangers of this development. I’m working with my colleagues to do all that we can to stop this detention center from opening.

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*GOOD NEWS: Emergency Rental Assistance Aid is Deploying*

Earlier this month, Minnesota Housing is deploying $40 million through 24 Family Homeless Prevention Assistance Program (FHPAP) administrators statewide, bringing assistance to an estimated 11,000 households facing housing instability. The funding was approved by the Legislature this year after Operation Metro Surge and will provide direct financial assistance and services to families experiencing or at risk of homelessness. Minnesota Housing will begin executing contracts with administrators this summer, with all funding deployed by December 31, 2026.

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*Minnesota’s Paid Family and Medical Leave Program is Working*

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. Learn more about the program here [ [link removed] ].

PFML
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*Final Newsletter of 2026*

This 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. I want to emphasize though, that the work continues. Please feel free to reach out to my office with any questions, comments, and concerns at [email protected]. 

Thank you for the honor of representing you in the Minnesota House of Representatives. 

Have a great rest of the summer,

Katie Jones
State Representative 






State Representative Katie Jones

5th Floor, Centennial Office Building
658 Cedar St.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155

Phone: 651-296-9281
Email: [email protected] (replies to this newsletter are not monitored).
Website [ [link removed] ]
Follow Rep. Jones on Facebook [ [link removed] ] and Bluesky. [ [link removed] ]

 

 








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