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TakeAction Minnesota’s 2020 Legislative Priorities

We believe in good, people-centered governance and support policies that promote justice and equity, and are grounded in core principles: in Minnesota, we care for each other and every person has inherent worth and dignity, no exception. When everyone pays their fair share in taxes, we have enough for everyone to thrive.

A Busy Voter’s Guide to the Presidential Primary

For the first time since 1992, Minnesota will hold a presidential primary election on March 3, instead of a poll at party caucuses (which are also happening). This means that for many Minnesotans, this will be our FIRST TIME voting in a presidential primary election. HELL YES.

TakeAction Minnesota Endorses Bernie Sanders for President and the Movement for a People-Centered Democracy

At this critical time in our nation’s history, we the people can fundamentally change the direction of our country. With Bernie Sanders, we have the power to contest for a government that’s by and for us: the multiracial working class.

It’s Our Time: Kissy Coakley Makes History on Minnetonka City Council

When Kissy Coakley was denied a job at Target Corporation after a criminal background check, she didn’t give up. Instead, she decided to take on the massive corporation and fight for equitable policies.

She worked to Ban the Box at Target Corporation in 2012, becoming an active leader in TakeAction Minnesota’s Justice 4 All program. Together, we won that campaign.

It was that same determination and organizing that Kissy brought to the campaign trail when she decided to run for Minnetonka City Council. We knew Kissy had the grassroots game needed to mobilize Minnetonka voters, one door at a time. And that’s exactly what she did.

TakeAction Minnesota members and community leaders reflect on what Kissy’s campaign has meant to them.

FATU MAGASSOUBA

I met Kissy over three years ago when we both worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault at a local nonprofit organization. I saw her leadership firsthand and over the years watched as she fought for survivors in courtrooms and helped them navigate the system to attain housing and other necessities to rebuild their lives.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=180697686431305&set=a.131459971355077&type=3&theater

One of the challenging aspects of that work was working with prosecutors to prevent victims from being criminalized in the criminal justice system.… Continue reading »

Nelsie Yang: For the People, With the People

On Tuesday, November 5, we made history.

I grew up never thinking people who looked like me could be in political office. St. Paul City Council has never had a Hmong woman elected. City Councilmember Dai Tho was the first elected I met in person who shared my Hmong identity. That in and of itself broke a lot of narratives for me. Meeting Dai, I remember thinking to myself, “If he can do it, I can do it, too.”

Despite the lack of representation, as an organizer with TakeAction Minnesota, I began to really envision myself in office. I experienced the pushback as we were fighting for the most basic things—dignified wages, paid time to care, the right for people with records to vote, the ability to make decisions about our bodies and future, access to public health care. Basic necessities that our government is responsible for making sure each one of us has.

If I was the one sitting in office, I knew that I would put the lives of people first. That’s why I decided to run.

FOR THE PEOPLE

I had many experiences on the campaign trail that solidified why I was running for office, but one moment really sticks out.… Continue reading »

6 Takeaways on State Health Care Policy For 2020 and Beyond

At TakeAction Minnesota, we believe our health care system should make us healthier, be people-centered, and leave nobody out. We're clear that the pathway to universal, affordable, accessible health care is through the public health care, not the failing private market.

Activist Cecelia Viel: How do we want people to come home?

When I testified on behalf of the renter’s rights ordinance in City Hall back in August, I wasn’t planning on mentioning my criminal record. I showed up because I just believed people deserve to have a place to stay. They deserve a place to call home.

But when one landlord mentioned that people with multiple felony convictions wouldn’t be good renters, I thought, “That’s not true.” And it just came out. I said—I’m one of those people.

The last place I rented, I paid $54,000 in rent. I was a tenant for 54 months. I never paid my rent late and I never had any problems. When I finally left that apartment, it was to buy my own home.

When I heard that the city had agreed to pass the renter’s rights ordinance, I thought, “Wow, this is awesome.” It’s a step. Hopefully one day it won’t be necessary to do a background check, period.

Housing has nothing in my mind to do with a person’s criminal background. Housing is a necessity that should be available to everyone.

Most people who are in prison will come back to our community. We have to ask ourselves: How do we want them to come home?

… Continue reading »

NEWS RELEASE: Mayor Frey, Local Elected Officials Reaffirm that Minneapolis Stands United for All of Our Residents

Contact: Kenza Hadj-Moussa, TakeAction Minnesota

612-386-9556 | kenza@takeactionminnesota.org

October 10, 2019

NEWS RELEASE

Mayor Frey, Local Elected Officials Reaffirm that Minneapolis Stands United for All of Our Residents 

Local elected officials and leaders say Minnesotans want good government that’s of, by, and for the people

MINNEAPOLIS–All eyes are on Minnesota as President Trump prepares to hold his first campaign rally since being under impeachment inquiry at the Minneapolis Target Center.

Today, local elected officials reaffirmed that Minneapolis stands united for all its residents. City and state elected officials converged at Minneapolis City Hall for a press conference this morning organized by TakeAction Minnesota, a grassroots organization. 

“We have a tradition of ethical politics,” said Elianne Farhat, executive director of TakeAction Minnesota. “It’s very simple. Minnesotans want elected officials who lead with integrity, and who respect and work for all of us. Minnesotans believe in a government that is of, by, and for the people.”

Minneapolis City Councilor Jeremiah Ellison of Ward 5 reinforced the message.

“Anyone who grew up on comics, as I did, will tell you that ‘with great power, comes great responsibility.’ Spider-Man learned it from Uncle Ben, but I learned it best from my mother, who taught me early that the best way to lead is by example,” Ellison said.… Continue reading »

Claiming a Seat at the Table: Meet the Hmong Women Disrupting Politics-as-Usual

Traditionally in Hmong culture, dinner is an art. To be more specific, Hmong women work to make dinner an art. While guests experience delicious scoop after scoop of white rice, pork ribs, mustard greens, and papaya salad, there is a team of women working to make the entire dinner seamless.  

Women coordinating the menu. Waking up early to do the prep work. Chopping the ingredients. Sharing information while they julienne, mix, stir, sauté, and bake. Training younger women as they wash and dry the dishes. Timing the food just so, each dish followed by the next. Kids running in and out, women managing the childcare while coordinating the entire event behind-the-scenes.  

It’s tradition. One that many Hmong women do, not out of obligation, but out of a deep love and commitment to family, healing, care, and community.  

Instead of—or in addition to—cooking a meal, Hmong American women in the Twin Cities are taking the leadership they learned from their mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, and channeling it into politics.  

Many young Hmong American women in the Twin Cities have watched and participated in this tradition over and over again. Only now instead of—or in addition to—cooking a meal, Hmong American women in the Twin Cities are taking the leadership they learned from their mothers, aunts, and grandmothers, and channeling it into politics.  

That’s the inspiration that TakeAction Minnesota staff LyLy Vang-Yang and Cindy Yang drew from, anyway, when they dreamt up Hmong Women // Disrupt, a group for Hmong American women and femmes committed to disrupting sexism, disrupting racism, and disrupting politics-as-usual.  … Continue reading »

40 Days of Choice: Showing Up with Love, Care, and Joy for Abortion Access

By: Ashley Northey

The only abortion clinic in Northern Minnesota, WE Health Clinic, is situated in downtown Duluth. The unassuming stone building is distinguished only by the large words on the front: “Building for Women.”  

WE Health Clinic has provided reproductive health care since 1981, co-founded by Tina Welsh and Dr. Jane Hodgson. Jane was one of the first and only doctors in the country to be convicted for providing an abortion in a hospital in 1970. Tina has been a leader in Duluth feminism for decades and still fights for gender equity in the Twin Ports today.  Together, Jane and Tina decided to open the Building for Women in 1993, with WE Health Clinic as one of the tenants.  

Reproductive health care. Abortion services. Sexual assault aid. Domestic and intimate partner violence support. LGBTQ advocacy. Building for Women is more than a building—it’s a home for feminist organizations and providers.  

It’s here, outside this historic building rich with feminist activism, that “40 Days for Life” gathers every fall to host a 24/7 vigil to oppose abortion. And where, for the past three years, I have helped organize counter protests to affirm peoples’ right to safe and legal abortion.   

We were and are a family of folks showing up with love, care, and joy for abortion access.  

I remember going to my first Party on the Plaza—the kickoff to our counter protest “40 Days of Choice.” … Continue reading »

Burlesque Performers with Nakita’s Kittens Talk Reproductive Justice for St. Cloud Pride

The Vendetta Vixens and Nakita’s Kittens have joined forces for a St. Cloud Pride burlesque show benefiting TakeAction Minnesota. We believe sexual freedom, LGBTQ rights, and reproductive justice are interconnected. We asked a few of Nakita’s Kittens why, as burlesque performers, reproductive justice is important to them. Read their responses.

“As the producer of the Vendetta Vixens and Nakita’s Kittens, I encourage all my performers to express their own individuality not only on stage, but also in everyday life. Women should be able to live their lives freely and do what they want with their body, however they please. Reproductive justice to me means taking my body back, embracing my perfections and imperfections, and being able to strongly make my own decisions.”

Nakita Kat

Photo Credit: Annie Meyer

“In the burlesque community, we accept all forms of the human body, and we express ourselves physically through dance and artistic expression. We don’t want limitations placed on our bodies, and this includes reproductive rights. The LGBTQ community still has to fight for the right to bodily autonomy. Reproductive justice means safe and accessible clinics for anybody who needs them, and we must ease the legal and financial barriers to medical care.… Continue reading »

Building Community & Reproductive Freedom Through Burlesque

By: Performer Justin Uranus

My name is Andy, but my stage name is Justin Uranus. I have been a performer for my whole life, but my burlesque journey started out as a drag king in the St. Cloud community. Eventually I found my way to burlesque as I worked to find my comfort zone when it comes to gender.

DEFINING GENDER ON MY TERMS

As a king I saw others do gender-bending performances and it gave me permission to feel more comfortable messing with the binary.

Photo credit: Nakita’s Kittens/ B. Sens Photography

When I first started burlesque, I was trying to balance femininity as a nonbinary trans man. When I started living as a man, there were a lot of expectations for me to be hyper masculine—and I knew that wasn’t who I was.

As a king I saw others do gender-bending performances and it gave me permission to feel more comfortable messing with the binary. Seeing other people being their beautiful nonbinary selves, especially in St. Cloud, helped me recognize, “Oh, there is nothing stopping me from also doing that.”

That is why reproductive justice is so powerful to me, because it helps me navigate the boxes society has put me in and decide what is best for me.… Continue reading »

Ensuring access to abortion is an act of care.

Nelsie Yang (center) stands at a Planned Parenthood Day of Solidarity Rally.

At a young age, I recognized how the systems we live in limit the choices we have about our bodies. I grew up believing the implicit (and sometimes explicit) messages telling me that I had no decision over my body and sexuality. In general, society made those decisions for me. I was told what I could and could not do, what I could and could not believe. Like many others, I learned from an early age that sex and pregnancy were not okay—especially before marriage.

I was told what happened to women and women’s bodies was our fault, and that we had to deal with the consequences on our own. The result was young women in my community — specifically my Hmong community — grow up with a lot of shame.

I found myself stuck between the abstinence-only and anti-choice messages I was surrounded by and my own values of care, community, and agency. Then, when I was 14, my friend got pregnant.

In that moment, I had to decide who and what I believed in.

My friend was scared and nervous. She confided in me, and, as her friend, I responded by supporting her the way she needed to be supported.… Continue reading »

Rep. Ilhan Omar: It’s Time For Medicare for All.

Hundreds of people turned out last week when Representative Ilhan Omar arrived at the Minneapolis-Saint Paul Airport, the terminal erupting into chants of “Welcome home” as the legislator walked through the door. 

Even more people showed up for the event Rep. Omar was in town for—a Medicare for All community conversation with Rep. Pramila Jayapal. The room of reportedly 500 people gave a standing ovation when Rep. Omar walked to the stage to introduce the panelists: Rose Roach, Executive Director of the Minnesota Nurses Association, Erin Murphy, Former Minnesota House of Representatives Majority Leader, Minnesota Senator Melisa Franzen, and Dave Dvorak, M.D. 

So proud to Introduce my friend, my colleague, my sister Rep. @IlhanMN at her townhall @SabathaniMN Community Center pic.twitter.com/DPAuoKTAVp

— Andrea Jenkins (@annapoetic) July 19, 2019

“I know that there are a lot of people who are trying to distract us now. But I want all of you to know: We are not going to let them,” Rep. Omar kicked off her introduction to the room.  

You can watch the whole livestream here. No time? That’s okay! Keep scrolling and we’ll fill you in.  

WHAT IS MEDICARE FOR ALL? 

Photo from Rep. Jayapal Campaign Website 

Medicare for All is a simple health care system that reflects our values:  

• We need a system where everyone’s in and nobody’s out. 

… Continue reading »

Finding Community and Queering St. Cloud

By: Dexter Hanson (they/them)

In 2017 I chose to move to St. Cloud from Brookings, South Dakota. I moved for new opportunities–the chance to have the freedom to be who I am as a proud member of the genderqueer community.

From quite a young age, I knew that I didn’t fit into the boxes of stereotypical “male” or “female.” I thought of myself as a strong mix of both, thus identifying as “half-a”. To me, this meant that I was equal parts male and equal parts female. It wasn’t until much later that I knew there was an actual term for this.

It took me some time to find my place here in St. Cloud. The resources and information about the queer community were not easily found via social media or general internet searches. I finally found my breakthrough at our local Pride, which exposed me to a whole new world.

I found a community of diversity in gender and sexual identity inclusion, the kind of community I was struggling to find before.

Much to my surprise, St. Cloud has a diverse community hidden from the public eye. While getting to know more and more about the community around me, I was fortunate enough to run into groups such as the Queer Peers group here in Downtown St.… Continue reading »

NEWS STATEMENT: TakeAction Minnesota Stands with Congresswoman Omar and Calls for Unbreakable Solidarity as the President Continues to Stoke Division

July 18, 2019

NEWS STATEMENT

TakeAction Minnesota Stands with Congresswoman Omar and Calls for Unbreakable Solidarity as the President Continues to Stoke Division

NEWS STATEMENT

Contact: Kenza Hadj-Moussa, 612-386-9556   

St. Paul, Minn.— Supporters at a President Trump rally targeted Congresswoman Ilhan Omar (MN-5) Wednesday night with a chilling chant to “send her back,” fanning the flames of white nationalism.

TakeAction Minnesota released the following statement:

“As Minnesotans, we believe every person has inherent worth and dignity, no exception. We are inextricably linked to one another. When the President of the United States of America attacks and scapegoats immigrants, Congresswomen of color, or any group of people, it hurts all of us.

A leader that divides its nation weakens the whole. Minnesotans know the President’s campaign playbook and we’re not falling for it. We know that attacks and threats against Congresswoman Omar are going to continue. And every time, Minnesotans get clearer about our choice for the future.

Either we stand together with unbreakable solidarity across race, class, gender and geography, and rise up to meet the challenges we all face. Or we allow hatred and cruelty to win the day.

Silence isn’t an option. We choose love, courage, and solidarity.… Continue reading »

Queer Duluth Love Letter

No matter our race or gender, we are tied together. In these political times, we are choosing to imagine a future where everyone is not only safe, but free to live with joy and pleasure. This is part of our Pride month series where TakeAction Minnesota members share how their activism and politics has been shaped by queerness.

By: Erin O’Daniel

I was recently asked, “What’s it like to be queer in Duluth? Will you write about it?” Hmmmm… a delicious and dastardly task, especially during Pride month when all kinds of queer are visible to the naked eye.

Greedy little queer that I am, I want it all, the queerest and sexiest experiences possible. I want the best of queer in my pocket/pants all the time – and especially as delicious, warm, lilac-ed up, sexswimmingkiss filled summer rolls into town.

In general, I answer “Being queer is Bliss.”

Being queer! is like finding the most ravishing, fresh, colorful, surprising salad bar ever. A little of this! A little of that! A million flavors exploding in my mouth, perfectly mixed together. Being queer is the end of day exhaustion after hours of frivolous and full body outdoor fun. Being queer is the art in a museum that washes away doubt and confusion from the soul.… Continue reading »

Legislative Wrap Up

The 2019 legislative session ended early Saturday morning – just a few days late – after many sleepless nights. The bills haven’t been signed by the Governor yet (there are many pages to read for typos and poison pills), but I’m going to write this blog anyway.

First, I should say that every story is a matter of perspective. News headlines will tell session stories about political gridlock, “compromise,” and winners and losers.

That is not the story we care to tell.

Our story is about using our political imaginations and dreaming about what will be possible down the road in our state. Remember, the GOP state Senate only has a two-seat majority— and everyone is up for reelection next year. In the words of First Lady Gwen Walz, “We are coming for you.”

This year is only the beginning of a longer journey toward progress and liberation. The decisions made this session will greatly impact people’s lives, and it doesn’t end here.

Thank you to everyone activists, leaders, elected officials, and staff for your heart, effort, and commitment to dignity and justice.

Cierra Brown, a leader on TakeAction’s care team, shares the importance of MinnesotaCare and mental health care at the #CareNotCuts rally.… Continue reading »

What being an abortion doula taught me about care work and reproductive freedom

When I saw a training to become an abortion doula through SPIRAL Collective, I mostly went out of curiosity. A doula is a companion that provides information, physical, and emotional support. Doulas have been around since ancient times across all cultures. There are birth doulas, postpartum doulas, abortion doulas, even death doulas. They manifest as our grandmothers, aunties, and sisters—wizened from knowledge and experience.

The abortion doula training introduced me to reproductive justice—the idea that all people should have the means necessary to access the information, resources, and emotional, physical, social, and political support they need, to be who they are and create and sustain the types of families and communities they desire.

The values my parents rooted in me— honoring and trusting my agency, recognizing the abundance within community, and a responsibility to care for others—were made real in the framework of reproductive justice.

I’m proud of the care I provide as an abortion doula. It honors the values imparted on me by my parents in ways I could never imagine.

My mother and father (my father has since passed) are immigrants and political refugees. They came to America after the Secret War. My mother tells the story of how my grandmother came here with a jar of Vaseline (she was obsessed, apparently) and crossed mountains, jungles, and rivers with it.… Continue reading »

Who the 1.8% Health Care Provider Tax is All About

In Minnesota, we know that our lives and communities are interconnected. Each one of us plays a role in helping our state thrive. From the farmer who wakes up early to prepare the land, to the grocer who stocks the vegetables, to the parents who feed and care for their children – we show up every day for each other and the people we love.

But in order to show up for our communities, families, and loved ones, we need health care that we can count on.

This session, Minnesotans came together to fight for and protect their health care. The health care provider tax funds the Health Care Access Fund, which is the primary funding for Medicare and Medicaid. It has been around for over 25 years, and every state except for Alaska has some version of it. It is a safety net that is there for Minnesotans when they need it most.

In order to avoid a shutdown in 2011, Gov. Dayton made a deal to sunset the health care provider tax in 2019 — this year. But Minnesotans rose up across the state to save it. And we won.

For legislators this session, the health care provider tax has been reduced to a number — 1.8% specifically.… Continue reading »

Real People, Real Lives: Sunshine’s Story

By: Sunshine Hedlund

In 2012, I left a job that I did not like, though it had good insurance, to become a nanny—a job I love. I assumed I could get an individual insurance policy, but I was denied due to pre-existing conditions. Their reasons? Past kidney stones, polycystic ovary syndrome, and a height to weight ratio insurers deemed unacceptable though I was otherwise healthy.

Minnesota’s high-risk pool’s premiums were far too expensive for limited benefits. In fact, it was so costly that it was cheaper for me to pay for COBRA benefits through my former employer, which was still ridiculously expensive.

Fortunately, soon after my COBRA benefits ended, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was in place and I secured an affordable plan through MNSure. Thanks to the ACA, we were also able to get insurance for my husband, who had been uninsured for years due to the cost.

I want politicians to know that these are real people, real lives that they are hurting. Real lives they are impacting with their votes.

Then in 2014, after years of trying, I got pregnant. When we reapplied through MNSure, I (and my baby) ended up qualifying for Medical Assistance—which was huge for us.… Continue reading »

The Alabama Abortion Ban

Last night, 25 white men in Alabama passed one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the country. For weeks, we’ve been watching predominately white men in Georgia, Ohio, and Alabama, pass laws that restrict women’s health care, traumatize victims, throw doctors in jail, and slap pregnant women with felony convictions if they need abortion care.

UPDATE: I’m Sen. Relph’s Constituent. First, He Refused to Protect My Care. Then, He Walked Away.

At the end of April, I, along with other constituents in St. Cloud, spoke with Sen. Relph about why the provider tax is so critical to our health. I shared my dental story—how my teeth have rotted because of lack of coverage. Sen. Relph refused to commit to protecting our health care.

Last week, when I saw him at the Capitol, I asked him yet again to vote with the people and protect the provider tax.

Instead of listening to my story, Sen. Relph talked down to me. He raised his voice at me. And then he walked away from me. And all I could think was this: he doesn’t care.

WATCH IT NOW

He doesn’t care about me, his constituent.

He doesn’t care about my struggles with health care.

He doesn’t care about the provider tax.

He doesn’t care about Medicaid, or any other Minnesota program that gives us health care that we need.

I like Sen. Relph. I wanted to believe he would advocate for people in St. Cloud. Be a hero. Protect our care. A part of me still hopes that, because I need him to. If the provider tax sunsets, his health care won’t be compromised.… Continue reading »

Climate Change is Real. Our Electeds Need to Listen and Take Action.

By: Halley Norman

Before speaking with Senator Osmek, I knew my reasons for caring about climate justice and believing in the campaign for 100% renewable energy, but I was less clear on why it was so important for me to have that conversation with elected officials directly. More than anything else, that’s what changed for me within the barely two minutes I got to speak with Sen. Osmek.

Once I’d started telling my story, I expected a critique of my argument, alternate proposals, or a defense. What I didn’t expect was that his first response would be to question why he was being recorded, and why we couldn’t have a one-on-one meeting instead. The second I shared with him my belief that, as an elected official, he should be able to say the same things to me and his constituency in public as he would in private, he shut down.

“We’re done here. Thank you.” A door almost slammed in my face.

Sen. Osmek, as an elected official, made a commitment to be a public figure. As a representative of the people, he made a commitment to hear us out. My senator does not sit on the Energy Committee, nor do those of most Minnesotans.… Continue reading »

Nothing Else: Aya’s Story

Right now, I’m on Medical Assistance (MA). I’m grateful for the coverage, but I struggle to access the dental care that I need. Despite the fact that dental health is critical to our overall health, dental health care isn’t covered by MA the same way as general health care. MA covers the very basics, and at only a handful of clinics. That means I have to wait weeks to months to get an appointment.

Cleanings, extractions, x-rays, dentures and check-ups are covered—but nothing else. Imagine the stress of needing oral health care and not being able to afford it.

Because of the lack of coverage, my teeth are rotten. I need dentures, but unfortunately, I can’t get them. The dentists I have visited who accept Medicaid and provide dentures have shamed me for having bad teeth at such a young age. Instead, I’ve been told I should “fix” my rotten teeth. Of course, that would require work not covered by MA, so I would be billed obscene amounts of money.

The clinics are also often not up-to-date, with ancient equipment that makes me feel unsafe and at-risk.

I feel completely neglected by care providers and I also feel as if the State of Minnesota—generally—does not care about my needs, given that this has been allowed to go on for so long.

… Continue reading »

We asked Senator Relph to Commit to Protecting Our Health Care. He Refused.

“If I had access to dental care that covered what I need, I would not have rotten teeth that give me endless pain.”

That’s the story St. Cloud member Ayase shared during TakeAction Minnesota’s “Creating People-Centered Care: Health Care Round Table” with Senator Jerry Relph and Representative Dan Wolgamott.

Ayase is on Medical Assistance, but coverage for dental care is limited. She has struggled to find dentists who will take her coverage and actually give her the services she needs. The Minnesota House and Governor Walz have a plan to expand dental care. But the Minnesota Senate proposed budget not only fails to expand care, they actually cut it.

“I would be able to eat without having to worry about injuries or food stuck in my mouth causing more problems. And maybe, just maybe, I could actually get the care I need and not be forced to settle for just barely enough.”

With threats to the health care provider tax, Ayase is not only fighting for adequate dental care, but now she has to fight for her health care coverage in general. Without the provider tax, the Health Care Access Fund, which funds MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance, will be drained. And the health care of Minnesotans like Ayase will be in jeopardy.… Continue reading »

Give Mothers What They Deserve. Give Them Paid Time to Care.

When I first found I out that I was pregnant in December, I was over the moon with excitement.  Not only was our family about to grow, but I felt an amazing sense of responsibility, awe, and wonder. I am already a mother to my bonus kids, but I felt excited to experience pregnancy and giving birth for the first time. 

Oddly, out of the blue, I also started feeling an overwhelming sense of anxiety. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I worked in childcare for over 5 years. I’m the oldest of seven kids. I have been around babies my whole life and I have seen five births in person. I’m also 36, so the jig is up. I feel prepared and know what to expect.

So where was this anxiety coming from?

Then one day my mom was reminiscing about her pregnancies with me and my siblings. About how she watched me roll from one side of her belly to the other, and the way her body changed during each pregnancy. She talked about the food cravings she had with each of us (all different, of course). 

• Me with my six siblings

Then she talked about working right up until she went into delivery, and going back to work no more than two weeks after having us.… Continue reading »

Care We Can Count On: Raye’s Story

By: Raye Perez

Last spring, I was diagnosed with anxiety and depression, in addition to diabetes, which I have been working to manage for a while. It was a difficult time, but I was able to get on the right medication and manage both my physical and mental health.

After finding the medication that worked, I was able to keep working and going to school without feeling burnt out, exhausted, or sick. When I started to feel better, I was able to give back to my community even more by becoming involved in politics and campus organizations.

Without my care, I wouldn’t be who I am and my life would be dramatically different.

I’m enrolled in Blue Cross Blue Shield through my parents’ employer. I can go to the doctor and get the medications I need at little-to-no-cost upfront. If I didn’t, I don’t know how I would afford my medications. I already work two jobs, and I rely on my medications to be able to work in the first place.

Despite the privilege of having health care, the constant worry of losing coverage looms over me. We deserve stable, affordable health care we can count on.

I have coverage now, but when I turn 26, I could lose that coverage.… Continue reading »

People’s House Series: Rep. Aisha Gomez on Taxes, Abundance, and Interdependence

April 24, 2019

When I came to the legislature I didn’t expect to be working on taxes so much.

But I’ve found that it’s a place to stand up for working people and those suffering under the deepest wealth and income inequality in generations.

It’s a place to push back against the legacies of settler colonialism and slavery which are the basis for our entire economy and are in part responsible for Minnesota having the deepest racial disparities in the country.

Rep. Aisha Gomez, 62B and member of the House Tax Committee

It’s a place to reject the lie of trickle down economics and the politics of austerity and assert that we have enough.

It’s a place where we can make the case that our natural state as humans is not ruthless competition and utility maximizing but interdependence and relationship.

That another world is possible if we make different decisions.

Last night just before midnight we passed a tax bill that increases taxes on capital gains, prevents the estate tax exemption from going up, brings back money that corporations are stashing in overseas tax shelters, and makes big investments in the Working Family Tax Credit.

Beyond the direct investments that are in the Tax bill, it is our insistence that the wealthy and corporations pay their fair share that is making all the other parts of the budget possible: debt-free college, historic investments in education, community-based public safety, and so much more.… Continue reading »

People Over Profits: Our Stories

Minnesotans are struggling under the weight of prescription drug costs. We have a choice this session: allow our health care money to go to profits, or pass legislation to make sure our health care money goes to care. This week, we’re sharing stories of how the rising cost of prescription drugs are affecting every day Minnesotans.

HEALTH IN JEOPARDY

“I lost my job last month. My first fear wasn’t how am I going to eat or pay rent. My first fear was, ‘How am I going to afford my mental health medications that will help me survive during this extremely challenging time, when my mental health is in most jeopardy?’ Even before I applied for unemployment, I applied for MinnesotaCare. I thankfully was able to get on a program to keep my medications.” -Andy, Minneapolis

25 KIDNEY STONES

“I’ve had over 25 kidney stones in my life, but I stopped taking a medication prescribed to prevent forming new stones because it costs more than $1000 for three months’ worth of pills. When I was first prescribed the medication, I had great employers sponsored insurance which covered the costs. Now, I have to buy my insurance on the exchange and there is no way I can afford the cost.… Continue reading »