After nearly five months of committee meetings, hearings and tough negotiations, the 2019 Legislative Session finally adjourned in the early hours of May 27 after an all-night special session. While there is still work to be done, we have a lot to celebrate. First and foremost, we celebrate the work you did to make sure the voices of those most in need was present and forefront in the hearts and minds of lawmakers. Your voice was heard and it made a difference.
Thanks to your advocacy, we have also have significant legislative wins to celebrate:
- Invested an additional $3 million over two years in the Emergency Services Program, a flexible funding source to serve people experiencing homelessness.
- Made a historic $60 million investment in Housing Infrastructure Bonds to advance shovel-ready projects that will add to our much needed supply of affordable housing.
- Invested $18 million in housing programs to increase home ownership, serve families and students at risk of or experiencing homelessness and provide rental assistance for adults with severe mental illnesses.
- Increased the Minnesota Family Investment Program by $100/month–the first increase in more than 30 years!
- Made a commitment to quality, consistent childcare for low-income families by updating the Child Care Assistance Program to federal standards.
We’ll be back at the Capitol again next year to continue advocating for justice. Until then, enjoy some of our favorite memories of the last couple of months:
2019 Legislative Session Recap Gallery
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- Catholic Charities staff and clients visit Rep. Alice Hausman
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- Postcards!!
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- Housing First Program Manager Chris Michels speaks at a news conference
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- Hope Street client David speaks at a news conference
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- Medical Respite Supervisor Jessica Hancock-Allen testifies in front of a Senate committee
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- Medical Respite Supervisor Jessica Hancock-Allen testifies in front of a House committee
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- What a crowd rallying for housing!
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- Higher Ground Saint Paul staff support their clients speaking in the Capitol Rotunda
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- Catholic Charities client Terri speaking at a rally in the Capitol Rotunda
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- Catholic Charities staff and clients ready to rally for housing!
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- Higher Ground Saint Paul client Arthur speaks at a Homes for All rally in the Capitol Rotunda
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- Northside Child Development Center teacher Desiree talks to Lt. Governor Flanagan about the importance of child care.
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- Catholic Charities Sr. Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs Wendy Underwood and Northside Child Development Center teachers Rasheena and Desiree with Lt. Governor Flanagan talking about the importance of child care.
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- Catholic Charities staff at Homeless Day on the Hill
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- Catholic Charities staff rallying for housing with Saint Paul Mayor Melvin Carter
I drive the development of Catholic Charities’ key stakeholder outreach strategy, manage oversight of public messaging, media relations, external web and social media development and content, and agency-wide materials.