… Said Governor Walz as he signed the largest infrastructure bill in state history. The $2.6 billion infrastructure bill will support funding for state agencies, counties, cities, universities, and established nonprofits to acquire land, build roads, parks, and community centers, upgrade trails, improve public safety, and much more. 

“Our bills take care of what we already have while lifting those too often left behind when it comes to capital investment. It’s about much more than numbers on a spreadsheet, or even bricks and mortar,” said State Representative Feu Lee, who authored the cash and bonding bills and chaired the House Capital Investment Committee.

Thanks to the bipartisan support we had this session and the support from Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan, CLUES was awarded seed funding in this bill to advance planning, pre-development, and design of our future home on Lake Street. For 35 years CLUES has served Minneapolis and West Metro communities in leased spaces along Lake Street. We can now aim to own our own building in Minneapolis and bring financial empowerment and family support services, Latino cultural arts, and behavioral health clinics under one roof.

We are grateful for the leadership and support of several legislators who promoted inclusion and equity for BIPOC communities and for CLUES. Our appreciation to Representative Feu Lee and Senator Sandy Pappas, Capital Committee Chairs in the House, and Senate; Senate President Bobby Joe Champion, and authors of our bill, Senators Alice Mann, Senator Zaynab Mohamed, and Representative Aisha Gomez. Our deepest gratitude to them for lifting our constituent’s voice during the 2023 Session.

… Now we roll up our sleeves and begin the work to establish our own building in Minneapolis.  We hope to count on each one of you to support CLUES in developing this project for our staff and for our community.

From Ruby Lee, President and CEO, and all of us at CLUES