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Dear Neighbors, 

I want to start by thanking everyone that made our recent food drive such a huge success. When our neighbors are in need, Minnesotans lend a helping hand. That’s a sentiment I’ve always known to be true, but it’s extremely heartwarming to see it at work. 

Collectively, we were able to donate more than 750 pounds of food and needed supplies!

While the federal government shutdown is over, Minnesota is still left to deal with the consequences. I am glad that federal workers are finally getting paid, but many more will now have to grapple with rising health care costs, and the status quo of the billionaire class getting all the breaks is maintained, while working families playing by the rules continue to struggle.

That is not the outcome Minnesotans deserve.

While food assistance and the price of health care took center stage during the shutdown debate, the Trump administration is also making housing more expensive and inaccessible, clawing back federal grants that would’ve gone towards supportive housing. With winter on our doorstep, it’s hard to think of anything crueler than cutting funds to programs that work so hard to provide a roof over the head of someone in need.

We need every level of government to be focused on reducing costs and making lives more affordable for working families. Unfortunately, President Trump would rather threaten Democratic members of Congress and attack our Somali neighbors. This dangerous and xenophobic rhetoric serves only to divide us, and distract the public from the core economic agenda under Trump: cater to the billionaires and massive corporations while selling out working people.

Where the President and Congressional Republicans fall short, in Minnesota, we’ll strive to lead. As we prepare for the 2026 Legislative Session, it’s vital that we push forward policies that put more power in the hands of working families to make housing, health care, and daily essentials more affordable.

Investing in Richfield

The House Capital Investment Committee recently finished their statewide infrastructure tour, a biennial tradition of providing legislators with first-hand experience of regional projects vying for state investment.

A couple years ago, our community’s proposed project was the Wood Lake Nature Center, which the committee visited and awarded $12 million. Construction is ongoing!

This time around, Mayor Supple and I met with the committee to advocate for the redevelopment of Nicolette Avenue - a project that would make the corridor safer and more accessible for all users. The infrastructure changes included in this redevelopment would raise crossings, improve traffic flow, and separate sidewalks and off-street bicycle trails.

While I work with my colleagues on the House’s committee, Sen. Wiklund is doing the same with the Senate’s Capital Investment Committee. You can read about their tour of Nicolett Avenue here.   

It’s a worthy project that not only benefits our district, but the entire region. As the 2026 Capital Investment Bill gets crafted, I’ll be fighting for its inclusion. 

Resource Fair

While much of the news out of D.C. is incredibly frustrating, the DFL members of Minnesota’s congressional delegation continue to fight for us. I wanted to pass along information on Congresswoman Omar’s upcoming Resource Fair that’ll be held on Tuesday, December 2nd, from 4pm to 7pm at Centro Tyrone Guzman in South Minneapolis.

Congresswoman Omar’s team helps hundreds of constituents navigate issues with federal agencies every year, including passports, immigration matters, tax issues, Medicare and Medicaid, Social Security, Veterans Affairs, the U.S. Postal Service, and other federal agencies. 

If you are experiencing an issue with a federal agency, please stop by Centro Tyrone Guzman to review your situation and see if their staff can assist. While they may not be able to help with every situation, they will always do their best to try. This resource fair is free, open to the public, and offered as a community service with support available in Spanish.

For any state-level issue, always feel free to contact my office at [email protected] or 651-296-7158.

Lastly, in this season of thanks, I want to thank you for the honor of representing you in the Minnesota House of Representatives. This year has been filled with incredible highs and lows, but your support and dedication to our community is really what makes this work so special.

Wishing you and yours a very happy and peaceful Thanksgiving. 

In partnership, 

Michael Howard