Neighbors, This week, the House passed, and I was proud to vote for Paid Family and Medical Leave legislation. Too often, workers are forced to make the terrible choice between going to work or staying home to care for themselves or an ill family member. Paid Family & Medical Leave will allow families to focus on their health and spend time nurturing an ailing child, parent, or spouse. Life is complicated and we never know what lies ahead. Paid Family & Medical Leave gives working Minnesotans some breathing room to rightly prioritize themselves or a family member should a health crisis occur. 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 United States is the only high-wealth country in the world not allowing workers to take paid family leave. Further, a compelling majority of Americans support paid family leave. In one national poll, 84% expressed support for a national paid family leave program. 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.  Education Conference Committee Meetings Begin I serve as a conferee on the Education Finance Conference Committee, which has been meeting this week. We are comparing the House and Senate versions of the bill to agree on a compromise. The education budget plan delivers transformational investments to support our students and school staff as well as stabilizes our public-school funding. You can keep current on all conference committee meetings here. Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Relatives (MMIWR)Today, I attended the State Capitol event recognizing MMIWR.  REMINDER: Medicaid Updates RequiredDuring the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, annual renewals for our public health programs – MinnesotaCare and Medicaid – paused. On May 11, the Covid-19 Public Health Emergency is ending and those on MinnesotaCare or Medicaid will need to update their information to determine their ongoing eligibility. If someone is no longer eligible for coverage under Medicaid, they 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 legislatureThe 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 also connect with me on Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent you at the State Capitol. Sincerely, Laurie Pryor State Representative |