Idil Abdull was born in Somalia and grew up in Boston, but lately she has found a new home in the halls of the State Capitol, pressing a cause on behalf of immigrant families and getting a crash course in the intricacies of the legislative process.

Her latest discovery: “Ah, I get it. They work on African time. Five o’clock doesn’t mean five o’clock.”

Abdull, 36, of Burnsville, has become a familiar figure in the Capitol complex in the past two weeks as she testifies, buttonholes, schmoozes and flashes her brilliant smile — mastering the skills of a seasoned lobbyist.

But she remains a newcomer to the American system of lawmaking.

“It’s very confusing,” she said Tuesday during break in a House-Senate conference committee on a massive health and human services spending bill. “And very wonderful. People disagree, they get angry — and they do it in public and nobody dies.”

Abdull’s cause is what appears to be a cluster of autism cases among Somali children in Twin Cities schools. She’s been asking legislators to kill a provision that she fears might keep Somali children from getting critical help early in life.

But first she’s had to get the ear of legislators, and therein lie other lessons.

For instance: “Do not bug Senator Berglin at home with calls at night from Somali women with just enough English to say, ‘Help Somali children.’ Click.” (An aide to the Minneapolis senator later agreed to pass along information on Abdull’s cause if people would stop calling.)

Another: “Most Somalis vote for Democrats, but I have found every Republican legislator has listened to me. Somalis are socially very conservative — God, family, country — and those are very important for a lot of Republicans, too.”

Not coming back, maybe

When the session ends in a few days, Abdull said, “I don’t think I’m coming back. To be effective at the Legislature, you have to be very patient, very polite, very quiet. I grew up on the East Coast and sometimes I’m none of those things.”

She has commanding English, and her steady presence over days of committee meetings has earned the respect of Capitol regulars.

“She’s very effective,” said Mark Torma, an attorney for the Autism Advocacy and Law Center. “I can’t imagine me moving to another country and mastering a completely foreign political system, but that’s what’s she’s doing.”

Abdull left Somalia at age 11 to live in Boston with her brother. She graduated from college, was married and divorced and now has a son, Abdullahi, 7, who has autism.

“In Somalia, they say, ‘Well, the law is the law and there’s nothing you can do.’ But here, I can do something. I can talk to legislators. And I can tell they really are trying to do things for the people who elect them.

“Now my job is to help more Somali people see this,” Abdull said. “We should have people who look like me over here so our voices can be heard.”

Late Tuesday her persistence paid off: The conference committee deleted the measure that she opposed.

“I almost jumped up and shouted,” she said, “but that’s not the Minnesota way. I just stayed in my seat.”

While driving home, with the committee in recess for a few hours, she discovered that the issue could come up again.

“That’s another lesson,” she said. “What do you say, ‘It’s not over until the fat lady sings.’”

Warren Wolfe • 612-673-7253

Source: startribune

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