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Dear neighbors,
It’s been an eventful week at the Legislature. House DFLers announced the framework of our budget proposal on Tuesday, along with “budget targets” for each House committee. Since we need to hear and advance all major budget legislation by April 9 – the third and final deadline for committees to complete their work – we're working hard on assembling those bills. We’re also wrapping up some important work before the annual Easter and Passover break begins next week.
It was a beautiful morning on Southview Blvd. in South St. Paul yesterday.
Supporting Minnesota Students
On Monday, the House passed a strong summer learning package to address learning loss and help students recover from a difficult year. The bill invests in summer programs for students of various ages, field trips and hands-on learning, mental health services, and more. It will help meet students’ academic and emotional needs and make sure they have the tools to succeed as we move forward.
Securing Workers’ Compensation for First Responders
The House passed several important bills yesterday, including legislation that ensures health care and public safety workers will continue to receive workers’ compensation if they contract COVID-19 or are exposed to the virus. We passed the same bill last year, but the protections are set to expire on May 1. Doctors, nurses, paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, police officers, correctional officers, and child care workers have made sacrifices to keep the rest of us safe and healthy throughout the pandemic, and we need to have their backs.
Expanding Access to Earned Sick and Safe Time
We also passed legislation that ensures Minnesotans aren’t forced to choose between losing a paycheck and taking care of themselves or a family member. Under this bill, 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 or to take care of a loved one in need.
COVID-19 has demonstrated that we all benefit when workers have the ability to stay home and support their families. This bill would make our workplaces, schools, and communities healthier, and I was proud to vote for it.
Update on My Bills
Governor Walz signed my bill to ban a harmful chemical known as perchloroethylene (PERC) and help dry cleaners transition to safer alternatives into law on Tuesday! Here’s some of the bills that I’ve introduced recently:
- HF 2309 and HF 2310, which would help the South St. Paul library merge with the Dakota County library system and make improvements to that system
- HF 2137, which would provide funding for the Board of Animal Health to assess what threats flea and tick collars may pose to people and pets
Expanded Vaccine Eligibility
Governor Walz announced today that all Minnesotans 16 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine beginning Tuesday, March 30! If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, I encourage you to check out Minnesota’s COVID-19 Vaccine Connector, which can connect you to resources to schedule a vaccine appointment and alert you if there are vaccination opportunities nearby. To sign up, visit mn.gov/vaccineconnector or call 833-431-2053.
Please email me at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn or give me a call at 651-296-6828 if you have any questions or comments that you’d like to share. I appreciate hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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