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ABOUT HEATHER

Heather is a proud Moorhead Spud mom to two boys, two-time alum of MSUM, and a neighbor actively engaged in her community. 

 

Before elected Representative Keeler in November 2020, Heather worked in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota with community partners to improve education equity and healthcare access and community engagement for unrepresented communities. 

 

During her first term in office, Heather served as the Vice Chair of the Preventing Homelessness Committee and as a Member of the Conference Committee for Higher Education. Currently in her second term, Heather serves as the Vice Chair of the Child And Families Policy and Finance Committee and is as the only BIPOC queer member on the Health and Human Services Conference Committee. Heather also served on the Minnesota Indian Affairs Council for 3 years.

 

In 2019, Heather successfully spearheaded the movement for the City of Moorhead to recognize and celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day annually on the second Monday of October, which she later shepherded through the MN House becoming a state-wide day of honor and remembrance.

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It's my absolute honor to connect and engage with my Moorhead neighbors to address he critical issues impacting our entire border community. 

Legislative Accomplishments

  • Authored $263 million in investments to for the Pathway Home Act, supporting shelter construction, transitional housing, outreach for homeless youth, and victims of sex trafficking

  • Securing $11 million in Capital Invest for the City of Moorhead’s Red River flood mitigation efforts

  • Investing $8.5 million toward a new American Indian Scholarship program and $3.15 million annually for Minnesota’s Tribal Colleges

  • Led efforts to change Columbus Day to a state-wide Indigenous Peoples Day honoring Minnesota’s original inhabitants

  • Prioritized $5 million in Emergency Food Shelf Funding, ensuring every Minnesotan can put food on the table 

  • Passed Minnesota Indian Family Preservation Act with broad bipartisan support, codifying the recent federal Indian Child Welfare Act into state law

Awards

  • 2023 recipient of the Esther Wattenberg Policy Award from the U of M Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare for my leadership on the MN Indian Family Preservation Act

Issue Areas

  • Housing Stability and Homelessness Support

  • Expand Programs Addressing Food Insecurity

  • Address Barriers to Regional Mental Health Access

  • Protect Mother Earth for the Seven Generations

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