Latest Releases
U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar, Tina Smith Announce Funding for Revitalizing Olson Memorial Highway
[Washington, DC] – Today, U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith announced federal funding to restore and revitalize the 6thAvenue North corridor, an area in North Minneapolis that was devastated by the construction of Olson Memorial Highway in the 1940s. The project will include converting the roadway to reconnect the area’s residents and promote new housing and commercial development and modeling the project’s impacts on environmental justice and racial equity. The funding was awarded to Open Streets Minneapolis thanks to President Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law, which both Senators supported. “The 6th Avenue North corridor in Minneapolis is in need of upgrades to better protect drivers and pedestrians and reconnect residents,” said Klobuchar. “With this funding, Our Streets Minneapolis can begin the revitalization project and lay the groundwork needed to advance these improvements.” “North 6th Avenue was once home to one of Minneapolis’ most diverse immigrant communities,” said Smith. “When Olson Memorial Highway was built, the neighborhood’s deep cultural connections were torn apart in the process. This project is the first step to restoring what redlining and systemic racism stole from the community.” North 6th Avenue was home to a bustling working-class neighborhood and was one of Minneapolis’ most diverse and welcoming areas for immigrants known for its affordable housing. The community began to suffer following federal redlining, which labeled Near North as a poor investment and led to segregation. The construction of Olson Memorial Highway accelerated the neighborhood’s decline. The $1.6 million in funding comes from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot program, the
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Laphonza Butler Introduce Legislation to Combat LGBTQ+ Mental Health Crisis
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D – Minn.) and Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) — the first Black and openly LGBTQ+ senator to serve in the Senate — led five Senate colleagues in introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act which would strengthen mental health and crisis intervention resources for at-risk LGBTQ+ youth. “Mental health care is health care. And for some LGBTQ+ youth, receiving access to the mental health care they need can mean the difference between living in safety and dignity, and suffering alone through discrimination, bullying, and even violence,” said Senator Smith. “The data shows what many parents and educators see every day—an epidemic of students in classrooms dealing with anxiety, depression and other serious mental health conditions, with nowhere to turn. Meeting LGBTQ+ students where they already are—in school—helps us break down the stigma they might face and get kids the health care they need.” “Accessing mental health care and support has become increasingly difficult in nearly every state in the country,” said Senator Butler. “Barriers get even more difficult if you are a young person who lacks a supportive community or is fearful of being outed, harassed, or threatened. I am introducing the Pride in Mental Health Act to help equip LGBTQ+ youth with the resources to get the affirming and often life-saving care they need.” LGBTQ+ youth experience disproportionate rates of mental health challenges. A 2023 study found that 54 percent of LGBTQ+ youth reported symptoms of depression, while only 35 percent of heterosexual youth reported similar feelings. LGBTQ+ high school students
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Bill Cassidy Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve National COVID-19 Testing and Tracing
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/7/20]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-La.) introduced bipartisan legislation this week to improve coronavirus (COVID-19) testing and tracing in Minnesota and across the country. Representatives Angie Craig (MN-2) and Phil Roe (TN-01) introduced the bipartisan house companion today. The Suppress COVID-19 Act would support states’ work to address the virus by helping them purchase tests and testing supplies. It would also allow states to work together in interstate compacts and regional agreements to overcome challenges with the testing supply chain, such as a lack of available tests and slow turn-around for test results. Sen. Smith says that this bipartisan strategy will help states not only contain the
U.S. Senator Tina Smith Announces Legislation to Help Root Out Systemic Racism, Culture of Violence Towards People of Color in Senate Floor Speech
WASHINGTON, D.C. [07/6/20]—Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) announced new legislation to help root out systemic racism and the culture of violence that is killing Black, Brown and Indigenous people during her third Senate floor speech focused on finding solutions to address systemic racism and much-needed changes in policing. Sen. Smith’s Supporting Innovation in Public Safety Act would help state, local, and Tribal governments reimagine policing in their communities by funding innovative projects to change how we deliver public safety. Sen. Smith says that the bill will empower local communities to pursue projects that improve public safety through systemic change, rather than by increasing police budgets.
U.S. Senators Klobuchar, Smith Join Push to Ensure School Meals Remain Available To Students as Schools Consider Reopening Options for New School Year
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/5/20]— U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith (D-Minn.) joined a Senate push to ensure that school meal programs remain available to millions of students in Minnesota and across the country during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic regardless of school re-opening status. Klobuchar and Smith, along with more than 30 other Senators, are urging U.S. Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue to continue critical waivers that have allowed students access to school breakfasts and lunch during the pandemic, which may be the only healthy and regular meals they receive. “The economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has also resulted
U.S. Senators Tina Smith, Merkley Unveil Plan to Prevent Pharmaceutical Companies from Price Gouging COVID-19 Vaccines, Treatments
WASHINGTON, D.C. [08/5/20]—This week U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) introduced legislation to ensure that any taxpayer-funded vaccine or treatment for coronavirus (COVID-19) proven to be safe and effective will be accessible, affordable, and available to all individuals. The Make Medications Affordable by Preventing Pandemic Price-gouging (MMAPPP) Act would forbid monopolies and exclusive licensing of any taxpayer-funded COVID-19 vaccine or treatment, require reasonably affordable prices for said drugs, improve transparency from drug manufacturers on expenditures related to COVID-19 vaccines or treatments, and prohibit price gouging of drugs used to treat future diseases. “People in Minnesota and across the country deserve access to taxpayer-funded COVID-19 treatments and vaccines without financial barriers,” said
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