Neighbors, Yesterday, the Minnesota House unanimously passed the conference committee report for HF 1937, the Veterans & Military Affairs Budget Bill. The bill funds operations of the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Military Affairs, while including initiatives to support Minnesota veterans. I was proud to steer this bill through the committee process and appreciative the measure received unanimous support. You can watch the presentation here.  Last year, lawmakers recognized those who served in the military following the 9/11 attacks with Veteran’s Service Bonuses. The conference committee report for the Veterans budget expands eligibility for the bonuses to include veterans who reside in our state now but were not Minnesota residents at the time they entered service. The Veterans and Military Affairs budget includes funding for the homeless veterans’ registry and other tools to help veterans’ assistance, and funding for the Minnesota Military and Veterans Museum. The conference committee report adds a new provision for Meals on Wheels specifically designed for veterans who are struggling but would not normally qualify for the program. Also included is funding for Honor Guards, the Minnesota GI Bill, the Gold Star Program, County Veterans Service Office, and programs to support veterans. The measure is headed to Gov. Walz for his signature. House Passes Paid Family & Medical LeaveLast week we passed Paid Family and Medical Leave legislation to help Minnesotans who do not have access to any paid time off, forcing them to choose between and paycheck and caring for themselves or a loved one. I was proud to cast a ‘yes’ vote. Fewer than 20% of United States workers have access to paid family and medical leave through their employers. The rest, predominantly lower-wage workers, face some impossible decisions. Under the federal Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA), workers in the U.S. can take up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave following the birth of a child or if the worker or a family member has a serious illness or suffers an injury. Most workers, however, cannot afford to take unpaid leave and the FMLA offers little relief. The paid family leave program would be administered by the Dept. of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) in conjunction with its Unemployment Insurance (UI) program. Video of all committee, floor and conference committee debates will be available on the House Information YouTube page.  Thursday Deadline: Medicaid Recipients Information Needed On May 11, the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) is ending and those on Medicaid will need to update their information. Many people who will lose Medicaid should be able to get low-cost health insurance through the federal and state insurance marketplaces. You can watch a short video here for more information. Stay Connected with the LegislatureIt is easy to stay in touch with State Capitol activities. The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website. Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to call or email me any time. You can find my information on my House website. Also, make sure to ‘like’ my Facebook page. It is an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Jerry Newton State Representative |