Legislative Update: Virtual Town Hall - Sunday, April 11

Neighbors,

The Legislature is on Easter/Passover break and we will return to the Capitol next week to complete our work on the two-year budget. I look forward to the next few weeks listening to your priorities and crafting a budget to help all Minnesotans make it through the pandemic and thrive in the future.

District 4 Virtual Town Hall – April 11

You are invited to join Sen. Eken, Rep. Marquart and me for our District 4 virtual town hall on Sunday, April 11. You can participate by going to my Facebook page.

Submit a question in advance by clicking on this link:

Sen. Eken, Rep. Keeler and Rep. Marquart Town Hall questions (google.com)

Earned Sick and Safe Time

Thursday, we passed HF 7, legislation to extend Earned Sick and Safe Time benefits to all Minnesota workers. 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.

An estimated 900,000 workers – especially those in low-wage positions and those in the service industry – don’t have access to sick days or any other paid time off. I spoke on the House Floor during the debate, and you can listen to my speech here.

Vaccination Update

Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan announced the expansion of vaccine eligibility for 16 years of age and older starting TODAY - Tuesday, March 30th. The announcement is in response to the expected increased supply of vaccines by the federal government to arrive in April.

If you haven’t been vaccinated yet, I encourage you to check out Minnesota’s COVID-19 mn.gov/vaccineconnector, call 833-431-2053 or check with your health insurance carrier to help you find out when, where, and how to get a vaccine.

Stay Connected

The Minnesota House has expanded the number of simultaneous committees it can?webcast live?from a maximum of two to five, so you can stay current on issues moving through committees this session. 

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 here.  

Contact me anytime at rep.heather.keeler@house.mn. I welcome your questions and comments. Also, you are welcome to “like” my Facebook page.

Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature.

Sincerely,   

Heather Keeler

State Representative

District 4A - rep.heather.keeler@house.mn 
431 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155
651-296-5515

Committee Assignments:
Vice Chair: Preventing Homelessness Division
Education Policy
Environment and Natural Resources Finance & Policy
Higher Education Finance & Policy

Legislative assistant:
Robin Schmidt
robin.schmidt@house.mn
651-296-1897