Dear Neighbors,

Thanks to everyone who joined Rep. Schultz, Sen. McEwen and me for our recent Virtual Town Hall. While we’re in a new era with Zoom meetings temporarily replacing in-person gatherings, our commitment to being available and accessible remains the same, and we value the interest and engagement of our community. If you missed it, video is available here. We plan on having another event later this session, and I’ll be sure to pass the information along in one of these updates.

Earned Sick and Safe Time for Minnesota Workers

As we’ve learned from COVID-19, when people get sick, they should be able to stay home not just for their own health or that of a loved one, but for the health of everyone around them. This week in the House Labor Committee, I presented my bill to ensure Minnesota workers have access to Earned Sick and Safe Time. Workers in Duluth, Minneapolis, and Saint Paul already have this fundamental benefit, and it’s time to extend it to workers across the state. The legislation would ensure, at a minimum, one hour of paid Earned Sick and Safe Time for every 30 hours worked, up to at least 48 hours per year.

Minnesotans care for one another, and we want to live in a state where our families can be healthy and safe regardless of the color of your skin, your income, or where you work. By securing the ability to stay home when you’re sick – without foregoing your paycheck – we can get through this pandemic as a stronger, healthier state.

Protecting our Hometown Heroes

We all know about the dangerous situations firefighters encounter when they answer the call to action, but their risk of harm isn’t limited to emergency scenes. Firefighters also face an alarmingly high incidence of cancer, cardiac issues, and emotional trauma. I’m a co-author of the Hometown Heroes Act, a bill to help our frontline workers address the impacts from these problems, which are only made worse by COVID-19. It establishes “Critical Care” grants for Minnesota firefighters diagnosed with cancer or cardiac issues, as well as an Employee Assistance Program to help firefighters with the emotional trauma issues unique to their occupation. I’m proud to support this effort, which Fox 21 highlighted this week.

COVID-19 Update

Right now, we’re headed in the right direction in our battle with COVID-19 as our positivity rate is trending downward. However, threats remain, including the emergence of new virus variants. This is no time to let our guard down, and wearing a mask, social distancing, and avoiding gatherings all remain important. Testing also remains a critical component of our strategy to combat COVID-19, and this month, St. Louis County Public Health is hosting a series of free neighborhood testing events all across the city of Duluth. A full schedule and a link to make an appointment are available here.

Our state continues to adapt and improve upon our vaccination process to immunize for maximum impact, most effectively distributing the limited doses we’re receiving from the federal government. A map of providers offering the vaccine to Minnesotans age 65 or older, including several in our region, is available here.

Please reach out to me with your input, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.

Sincerely,

Liz Olson
State Representative