Jamie Becker-Finn facts for kids

Jamie Becker-Finn was born on October 20, 1982. She is an American politician who has been serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2017. She is a member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL). Becker-Finn represents District 42B, which covers parts of the northeastern Twin Cities area, including Roseville and Shoreview.

Early Life, Education, and Career

Jamie Becker-Finn grew up in Cass Lake, Minnesota. This area is part of the Leech Lake Indian Reservation. She went to Cass Lake-Bena Public Schools. Her father, Skip Finn, was also a Minnesota state senator. He was of Ojibwe and Norwegian heritage. Her mother, Teri, is of Norwegian descent.

Becker-Finn went to the University of Minnesota. She earned a degree in psychology. Later, she studied law at William Mitchell College of Law. She became a lawyer, also known as an attorney.

Before becoming a politician, Becker-Finn worked as an assistant attorney for Hennepin County. She focused on cases involving domestic violence. She also worked for the Minnesota House Tax Committee. She was a clerk for the Minnesota Fourth District Court. She also served on the Roseville Parks and Recreation Commission.

In 2022, Becker-Finn opened her own business. It's a coffee shop called Makwa Coffee in Roseville, Minnesota.

Serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives

Jamie Becker-Finn was first elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2016. She has been reelected every two years since then. The Minnesota House of Representatives is where laws are made for the state. She decided to run when the previous representative, Jason Isaacson, chose to run for the Minnesota State Senate.

In 2018, Becker-Finn supported Ilhan Omar for Congress. She also helped Attorney General Keith Ellison when he was starting his job.

Becker-Finn leads the Judiciary Finance and Civil Law Committee. She has been the chair since 2021. She also serves on other important committees. These include Public Safety, Ways and Means, and Workforce Development. From 2019 to 2020, she was an assistant majority leader for her party. She also helped lead the Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee. Becker-Finn is part of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. She is also a member of the Reproductive Freedom Caucus.

Protecting the Environment and Natural Resources

Becker-Finn has worked hard to protect Minnesota's environment. She was against the Enbridge Line 3 oil pipeline. This pipeline would carry oil through tribal lands. She believes it's not good for public policy. In 2017, she spoke out against efforts to remove rules for the project. She also wrote a bill to help the Department of Natural Resources. This bill would give them more ways to stop water pollution.

She has supported laws to help kids learn more about the outdoors. This includes a program called "No Child Left Inside." She also wants to clean up water from microplastics, lead, and salt. She helped create a bill to pause new large dairy farms. She also supported a bill to study native fish. In 2019, Becker-Finn helped pass a law. It banned certain firefighting foams that contain PFAS chemicals. These chemicals can be harmful to health and the environment.

Addressing Chronic Wasting Disease

Jamie Becker-Finn is a hunter. She has led efforts to fight chronic wasting disease (CWD) in deer. CWD is a serious illness that affects deer. She wants stronger rules for deer farms in Minnesota. She has said that the Board of Animal Health needs to do a better job overseeing these farms. She helped pass a bill that requires deer farm owners to put down their herd if CWD is found. It also requires double gates and inspections to stop the disease from spreading. Deer hunters generally support her ideas. However, deer farm groups have opposed some of her plans. She has also supported funding research to understand CWD better. This research aims to develop tests for deer.

Supporting Native American Issues

Becker-Finn has worked on many issues important to Native Americans. In 2019, she supported renaming Lake Calhoun in Minneapolis. The lake was named after John C. Calhoun, a historical figure. She wanted it to be called by its Dakota name, Bde Maka Ska. The lake was eventually renamed after a court process.

She has also worked on bills specifically for tribes. For example, she supported a law that says if the state sells land within a reservation, it must first offer to sell it to the tribe. She also supported creating a task force. This group works to find missing and murdered Native women.

Becker-Finn has spoken out against harmful Native American images. This includes Halloween costumes and sports team mascots. She has also criticized the Minnesota state seal. The seal shows a Native American person being forced away by a settler.

Personal Life

Jamie Becker-Finn lives in Roseville, Minnesota with her husband, Gabe. They have two children. She is a descendant of the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe. She enjoys hunting and fishing. She is a Lutheran.