Today, February 17, the Minnesota State Legislature officially convenes for this year’s legislative session. Between now and late May, lawmakers will be debating and passing legislation on some of the most important policy questions facing our state.
As associate vice president for advocacy & community impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way, I have the privilege of leading our advocacy work at the Capitol.
Rooted in a spirit of trust and collaboration, Greater Twin Cities United Way works to amplify our region’s nonprofits, helping our partners meet the most urgent needs of their communities.
Advocacy goes a step beyond these urgent needs, focusing on the root causes of the challenges our communities face. Every day, decisions are made at every level of government – from local to state to federal – with impacts that our neighbors can see and feel. It’s imperative that we show up in these spaces and advocate for the lasting change our communities deserve.
All of us play a part in this work – and that includes you. Keep reading to learn more about our priority issues this year, and how you can get involved.
Every session occurs against a unique political landscape, and this year’s will be no different.
The lingering effects of the federal immigration surge across our state will undoubtedly cast a long shadow over most of the work that occurs at the legislature this year.
Many of our neighbors are still living in fear – avoiding work, school and basic errands due to policies and actions that make daily life feel unsafe and unpredictable. Our 211 resource helpline has seen big increases in calls for rent and food assistance – and at peak levels, more than 16 times the average call volume to our Spanish-language helpline.
This is a level of disruption to families that we haven’t witnessed since COVID. Federal enforcement actions have created a crisis that has outpaced state and local government's ability to respond, leaving communities to pick up the pieces.
It’s been a beautiful thing to see our neighbors and communities coming together to support each other. Resources like mobile food delivery and rent assistance are already helping families survive in this period of crisis. But to continue meeting the scale of community need in this moment, the legislature must take bold, meaningful action this session.
At the same time, the assassination of House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman still looms large for lawmakers at the Capitol this year. We are already seeing the impact on our work, with increased security around the Capitol grounds and fewer opportunities for informal visits with lawmakers. Unfortunately, it will be harder for our communities to speak with lawmakers in-person this session – requiring greater coordination and planning for even the most basic kinds of engagement.
And all of this is happening with an important election on the horizon. This fall’s election will determine the balance of power in the state legislature, as well as statewide offices like governor and attorney general. Federal midterm elections will also determine the balance of power in Congress, with significant consequences for our state and the future policy choices our lawmakers will need to make. That’s just one more layer of pressure for this year’s session.
But while the situation this year is challenging, it is not impossible. Our lawmakers can still come together with bold, creative solutions to help families thrive – and United Way can play an important role in facilitating that conversation.
Our advocacy team meets with policymakers and elected officials to share our expertise on key issues facing our community, advocate for solutions and build support for our policy goals. Our relationships are the foundation on which all our advocacy is built.
This year, the policy priorities we’ll be advancing at the Capitol include:
These priorities are directly informed by what we’ve heard from the community. Through our nonprofit partnerships, we gain valuable data and stories about policy needs. We also utilize data from our 211 resource helpline – and insights from our conversations with 211 callers – to provide a real-time indicator on the most pressing needs in our communities. And through our partnership with United for ALICE, we’re able to provide lawmakers with detailed data about economic hardship as it’s experienced by families and communities across our state.
Read more in our 2026 advocacy agenda.
Together, we can create lasting change – if all of us stand up and do our part. Will you join us?
Here are a few ways you can stand with our communities during this legislative session.
Greater Twin Cities United Way also supports other organizations’ advocacy through grants and technical assistance.
Our partners include organizations focused on voter registration and other forms of nonpartisan political engagement, as well as organizations promoting new policy recommendations in areas like food security, housing stability and education.
This year, we disbursed $175,000 in grants to 18 nonprofit organizations:
