Dear community,

 

As we leave 2020 behind and look ahead to what the future may bring, we at the Council want to provide an overview of the Council’s plan to keep you informed and engaged during the 2021 legislative session.

 

We will hit the ground running as the 2021 legislative session begins. Many of the challenges that have been with us throughout 2020 will remain with us heading into 2021. Additionally, as a budget year with a large projected deficit, the results of the 2021 session will play a crucial role in shaping the priorities and programs of state government for the next two years. Knowing this and knowing that the 2021 legislative session will take place remotely, the Council has developed a plan to actively communicate the work of the Legislature, engage our community members in the process, and remain accessible to community members.

 

 

The Council will continue to provide weekly session updates. This highlight of key bills on Council legislative priority areas (as determined through community input from the Legislative Priorities Survey) will be sent to email subscribers weekly, and will provide an “at a glance” update about key pieces of legislation making their way through the legislature, what the status of the bills are, and what we expect to happen next.

 

If you would like to subscribe to this weekly update on policy issues but have not yet, you can do so here.

 

 

One of our new initiatives in 2021 will be a biweekly “Coffee with the Council” listening session. This series of conversations will be open and available for all members of the public to join Council staff to hear updates from the Legislature, ask questions, and engage Council staff in an open and accessible manner.

 

The Coffee with the Council sessions will begin the week of January 18 and will take place biweekly throughout the session. You can find reminders and instructions on how to join the sessions on the Council’s Facebook page and website. We hope you will join us!

 

 

Finally, we will host a series of conversations with key legislators throughout the 2021 session. These conversations will highlight community leadership, growth of the API community in Minnesota over the years, the role of state government, and ongoing and developing policy issues as the legislative session progresses. We will provide more information about these conversations in the coming weeks.

 

 

The Council looks forward to working with you to attain meaningful results for our community during the 2021 legislative session.

 

As always, do not hesitate to reach out at any time with your thoughts, questions, or concerns. In addition to these new and ongoing initiatives, the Council stands ready at any time to answer your questions on legislative issues or connect you with your legislators.

 

Best regards,

 

Sia Her

Executive Director

Sia.her@state.mn.us

 

P.S. If you’re interested in receiving e-mail updates from the Council during the regular legislative session about topics that affect our communities, click here to sign up for legislative updates through our GovDelivery subscription service.