Tag: Rep. Koegel

Dear Neighbors,

Last week was the beginning of Black History Month, a month where we focus on the history of Black Americans so that we can better understand the events of today. It is clear that while we have come far in our fight for equity and justice for all, we have not come nearly far enough. This pandemic has also revealed the continued disparities throughout our state, for instance the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development reports that an estimated one in two Black workers in Minnesota have applied for unemployment since mid-March compared with one in four white workers. For an illuminating look at the disparities in our state I encourage you to read the House Select Committee on Racial Justice’s report on racial justice in MN, here. I was honored to be selected to serve on the Select Committee. I also encourage you to read the People of Color and Indigenous Caucus’ statement on Black History Month.

Paid sick and safe

No one should have to choose between caring for themselves or a loved one and a paycheck. That’s why the House introduced a new bill to expand Earned Sick and Safe Time. The bill aims to provide an important short-term benefit to workers by allowing them to accrue sick time based on the number of hours that they work. The impossible choice between a paycheck and taking time off to care for a sick child is a real problem in Minnesota, especially for low-wage workers and those in the service industry. This requirement has several key additional benefits, including healthier workplaces and schools, greater support for caregivers, and reduced health care costs. I will continue to support this critical legislation.

Dear Neighbors,

During President Biden’s inauguration there were several calls for unity and healing, and as the only divided state government in the nation I believe this is a worthy goal for us. We can disagree on policy but I hope we can all agree that we want to do all we can to make Minnesota a better place to live for everyone. If we have a different perspective on an issue, we should be able to talk it through without questioning each other’s motives and heart. I hope this moment indicates that we have truly turned a corner and have entered a new political era of mutual respect and courtesy.

Vaccine Pilot Program Launches

This week, Minnesota announced an important next step in the process of delivering the COVID-19 vaccine to certain priority groups. A pilot program will establish new vaccination sites throughout the state, and individuals who are 65 years or older, as well as school staff and child care workers (who have been notified by their employer that they’re eligible), will now be able to make appointments to receive the vaccine. If you are a school staff member or child care worker you will schedule an appointment through your employer.

If you fall into these groups, initial appointments are now full as they were extremely limited. You can book appointments online here, or by phone at 612-426-7230 or toll free at 833-431-2053. New appointments won’t be available until Tuesday, January 26 at 12 pm. If you encounter additional problems or need help navigating this process, please contact me.

Dear Neighbors,

House Passes New Covid-19 Economic Assistance Package

Yesterday, we met for our 7th special session of the year to pass an assistance package that will help our most vulnerable neighbors, and local businesses stay afloat during this ongoing crisis. The DFL led the way in designing this package and had to fight hard for this aid, particularly the unemployment aid extension. True to our bipartisan nature we managed to find a path that works for both sides of the aisle while also being a victory for our entire state.Here are a few of the key pieces of the Covid-19 Economic Assistance Package:

1. Extend Unemployment Benefits: Provides up to 13 additional weeks in unemployment benefits for MN workers who have exhausted all federal and state benefits. There are an estimated 100,000 MN workers who could qualify for this extension, showing how needed this extension is.
2. Business Assistance Grants: Provides $216.5 million from the General Fund in grants to restaurants, bars, gyms, theaters and many other entities directly affected by the executive orders and the pandemic. It is estimated that these grants will be able to assist over 6,000 businesses that have been hurt by Covid-19.
3. Certain Fees Waived for Hospitality Industry: This is another straight-forward practical action we can take to help ease the financial burden our local businesses are facing. While this is a smaller portion of the total relief, it should go a long way towards helping these vulnerable businesses.

Dear Neighbors,

Special Session

On Monday, the House and Senate convened in a special session called by Governor Walz. The governor has extended the current peacetime emergency so he can continue to access the state’s toolbox to take quick, decisive action to protect Minnesotans through the COVID-19 pandemic. Yesterday, the House voted to uphold the governor’s emergency powers for another 30 days. We can’t get complacent now after all of our sacrifice and hard work; we have seen that states that reduce precautions too quickly suffer from a major spike in cases.

This special session is an opportunity to finish important work for the people of Minnesota. After George Floyd’s killing, Minnesotans are still demanding improvements to public safety so everyone, in every community, can have confidence in law enforcement. We will continue working to enact strong police accountability measures like the ones the House approved in the last special session. Continue reading “Rep. Erin Koegel (HD37A) Update: July 15, 2020”

Dear Neighbors,

The Minnesota Legislature went into a special session on June 12, 2020 with the hopes of passing some much needed legislation. The House DFL, and the POCI caucus in particular worked incredibly hard, day in, day out, to craft and pass legislation our state desperately needs. Even though the Senate Republicans decided to pack up and go home, I am committed to coming back for future special sessions to pass these critical bills. Here is what we were working on before this special session ended.

Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020

The House DFL recognizes that we need massive systemic reform if we are to ever have a public safety system that makes all Minneostans safer. Our Republican colleagues refused to join us in calling for these changes and are unwilling to listen to our perspective. We have laid the groundwork and can envision the Minnesota that we need, and it is a fight we will continue, but this may be a problem that will have to wait until November to be solved. Here is the full list of reforms the House hoped to pass: Continue reading “Rep. Erin Koegel (HD37A) Update: June 22, 2020”

Dear Neighbors,

We are rapidly approaching the end of session and while we have already passed many important bills, we still have a lot of work to do. We have had a lot of bipartisan success, but there is still a very wide gap when it comes to providing the resources Minnesotans need during this crisis. Here is some of what we’ve accomplished in the final stretch of the session.

COVID-19 Economic Security Act

Last week, the House voted to pass the COVID-19 Economic Security Act. Here are some of the primary provisions of this critical bill, including:

• $100 million in assistance for Minnesota renters, homeowners, and landlords. In addition to support for rent and mortgages, qualified applicants can receive help paying utility bills and property taxes;
• 15% temporary pay increase for Minnesota’s personal care assistants (PCA), who are serving Minnesotans with disabilities, our seniors, and other vulnerable populations. In addition to the increase, PCAs can now be paid for 310 hours of services per month, up from 275;
• $15 million in a new Distance Learning Broadband Access Grant Program to provide students with the equipment necessary to access learning materials on the internet and reimburse school districts for costs to provide broadband access;
• $55 million to the Small Business Emergency Loan Program at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), including specific funds for our smallest businesses and minority-owned businesses.

Continue reading “Rep. Erin Koegel (HD37A) Update: May 13, 2020”