Tag: Mike Howard

Rep. Howard Statement on COVID-19 Vaccine Prioritization

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SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, following remarks from Republican legislative leaders on allowing the Minnesota Legislature to be given priority consideration for a COVID-19 vaccine, State Representative Michael Howard (DFL – Richfield) released the following statement:

“To the Republican leaders suggesting that legislators should have priority over other Minnesotans to receive life-saving vaccinations, I ask a simple question – have you no sense of decency? This brazen and selfish request is especially galling coming from legislators that have consistently minimized the seriousness of COVID-19, exacerbating a dangerous and highly contagious disease.  

“Instead of cutting in line, we need to work together to prioritize our health care workers who have risked their lives for months fighting on the front lines, the elderly, those with chronic health conditions, our teachers and child care workers who are working around the clock to care for kids, and the food and service workers who are keeping our communities fed through this crisis. To do otherwise would not only be an egregious lapse in integrity, but a flagrant violation of the public’s trust.”  

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: February 14, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

The Minnesota Legislature is back in session, and this week we hit the ground running. While much of last session was focused on setting Minnesota’s state budget, this year we’ll be investing in infrastructure and community projects throughout the state, working on new policy initiatives, and doubling down on important bills left over from the previous legislative session like the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act. This is a shorter legislative session than last year, with no shortage of work to get done. Here’s a highlight of some of the important bills from this week:

Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act

Every Minnesota child should have the same opportunity for a bright and promising future, but that’s sadly not the case. Our state suffers from one of the largest opportunity gaps in the nation, with many families in our community struggling to afford quality child care or ensure access to quality pre-K education for their kids.

That’s why I am proud to support the Great Start for All Minnesota Children Act, which provides $500 million for early learning and child care. Specifically, I am working to ensure this bill includes support for our Family, Friend and Neighbor child care networks like La RED Latina de Educación Temprana MN, who are doing innovative work to ensure all kids have access to quality child care. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: February 14, 2020”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: February 7, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

We’re ramping up to the start of the 2020 Legislative Session, leading to a busy few weeks here at the State Capitol. Here’s a quick update on what we’ve been working on as we prepare for the return to St. Paul:

The State of Insulin Affordability

Last week, I joined Governor Walz, DFL legislators, and a group of tireless advocates to once again call on Republicans in the Minnesota Senate to pass the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act. We spent the legislative interim working to find common ground wherever possible, and though DFL legislators moved our position in the spirit of compromise, Republican leadership remained committed to passing the cost for an emergency insulin program on to Minnesotans. Big Pharma has tripled the cost of insulin in the last ten years, not because of the Minnesota taxpayer, but because of greed. We’re simply asking that insulin manufacturers financially contribute to the solution for the crisis they created and profited from. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: February 7, 2020”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: March 1, 2019

It’s time.

Minnesotans spoke loud and clear in the last election about their desire to do something about our nation’s epidemic of senseless gun violence. Community leaders, neighbors, parents, survivors, and especially students, are raising their voices and demanding that we take action. This week, we took our first major step in the right direction. The House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform committee voted in favor of HF 8 to require criminal background checks on gun sales and HF 9 to establish extreme risk protection orders. I was proud to vote yes for both bills.

HF 8 – Criminal background checks on all gun sales
Federal law only requires background checks on gun sales made by licensed firearm dealers. These laws prevent certain people with dangerous histories from buying guns, such as convicted felons, domestic abusers, and people with severe mental illnesses. However, current law does not require that unlicensed sellers run these checks – a loophole that allows millions of guns to change hands each year in the United States without background checks. HF 8 will close this loophole. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: March 1, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: February 15, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

We’re over a month into the 2019 legislative session, and things are picking up. Here’s an update of what we’ve been working on this week.

Nurses Day at the Capitol

It was the Minnesota Nurses Association “Day on the Hill” this week, with nurses from all over Minnesota coming to the State Capitol to join in the fight for a more inclusive health care system. They believe that all Minnesotans should have access to quality, affordable health care, and I’m right there with them. A special thanks to the nurses from Richfield and Bloomington who stopped by to speak with me about making sure Minnesotans receive the care they need and deserve.

Teachers of Color Bill

In Minnesota, only 4.3 percent of teachers are people of color, a percentage that pales in comparison to the 33 percent of students who are people of color. We need to do better to ensure that the diversity of our state is reflected in the workforce that is educating the next generation of Minnesotans, which is why I’m supporting the Increase Teachers of Color Act. This legislation would provide loan forgiveness and scholarships to incentivize students of color to become teachers. It would also set the goal of increasing the number of teachers of color by 2 percent every year. The achievement gap in Minnesota is one of the biggest hurdles we face, but this bill would put us on the right path towards closing that gap. Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: February 15, 2019”

Rep. Mike Howard (HD50A) Update: January 31, 2019

Friends and Neighbors,

Temperatures may be freezing, but the pace of our work at the Minnesota Legislature is starting to heat up. I want to invite you to a SD 50 Listening Session on February 2nd from 10:00am to 11:30am at Northwestern University in Bloomington to share your input and ideas about the issues that are most important to you. If you are able to attend, please come for a relaxed and productive discussion. And the forecast calls for temperatures of 40 degrees (above zero)!

Continue reading “Rep. Mike Howard (HD50A) Update: January 31, 2019”

Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: January 28, 2019

Dear Neighbors,

I hope the start of 2019 has been treating you and your family well. This is the first of my legislative e-updates, which I aim to send regularly during the legislative session to provide updates on our work and to raise up the voices and concerns of our community.

We are off to a fast start during the 2019 session. I was sworn in as your state representative on January 8, and the words that are still sticking with me from that day came from our House Chaplain who wished for new legislators to be “compassionate, fierce and just.” I take this to heart as I begin this awesome responsibility of serving our community the Minnesota House.

There’s a lot of work to get done, and I’m honored to do my part serving as the vice chair of the Housing Finance and Policy Division. Other committees I serve on include: Continue reading “Rep. Michael Howard (HD50A) Update: January 28, 2019”