Fue Lee
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Fue Lee (born August 26, 1991) is an Hmong-American politician serving in the Minnesota House of Representatives since 2016. A member of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Lee represents District 59A, which includes parts of northern
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
in Hennepin County,
Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
.


Early life, education, and career

Lee was born in a refugee camp in
Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
to Hmong parents from
Laos Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
, and came to Minnesota as a toddler in 1992, living in public housing with his parents and siblings. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School in
Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. Lee graduated from
Carleton College Carleton College ( ) is a private liberal arts college in Northfield, Minnesota. Founded in 1866, it had 2,105 undergraduate students and 269 faculty members in fall 2016. The 200-acre main campus is between Northfield and the 800-acre Cowling ...
in
Northfield, Minnesota Northfield is a city in Dakota and Rice counties in the State of Minnesota. It is mostly in Rice County, with a small portion in Dakota County. The population was 20,790 at the 2020 census. History Northfield was platted in 1856 by John W. N ...
with a bachelor's degree in political science and international relations. He was an intern or volunteer for Minneapolis City Council Member Blong Yang, then-U.S. Representative
Keith Ellison Keith Maurice Ellison (born August 4, 1963) is an American politician and lawyer serving as the 30th attorney general of Minnesota. A member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), Ellison was the U.S. representative for from 2007 to ...
, and Steve Simon, later becoming an aide in the office of the
Minnesota Secretary of State The secretary of state of Minnesota is a constitutional officer in the executive branch of government of the U.S. State of Minnesota. Twenty-two individuals have held the office of secretary of state since statehood. The incumbent is Steve Simon, ...
. Lee co-founded the Asian American Organizing Project and Progressive Hmong American Organizers with former state Senator Mee Moua, DFL activist Yee Chang, and state representative Jay Xiong.


Minnesota House of Representatives

Lee was elected to the Minnesota House of Representatives in
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
and has been reelected every two years since. He defeated 10-term incumbent
Joe Mullery Joseph J. Mullery (born June 1944) is a Minnesota politician and former member of the Minnesota House of Representatives. A member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party (DFL), he represented District 59A, which includes parts of Min ...
in a DFL primary after losing the party endorsement by one delegate. Lee is the first person of color and of Asian descent to represent his district, and was the first Hmong-American to represent Minneapolis in the state legislature. In 2018, he was an early endorser of
Ilhan Omar Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
for
Minnesota's 5th congressional district Minnesota's 5th congressional district is a geographically small urban and suburban congressional district in Minnesota. It covers eastern Hennepin County, including the entire city of Minneapolis, along with parts of Anoka and Ramsey countie ...
. Lee has served as chair of the Capital Investment Committee since 2021. He also sits on the Environment and Natural Resources Finance and Policy and Legacy Finance Committees. From 2019 to 2020, he served as vice chair of the Capital Investment Committee and as an assistant majority leader for the House DFL Caucus. Lee is a member of the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus and the Minnesota Asian-Pacific (MAP) Caucus.


Infrastructure and capital investment

As chair of the Capital Investment Committee, Lee worked with Senator
Tom Bakk Thomas M. Bakk ( ; born June 8, 1954) is a Minnesota politician and member of the Minnesota Senate. Currently independent and a former member of the Minnesota Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party, Bakk represents District 3, which includes portions ...
on a $518 million public works package in 2021, highlighting investments into housing infrastructure and small business redevelopment after civil unrest and protests following the
murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...
. He authored subsequent legislation that would fund $1 billion in infrastructure projects across the state, which was opposed by House Republicans and Senator Bakk. In 2022, Lee supported a $3.5 billion package, investing in local projects, housing, and focusing on marginalized communities throughout the state. In both 2021 and 2022, the proposals, which require a three-fifths majority to approve the sale of bonds, failed to pass. Lee worked with Senator
Sandy Pappas Sandy may refer to: People and fictional characters * Sandy (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Sandy (surname), a list of people * Sandy (singer), Brazilian singer and actress Sandy Leah Lima (born 1983) *(Sandy) ...
in 2023 to move forward both cash and bonding infrastructure bills prioritizing racial equity and addressing the climate and housing crises. Lee proposed building on previous years' plans and spending $2 billion in cash spending and an additional $2.2 billion in borrowing via bonds. In March 2023, the House passed a $1.9 billion deal that received bipartisan support to reach the three-fifths majority threshold, though the Senate failed to do the same with all Republicans voting against the bill. He has authored legislation to partially fund the Upper Harbor Terminal, a city amphitheater proposal located in his district.


Public safety and criminal justice reform

Lee signed on to a letter by U.S. Representative
Ilhan Omar Ilhan Abdullahi Omar (born October 4, 1982) is an American politician serving as the U.S. representative for since 2019. She is a member of the Democratic–Farmer–Labor Party. Before her election to Congress, Omar served in the Minnesota ...
asking the Department of Justice to expand its investigation into the Minneapolis Police Department following the
murder of George Floyd On , George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the U.S. city of Minneapolis by Derek Chauvin, a 44-year-old white police officer. Floyd had been arrested on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill. Chauvin knelt on Floyd's n ...
. He co-sponsored a bill creating a commission to review how local government, police, and military responded to George Floyd protests in Minneapolis and St. Paul, including aid to community organizations in the area. Lee supported voting "yes" on City Question 2, which would have renamed the Minneapolis Police Department the Minneapolis Department of Public Safety, removed minimum staffing levels for sworn officers, and shifted oversight of the new agency from the mayor’s office to the city council.


Environment and natural resources

Lee joined environmental advocates in pushing for the closing of a metal shredder in North
Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
after a stockpile caught fire. He wrote legislation that would require regulators to consider the cumulative exposure of pollutants before issuing permits to industries in environmental justice areas, and require the Pollution Control Agency to hold public hearings to solicit community feedback on facilities impacts. The bill was included in a larger 2022 environmental bill, but faced opposition from Senate Republicans. Lee introduced the legislation again in 2023, but the provisions were scaled back to only include the seven-county metro and other large cities in 2023 due to opposition from rural DFL members. Lee has authored legislation to help Metro Transit buy electric busses and require them to transition to zero emissions. He has advocated for the Department of Natural Resources to do more outreach to hunters in the Twin Cities metropolitan area and to people of color, women and younger generations. He co-sponsored legislation to abolish commercial turtle harvesting in the state.


Other political positions

Lee co-authored legislation to increase funding for efforts to ensure every Minnesotan was counted in the 2020 census, and wrote a bill to require property managers to give census workers access to multi-unit buildings. He co-sponsored legislation to increase funding for school support services in Minneapolis public schools. Lee signed on to a statement opposing President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of Pe ...
's proposal to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy. In 2019, he signed a letter of support for Representative Ilhan Omar after she was accused of making antisemitic comments.


Electoral history


Personal life

Lee lives in the Northside neighborhood of
Minneapolis, Minnesota Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...
. In September of 2020, Lee was diagnosed with COVID, as were many members of his family. Lee spoke publicly about his families experience and spoke in favor of comprehensive, state-led efforts to contain the virus.


References


External links


Official House of Representatives website

Official campaign website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lee, Fue 1991 births Living people American politicians of Hmong descent Politicians from Minneapolis 21st-century American politicians Carleton College alumni Thai emigrants to the United States Hmong activists Asian-American people in Minnesota politics Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives