The time is here. The time is now.

Health Care. A Type 1 diabetic and leader in insulin organizing, María Isa worked to pass the Alec Smith Emergency Insulin Act at the State Capitol in April 2020. She will continue to advocate for an ethical health care system that puts people before profits.

Following a recent Supreme Court decision, of the most pressing issues raised by voters across the district is protecting the right to choose and codifying the protections of Roe v. Wade at all levels of government. María Isa is the only pro-choice candidate running for House District 65B.

Health Care Priorities 

  • Support and advocate for HF1774, which guarantees that health care is available and affordable for every Minnesotan and establishes the Minnesota Health Plan

  • Increase access and funding for culturally competent mental health services for our youth

  • Support efforts to address health disparities in communities of color populations, particularly those impacted by diabetes and heart disease

  • Support efforts to address the urgent emergency of opioid addiction and overdose impacting our youth

  • Support efforts to decrease disparities in infant mortality in Minnesota, particularly for our Black and African-American families

Education. María Isa has been a mentor for youth across St. Paul and beyond. Nationally, she is recognized for her work educating incarcerated youth in Minnesota. In office, she will champion a public education system that allows our youth from immigrant families, communities of color, and low-income households to thrive.

Education Priorities

  • Support the full funding of Minnesota’s public education systems to ensure students and educators receive the resources they deserve, including an increase in funding for our Multilingual Learners and Early-Childhood education

  • Support and fully fund the Increase Teachers of Color Act

  • Support teaching accurate Indigenous People’s history

  • Promote competency-based and project-based learning to ensure students receive a relevant and responsive 21st Century education that shifts away from curriculum that centers standardized testing

  • Promote investments to increase access in Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics (STEAM) education in communities of color and lower-income households as part of an approach to closing the educational opportunity gap. Ensure STEAM educational standards support the teaching of accurate environmental science, health and biology

Housing. A lifelong resident of the West Side, María Isa has seen firsthand the damage caused by inflated housing costs on the health of residents. She has been a leading voice in the movement to “Keep Saint Paul Home.” At the Capitol, she will push for investments and policies to protect renters and working class families.

Housing Priorities

  • Fight for affordable housing across all income ranges, where no more than 30% of a household’s income goes towards rent

  • Support the increased development of affordable and public housing in Downtown, Lowertown, West 7th, West Side, and West Saint Paul

  • Ensure housing opportunities are high-quality in design, as underrepresented communities traditionally have been underserved by design professionals

  • Increase access to information and resources for first-time home buyers to encourage homeownership among current district residents

Creative and Regenerative Economic Development. María Isa is a small business owner, movement artist, and water protector. Her experiences have given her a deep understanding of the connections between local entrepreneurship, sustainable and green energy infrastructure, consumer protections, and workers’ rights. At the Capitol, she will push for policy that develops an inclusive, creative, and regenerative economy.

Economic Priorities

  • Prioritize small business assistance and investments for the continued recovery of  hardworking Minnesotans as a result of COVID-19. Ensure that Minnesotans are not victims of price gouging when it comes to essentials, in addition to partnering with local and government agencies to mitigate impacts of the supply shortage

  • Prioritize investment in healthy, green infrastructure that uplifts all residents of the district and regenerates our air, land, and waters. Invest in community solar so that our district can be a leader in building an inclusive, healthy economy

  • Support organized labor to address unhealthy working conditions exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic

  • Secure appropriation to build a West Side Latino/Latina/Latinx Museum of Arts to showcase the history and legacy of Latino Minnesotans, including West Side Latinos

  • Work closely with local artists in our communities to provide access to opportunities towards building creative economy initiatives

  • Support local community-based organizations that seek legacy funding appropriations