 Neighbors, We are nearing the end of the first month of the 2022 legislative session and it is very important for me to get input on your priorities. Please take a few minutes to complete my legislative survey. Your opinion matters! Frontline Worker Bonus Pay Yesterday, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved legislation giving a bonus of up to $1,500 to frontline workers for their role in helping to protect Minnesotans during the pandemic. The Minnesota House is focused on workers and the frontline worker bonus pay is one of our priorities. During the pandemic, we learned how important these workers are to keeping our economy up and running. Yesterday, I joined my colleagues to pass this bill and now it’s the Senate’s turn to pass the bill and get it to the governor for his signature. The sooner we get these funds to our dedicated frontline workers, the better. The bill dedicates $1 billion for bonus payments to thousands of frontline workers. Those eligible include long-term and home care workers, health care workers, teachers, and school staff, first responders, janitorial, maintenance, and security workers, bus drivers, child care workers and more. You can watch the debate on the House of Representatives YouTube page.  Committees Several of the bills I’m authoring received hearings in committee this week. In the Human Services Finance and Policy, my bill (HF1754) was heard, which makes assisted living licensure conforming changes, makes nursing facility rates policy technical changes, and repeals an obsolete rule related to adult foster care resident rights. Another of my bills, (HF 1432) received an informational hearing. This bill makes various clarifying changes and updates to the law governing the reporting of maltreatment of vulnerable adults, including changes to investigation processes and notifications. You can watch both hearings here. Also, this week, the House Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy committee heard my bill funding capital improvements to children’s museums across the state. You can watch here. And the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy committee heard my bill (HF3379) regarding military changes in the reenlistment and commissioning bonus program. You can watch here. Push for Clean Water Earlier today, I was joined by labor, climate and community advocates, and local and state officials at the Mankato Water Resource Recovery Facility to call on the Minnesota Legislature to make strong investments in critical drinking water, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure. The facility urgently requires upgrades and some of the equipment is in failure. My bill requests state funding to bring the facility up to standards to reflect the urgent needs of our growing population and to invest in wastewater infrastructure across Minnesota.  |