With the end of the special session, my House DFL colleagues and I were able to push for a number of budget bills to help address the needs of all Minnesotans and small businesses. Vaccination numbers in Minnesota remain as one of the leading states in the nation, and group gatherings, festivals, and parades are showcasing the vibrancy of our community more than ever.
The bipartisan budgets passed to ensure Minnesotans can access resources, investments and recover from the impacts of this pandemic will be beneficial to the overall recovery of our state. If you’d like to get caught up on the bills we’ve passed, you can find nonpartisan summaries of the bills and the process around them here:
Over the past few weeks, we have been able to pass several key bipartisan budgets in a number of areas to ensure Minnesotans can access resources, investments and recover from the impacts of this pandemic. Below are some more information on what is included in these bills. In addition, please stay tuned for another update later this week on the rest of the budget topics!
Housing
Minnesotans deserve safe, secure, and affordable housing. The Minnesota affordable housing crisis predates this COVID-19 pandemic, but now, with the approved compromise agreement with the Senate on the Housing budget, will invest in innovative solutions to take on housing insecurity as we build back from the pandemic. This legislation protects renters and provides resources for housing providers whose tenants have not been able to pay rent during COVID-19. It also provides affordable housing around the state through public and private investments.
Our regular work session ended on May 17th. However, final details of our agreement are being ironed out in special session which began this week. House and Senate leaders and Governor Walz have reached a budget agreement that we are using as guidelines in our conference committee negotiations. We have reached agreements on our Energy/Commerce, Taxes, Higher Ed, Agriculture, and Legacy Finance budgets. Some of the more contentious bills like E-12 Education and Public Safety still have a ways to go however. Details on the overall budget agreement and what the special session looks like can be found here.
DFL Releases Eviction Off-Ramp
It is critical that we prevent a massive housing crisis as we begin to return to normal. The House DFL has a common sense plan to give everyone the time they need to catch up on their rent and mortgage. Watch our press conference to learn more about our plan. If you are behind on housing payments, apply for aid here.
Happy Earth Day, and Ramadan Mubarak to those who celebrate! This week has been extremely eventful, and here at the legislature, we are committed to making sure speedy and effective policy is underway.
While Derek Chauvin’s guilty verdict was a hopeful glimpse of accountability, we need to continue to push for public safety efforts that looks out for ALL Minnesotans. Our neighbors, our colleagues and our friends and families deserve safety, justice and freedom from fear.
Wednesday night, the Minnesota House of Representatives advanced a budget bill to increase accountability measures within law enforcement, expand survivor protections and increase community oversight over the safety of our state. This omnibus bill is a compilation of a number of bills, shown below, brought forth by legislators covering a broad range of public safety needs.
The recent weather we’ve been having is a hopeful start to finally return to a normal summer full of community events, travel, and outdoor activities. Vaccinations are approaching the finish line and Minnesota has managed to champion distribution efforts nationally! With all Minnesotans currently available to receive their COVID-19 vaccine, it is now important to stay on top of available appointments and grab your spot in line for a shot or two.
Governor Tim Walz and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a new federal Community Vaccination Clinic in Minnesota: The site will be located at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and receive 168,000 doses over eight weeks. It will prepare to administer a combination of Pfizer and J&J doses, which will result in over 100,000 total people being vaccinated during the eight week period. Vaccinations will begin at the Fairgrounds on April 14 and serve Minnesotans living in the highest Social Vulnerability Index zip codes near the Fairgrounds.
Yesterday, Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan announced the expansion of vaccine eligibility for people 16 years of age and older starting March 30th. The announcement is in response to the increased supply of vaccines by the federal government to arrive in April.
In the past months, Minnesota has proven to be a national leader in getting shots into arms, and will now be able to step into the final stage of distribution. This week, Minnesota was ranked number one in the country for the percentage of vaccine doses administered to Minneostans. For more information, please check out this article by the Star Tribune.
Additionally, we are entering the final stretch of session, and as we begin to make important decisions, I’d like to hear from you. If you have not already one so, please fill out my legislative survey to let me know how you feel about these important issues. Thanks in advance for your input!
Helping Hospitality and Service Sector Workers Return to their Jobs
Yesterday, the Minnesota House of Representatives advanced my legislation to help laid-off hospitality and service sector workers return to their jobs.
This bill applies to Minnesotans employed by hotels, airports, and event centers; the facilities attached to them, including restaurants, bars, and retail; as well as related services, including maintenance, security, ticketing, ground-handling, and food and beverage services. It also applies to an enterprise providing maintenance and security services to office, retail, or commercial buildings, like a staffing agency.
To be eligible for rehire and retention benefits, Minnesotans need to have worked for their employer for at least six months in the year prior to January 31, 2020, and become unemployed after January 31, 2020, due to the pandemic. Employers would be required to provide eligible workers with information about available job positions for which they qualify, and to rehire employees based on a preference system of qualifications and seniority.
Displaced hospitality workers deserve our full support now more than ever. Today’s vote further demonstrates our promise to provide a safety net for workers, majority of which are Black and Latinx, who are suffering the disproportionate impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. I have full confidence and trust that Minnesota will emerge stronger than before, and build back our community with a flourishing economy.
Earned Sick and Safe Time for Minnesota Workers
One of the bills we advanced this week ensures that Minnesotans aren’t forced to choose between a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a loved one. Under this legislation, workers would earn at least one hour of paid Earned Sick and Safe Time for every 30 hours worked, up to 48 hours per year. Workers can use this time to stay home when they’re sick, to take care of a family member, or for an absence related to domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking.
Preventing Wage Discrimination
March 24th was Equal Pay Day, an annual reminder that we are still fighting a gender and race pay gap across the nation, and here in Minnesota. Yesterday, the Minneosta House advanced the Preventing Discrimination Act, a bill that halts this practice and brings us one step closer to closing the pay gap.
House File 403 addresses a systemic issue of pay disparities. COVID-19 has demonstrated that we all benefit when workers have the ability to stay home without missing their paycheck. This bill would make our workplaces, schools, and communities healthier, and I am proud to support it in the House
Summer Learning Package Passes
Students, parents, and families are suffering the consequences of this pandemic more than many others, both academically and emotionally. On Tuesday, the Minnesota House passed a robust summer learning package to help address learning loss through hands-on tutoring and programming, ensure our students have an opportunity to get caught up, and provide critical mental health support to those who need it. I voted in support of the bill and am looking forward to seeing it help our kids succeed.
This week, I’d like to ask for your feedback on issues that could be discussed this 2021 Legislative Session, including recovering and rebuilding from COVID-19, ensuring Minnesotans have affordable health care, great educational opportunities from preschool through job training, and economic security. Our government always works best when the decisions made include all.
The link for the 2021 Legislative Survey for District 50B is below. Please get in touch with me anytime. I appreciate hearing from you!
HealthPartners recently opened its first drive-up vaccination site at its Bloomington headquarters, and is prepared to open additional drive-up sites as vaccine supply increases. The site will be open 7 days a week, and appointments are required.
It’s an honor to serve our community at the State Capitol. The legislative session began January 5th. Today, I’d like your feedback on issues that could be discussed this year. Our government works best when the decisions made include all voices.
As your Representative, I’m committed to recovering and rebuilding from COVID, and ensuring Minnesotans have affordable health care, great educational opportunities from preschool through job training, and economic security. We need to help Minnesotans get through this pandemic and thrive after it.
The link for the 2021 Legislative Survey for District 50B is below. Please get in touch with me anytime. I appreciate hearing from you!
According to data reported as of February 19th, the total vaccine doses administered in the state of Minnesota is 1,095,934. The speed of vaccination is picking up to approximately 100,000 people each week, and there have been a series of online tools that make it easier for eligible individuals to schedule appointments and access the latest news on COVID-19 information.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Connector Tool
Minnesota has just launched a new tool to make reliable vaccine updates and COVID-19 related information reach you faster. The COVID-19 Vaccine Connectorwill help Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
When you become eligible, the Vaccine Connector will:
The 2021 legislative session is a new opportunity for lawmakers to respond to Minnesotans’ needs. House Members have proposed immediate actions the Legislature can take to help the Minnesotans who have sacrificed and risked the most to keep all of us healthy and safe. Our latest proposal is focused on the needs of our hospitality and service sector workers laid off due to the pandemic.
Getting Hospitality Workers Back to Their Jobs Safely
In 2020, many of us had to cancel our travel plans for graduation, summer vacation, Thanksgiving, Christmas and so on. However, behind these visible personal impacts are our hospitality workers that are hit hard by the pandemic due to restaurant, hotel and airport layoffs.
On Monday, we announced H.F 39, chief authored by me, to help laid-off hospitality and service sector workers return to their jobs. It’s one of many immediate actionsthat House Democrats are proposing to respond to the needs of workers, families, and small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. High-quality video and audio of this virtual press conference will be available here.
