May 19 marked the formal end of Minnesota’s legislative session – and it was a full one. As Associate Vice President of Advocacy and Community Impact at Greater Twin Cities United Way, I have the responsibility and privilege of guiding our engagement with legislators, policymakers and government partners. This session kept our team busy, focused and deeply connected to the issues that matter most to our communities.
Advocacy is an important way that Greater Twin Cities United Way helps create lasting change in our state. But advocacy is more than a tactic; it’s one way of the ways we live out our commitment to equity and systems change.
Through our advocacy work, Greater Twin Cities United Way works to ensure the policies shaped at the Capitol reflect the lived experiences of the communities most affected by them. We connect the dots – translating what feels abstract into clear, values-driven policy solutions that create meaningful, lasting and measurable impact.
Our work in advocacy helps shift mindsets and build new connections, letting more individuals and communities see themselves as participants in the democratic process. When more people are engaged in this process with empathy and imagination, we can achieve the lasting change we need.
Before discussing some of the ways we’ve put this commitment into action this session, I cannot help but reflect on the lives of Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark, and on the continuing recovery of Sen. John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. Our communities are stronger thanks to the tireless work of both Rep. Hortman and Sen. Hoffman. Greater Twin Cities United Way sends our deepest condolences to both families.
In a time when we all need to be closer to our lawmakers, these horrific acts of violence only serve to destabilize and disrupt our entire framework of democratic engagement. No matter one’s political beliefs, we all lose when violence replaces dialogue. But we all stand to gain when we choose to lean in with curiosity, to listen more deeply, and to build the bonds that make civic engagement possible.
These events cannot help but cast a shadow over the recent legislative session – but they cannot diminish the positive achievements from this session that are worth celebrating.
After a one-day special session on June 9, the legislature passed its final budget for the next two years – which includes some key policy shifts related to education, housing and health and human services. Some of the positive developments we saw this session include:
In addition, I’m excited to share that Greater Twin Cities United Way was named as the administrator for a new pilot program supporting parents who are working in early child care. Under the initiative, child care professionals with kids of their own will be eligible for monthly stipends of up to $200, for up to 24 months, to help manage the costs of child care and other critical expenses. This program will provide the financial support needed to ensure that parents working in the early childhood field can continue to grow and advance in their careers.
Lawmakers sought out Greater Twin Cities United Way in particular as a partner for this work, based on the relationships we’ve built and the lessons we’ve learned through our ongoing investments in the early childhood sector. Work like our 80×3 initiative and our administration of early learning scholarships helped lay the foundation for this new and innovative partnership.
I’m also heartened by the unprecedented depth of engagement we saw this year from our Greater Twin Cities United Way community. Our organization’s staff and board members turned out in remarkable numbers for advocacy events supported by United Way, such as Advocacy for Children Day and Homeless Day on the Hill.
In fact, board participation more than tripled, while staff engagement more than doubled compared to 2024. When staff and board members engage in advocacy, it sends a clear and powerful message that transformational change is a shared organizational priority – not just in word, but in action.
See more from this year’s Advocacy for Children Day.
Our United Way community also spoke up about the importance of funding for 211, reaching out to lawmakers’ offices with more than 200 emails and calls. While our requested appropriation did not make it into this year’s budget, I’m certain this conversation will continue in 2026 and beyond.
While our team has been deeply engaged at the state level, we have also been monitoring the ongoing negotiations around our federal budget. One area of grave concern centers around proposed cuts to Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), two programs that play an essential role in ensuring that millions of Americans have the food and health care they need to survive.
These proposed cuts would have a devastating impact. More than 250,000 Minnesotans on Medical Assistance and MinnesotaCare could lose their health coverage. Another 150,000 in our state would see their SNAP benefits reduced or eliminated entirely.
And even for those who do not benefit directly from these programs, these cuts will create new funding shortfalls – which will fall on individuals and families in the form of increased property taxes and higher health care premiums. One way or another, all of us will feel the pain of these cuts.
Yet despite this discouraging outlook, our fight is not over. As lawmakers make their final votes on the bill early this week, the coming days will be critical.
As a supporter of Greater Twin Cities United Way, your voice belongs in this conversation. Our colleagues at United Way Worldwide have issued an action alert, which provides sample language and puts you directly in touch with your local lawmakers. With the bill moving toward passage in the coming days, your action at this moment is critical. If you believe every person in our state deserves dignity, health care and food security, take action today.
Thank you for joining us in this work, helping build a region where all can thrive. Whatever challenges we may face, I know that we will face them together as a community.
