In the Legislature, I sponsored and led efforts on bills that would increase the number of BIPOC teachers in districts across the state, integrate personal financial education into required graduation credits, and tackle the student loan debt crisis by expanding access to tax credits for over 80,000 Minnesotans. 

One of my long-time areas of advocacy has been fighting for higher per-pupil funding for English Language Learners (ELL). Thanks to the courageous work of the DFL Trifecta, our schools are receiving more state funding for ELL, and our students from all different backgrounds will be given the tools to thrive.

Finally, as the Pensions Chair, I worked collaboratively with the St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association and the Teachers Retirement Association. We are the only state in the country to improve public workers’ retirement, and collaborating with SPTRFA to ensure they receive what they deserve was tremendously rewarding.

Fighting for our schools means fighting for the students, teachers, and communities that make our city strong. We need a leader who can collaborate with teachers’ associations, the school board, and leaders across the city to ensure they receive what they need.

Since my election to the House of Representatives, I have been a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators and viewing legislation I carry around an environmental equity lens. This includes the work I’ve done on the Mississippi River Corridor and requiring permits given by the MPCA to have a Cumulative Impact Study so we are fully evaluating the impacts of pollution and siting of energy infrastructure to minority populations across our city. At the Legislature, I fought extremely hard for funding to establish Saint Thomas’ Center for Microgrid Research which is one of the only research facilities for microgrids in the Midwest. I am also the chief author of the bonding bill for Macalester’s Geothermal project, which can be a proof-of-concept for some of the other large institutions in the city.

I am supportive of making sure neighborhood-scaled geothermal systems work for our city as we reconstruct our roadways and generally do construction in the city. The shared geothermal pipes for heat pumps around community centers, such as public housing complexes, churches, stable businesses, and city buildings (such as schools) is a great model that will make our city more resilient and better able to handle the influx of climate migrants and ever-changing weather that Minnesota in particular will be experiencing.

Health Care is a cornerstone of the affordability crisis that too many of our neighbors are facing. We need to ensure that our neighbors can weather the storms of the hardships they endure.

That is why, at the Legislature, I fought for protecting Minnesotans who donate organs and bone marrow from discrimination by their insurance companies. I also collaborated with the Attorney General’s Office to distribute settlement funds from a lawsuit against JUUL and Altria to support tobacco prevention and treatment. These efforts were in concert with my bills to ban flavored tobacco and cannabis to look out for the public health of our youth.

Protecting tenants remains fundamental to my work at the Legislature, particularly ensuring that predatory landlords do not take advantage of our most vulnerable renters. A package of bills I authored prohibits landlords from including fees for required services, requires a minimum of 24 hours’ notice for landlord entrance, allows renters with medical conditions or disabilities to end a lease early with no penalty, and prevents discrimination against renters with Section 8 vouchers.

All of these policy changes help ensure that tenants’ rights are protected and that everyone has an opportunity to thrive in our city. This is why, as mayor, I will prioritize building more public housing—the only guarantee that this housing remains affordable in perpetuity. This additional affordable housing stock, paired with sensible reforms to the rent control policy currently in effect in our city, can help alleviate the housing crunch for our residents.

As a founding member of the Minnesota Asian Pacific (MAP) Caucus at the Minnesota Legislature, and as a refugee to this country, I hold the rights of immigrants and the American Dream close to my heart. 

I am so proud to have worked with my colleagues to establish May 14th as Hmong-Lao Veterans Memorial Day in the state of Minnesota. We all know that the deportation efforts the Trump Administration is engaged in are disproportionately impacting St. Paul’s immigrant populations. I pledge to stand up to the unlawful bullying of our communities, who are being scapegoated and fearmongered in the service of a bigoted view of what our country is.

Since first being elected in 2018, I have prioritized public safety in our communities. 

I led the initiative to require that gun owners report lost and stolen firearms to law enforcement within 48 hours. This would give our law enforcement another tool to help keep our communities safe and free from gun violence. I also sponsored legislation that was part of the larger Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020, which reformed the grievance arbitration process to help ensure that police officers are held accountable for misconduct.

I also guaranteed PTSD treatment for police officers and firefighters while protecting their pension funds. This challenging and thoughtful work was undertaken to address the pressing issue of mental health in our first responder communities, while also protecting retirement savings.

As the Chair of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus and the chief sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment, I worked to enshrine reproductive freedom and LGBTQ+ rights into the Minnesota State Constitution. 

Our politics now demand that our city, county, and local leaders do more than not cooperate with the Trump administration. Inaction only serves to endanger our communities – our immigrant neighbors, our LGBTQ+ members, and our ability to determine for ourselves when and if we start a family. We must take proactive steps to protect all our residents.