American politician
Aisha Gomez (born July 22, 1981) is an American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2019. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Gomez represents District 62A, which includes parts of Minneapolis in Hennepin County, Minnesota.[1][2]
Early life, education, and career
Gomez graduated from South High School in Minneapolis and attended the University of Minnesota, graduating with a B.S. in environmental science.[1]
Before running for political office, Gomez worked with the Women's Environmental Institute for more than a decade and was a senior policy aide to Minneapolis City Council member Alondra Cano.[3][4][5]
Minnesota House of Representatives
Gomez was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in 2018 and has been reelected every two years since. She first ran after four-term incumbent Susan Allen announced she would not seek reelection.[1][5]
Gomez chairs the Taxes Committee, and sits on the Property Tax Division and Ways and Means Committee. From 2021 to 2022, she chaired the Preventing Homelessness Division of the Housing Finance and Policy Committee.[1] Gomez, who is of Latino, Arab, and Jewish heritage, is a member of the House People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus.[6][7]
Taxes
At the start of the 2023 legislative session, Gomez authored a tax conformity bill that was the first bill to pass the House floor.[8] It received unanimous bipartisan support in both chambers.[9][10] Gomez supported a 2021 tax bill compromise that included funding to address youth homelessness across the state.[11] She supports legalizing marijuana and has advocated for low taxes in order to "bring people out of the illicit market and into a regulated market".[12][13][14]
Public safety and police reform
Gomez represents the area of Minneapolis where the police murder of George Floyd took place.[15] After Floyd was killed, she released a statement saying: "This is why we talk about police abolition. There is no reform that can fix this system".[16] Gomez authored legislation requiring departments of over 50 officers to institute civilian oversight boards to improve accountability.[15][17] She has been critical of the Minneapolis police, especially their use of chemical agent sprays on crowds, introducing legislation to ban the use of irritants and nonlethal ammunition, calling them "cruel and escalatory".[18][19]
Gomez signed on to a letter written by U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar asking the Department of Justice to expand its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department after Floyd's murder.[20] During the 2021 Minneapolis mayoral election, she did not endorse incumbent Jacob Frey, and signed on to a letter that advocated for a "new mayor" who would do more to end racial disparities and increase public safety.[21]
Immigration policy
Gomez led the House's efforts to pass the Driver's Licenses for All bill, which allows unauthorized immigrants to obtain a driver's license.[22][23][24] In 2003, Governor Tim Pawlenty revoked that privilege in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.[25] She authored legislation to ensure municipal ID application information was private and not accessible by federal immigration authorities.[26][27] During the COVID-19 pandemic, she introduced a bill to establish relief grants for immigrants not eligible for federal COVID relief like stimulus checks.[28] Gomez sponsored legislation to ban for-profit immigration detention centers in Minnesota.[29]
Other political positions
Gomez has led efforts to address homelessness, especially for youth and in families with school-age children.[30] She introduced a bill that would increase funding for shelter-based mental health services and require cities take certain steps before clearing out homeless encampments.[31] Gomez publicly criticized legislators for failing to act to address the opioid epidemic, calling out the pharmaceutical industry's campaign contributions.[32]
During the 2019 selection process for the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, which must be confirmed by the legislature, Gomez and other legislators criticized the list of candidates for its lack of diversity.[33][34] Gomez wrote an op-ed calling for a more racially equitable transit system, and investment in transit lines that run through historically marginalized communities.[35]
Gomez signed on to a letter calling on the Biden administration to stop Line 3, a tar sands pipeline proposed to cut through Minnesota tribal lands.[36] She opposed city plans to turn a site in Minneapolis's East Phillips neighborhood into a public works campus instead of a community center and garden.[37] In 2019, Gomez signed a letter of support for Representative Ilhan Omar after she was accused of making antisemitic comments.[38]
Personal life
Gomez resides in Minneapolis's Central neighborhood with her son, Andre.[3] She is of both Hispanic/Latino and Arab ethnicity and identifies with the Jewish faith.[1]
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