Greetings Eastsiders! My apologies that you’re receiving this update today, and not Saturday- it’s been a busy couple of weeks as we wrap up our work ahead of committee deadlines, dedicating our efforts to passing legislation that grows the middle class, strengthens our communities, and makes life more affordable for our Eastside families. I recently had the chance to appear on the Hmong American Weekly show to talk about the $125 million in investments we passed last year and how they’re helping our Eastside small businesses now. You can watch the clip by clicking on the image below.  Here’s a look at what we’re working on in the Minnesota House: Expanding Access to Affordable, High-Quality Health Care All Minnesotans deserve to live healthy lives with economic security, and DFLers at the Capitol are committed to expanding access to affordable, quality health care. Unfortunately, too many Minnesotans currently can’t afford health insurance or have health insurance they can’t afford to use. Working families without employer-based insurance often face outrageous premiums and other out-of-pocket costs. For instance, many plans on the individual market have annual deductibles of $7,000 or higher. This puts Minnesotans in an impossible predicament, which leads to people avoiding care and results in poor health outcomes – sometimes with tragic consequences. One plan to solve this problem impacting middle-class Minnesotans is the MinnesotaCare Public Option. It would allow all Minnesotans to access comprehensive health insurance coverage – with vision, dental, and more – with low out-of-pocket costs and a large network of quality medical providers. People enrolled in the Public Option would pay their own premiums – with significantly lower prices than what’s available currently on the individual market – determined on a sliding scale based on income. MinnesotaCare has been a nation-leading, highly successful, and trusted health insurance program serving low-income working Minnesotans for over 30 years. The bill creating a MinnesotaCare Public Option – which would expand affordable health insurance to thousands of more Minnesotans – is advancing through the committee process in the House. House Approves 101 Environmental Projects Minnesotans take pride in our legacy of environmental stewardship, which is why DFLers passed legislation earlier this month to fund 101 projects across our state that protect our wildlife, water, air, and soil.  The funding, which comes from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, uses a portion of our state lottery proceeds to ensure our environment and natural resources are protected for generations to come. Economic Security for Striking Union MembersLast week, the House Workforce Development Committee, which I chair, discussed legislation that would allow union members to access Unemployment Insurance while on strike. This is a nation-leading piece of legislation comes on the heels of a new report that found in 2023 there were 451 strikes nationwide, compared to 414 in 2022 and 270 in 2021. The report also showed the average CEO-to-worker pay ratio is now 344:1, compared to 21:1 in 1965. By allowing Minnesotan workers who are striking to access unemployment insurance, this bill will create a more level playing field between corporations and workers. Connected to CommunityI appreciate it when our SEIU neighbors from the Eastside visit and share their personal experiences with me. Their stories are always enlightening and serve as a powerful reminder of why I do this work and the importance of community and solidarity.  |