Our Wins

The North Star Promise – a Minnesota state program that provides tuition-free college at all public Minnesota colleges and universities. It covers 100% of tuition and fees for eligible students from families earning under $80,000 a year. I also led the creation of Minnesota’s higher education funding laws with both campus tuition freezes as well as free college pathways as the chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, we passed historic omnibus budgets to reduce costs for students.

Funding a total of $5.7 million for East Phillips Neighborhood Institute to acquire Roof Depot property – I championed legislation that secured the final $4 million in state bonding funds in 2026 to complete the Roof Depot purchase in Minneapolis. This critical money unlocked a $6.12 million deal allowing the East Phillips Neighborhood Institute (EPNI) to purchase and transform the site – the first step in realizing the East Phillips neighborhood's long-held dream to transform the depot into a resilience hub & urban farm.

Tax rebate for electric-assisted bicycles – The MN state e-bike rebate program ran as a two-year pilot in 2024 and 2025. When it was active, the program provided a voucher that allowed buyers to get between 50% and 75% of a new e-bike's cost covered, up to $1,500. The exact discount percentage was based on the buyer's household income.

Fixed the Minneapolis 2040 Plan – In 2024, we ended litigation over the Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan, defending the Minnesota Environmental Rights Act (MERA) from misuse. MERA is the cornerstone of our state environmental law, and my bill added clarity to it to ensure that it is used to improve our environment, not to harm it. The Minneapolis 2040 Comprehensive Plan was a landmark accomplishment that has been recognized across the country for reducing housing costs and reducing carbon pollution by enabling more people to live in Minneapolis.

$19 million for non-police public safety alternatives – Secured $19 million in public safety aid for Minneapolis to invest in "public safety alternatives" — such as behavioral crisis response teams and violence interrupters — so armed police do not have to respond to every 911 call, aiming to divert many 911 calls away from the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) and sending unarmed professionals to handle mental health emergencies or social crises.

Uber-Lyft Driver Protections & Ride-share Minimum wage – I championed landmark statewide legislation that established and guarantees a minimum wage standard for ride-share drivers, and fought alongside local drivers to require platforms like Uber and Lyft to pay a minimum of $1.28 per mile and $0.31 per minute. I advocated for these pay and workplace protections alongside the Minnesota Uber/Lyft Drivers Association (MULDA).

$5,000,000 grant to construct a homeless shelter in Minneapolis – Legislation to secure $5M to address homeless shelter funding and affordable housing in the Twin Cities. I introduced a bill to secure $5M from the state to help construct a new Simpson Housing Services Project shelter and affordable apartments in Minneapolis. I also pushed for funding allocations to repeal the sunset on state-backed homeless prevention aid, which included a $5M measure in broader legislative packages.

$4,000,000 for Parents in Community Action – Parents in Community Action, Inc. (PICA) operates Head Start and Early Head Start programs in Hennepin County. Their state funding request was proposed for PICA to construct an Early Childhood Family Development Workforce Training Center in Minneapolis, creating a hands-on learning environment. It is designed to train early childhood professionals and provide workforce development directly to Head Start and Early Head Start parents.

$5,000,000 for Minneapolis Public Housing Authority – A State Grant for the MPHA. A direct $5 million cash grant from the Minnesota state legislature's housing budget to fix up its family housing portfolio – repairing, preserving, and building deeply affordable homes for low-income families and seniors.

First-time homebuyer down payment assistance grant program – I helped secure $100 million for the Minnesota First-Generation Homebuyers Community Down Payment Assistance Fund. This program targets first-time homebuyers whose parents never owned a home, providing up to 10% of a home's purchase price (capped at $32,000) as a zero-interest, forgivable loan.

$3,000,000 to Cultural Wellness Center to acquire and develop property for Dreamland on 38th Street – Located in Minneapolis at 38th Street and 4th Avenue South, the project will serve as an economic catalyst to restore a historic, local Black cultural and business district. The name "Dreamland" honors the historic Dreamland Café, which opened in 1937 as a major social center for African-Americans in the city. The development features a multi-story building that will house: CWC Headquarters, a Business Incubator, a Living Library & Archive, and Wellness Center.

Increase Teacher of Color Act in higher education strengthening – I have worked to strengthen the ITCA in Minnesota higher education, with targeted legislative investments. As Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, I authored and advanced several core ITCA initiatives to close educational equity gaps and diversify the teaching profession such as Aspiring Teachers of Color Scholarships, Educators of Color Grants:, and Loan Forgiveness & Tuition Support.

Protections, insurance, and workers’ compensation for ride-share drivers – Minnesota ride-share drivers are classified as independent contractors. Because of this, they aren’t covered by traditional state workers’ compensation benefits. Under my leadership, we passed historic ride-share legislation mandating statewide minimum pay and the inclusion of blanket accident and sickness insurance for injuries occurring on the job. This includes mandatory on-the-job insurance where transportation network companies (TNCs) like Uber and Lyft are legally required to maintain specific blanket coverage for drivers: Personal Injury Coverage and Covered Expenses.