Dear Neighbors,
It's National School Counseling Week!
Schools across the state have called for additional mental health and student aid resources, as the pandemic has taken a significant toll on the wellness and outcomes of our students. My bill, HF 1742 would provide the funding our state needs to ensure every school has the counseling services they need. The mental health of our students is paramount to their success and wellbeing, and it's time that we fully value this profession as a state!
Lawns to Legumes
Applications for the Lawns to Legumes program are now being accepted, with the final due date being February 15. This program helps Minnesotans grow pollinator friendly habitats right on their lawns. Our pollinators are critical to the health of Minnesota’s natural environment and this program is a great way to increase their habitat. You can learn more about the program, and apply to participate here.
ERA
The Equal Rights Amendment is now the 28th amendment of the United States, but we now need the Minnesota constitution to comply with this amendment and guarantee equal rights. It’s been more than 100 years since women fought and achieved the right to vote. Yet, we still don’t have equality in so many areas of our lives like pay inequity, gender violence, and discrimination that women still face every single day. Minnesota can only truly be a great state if every one of its residents are treated equally.
Hazard Pay for Workers and Economic Security for Small Businesses
The House Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy Committee heard
testimony on two key pieces of legislation: HF 2900, which provides hazard pay to thousands of frontline workers, advanced through committee, and HF 1035, which would appropriate $1.2 billion to settle the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund debt. Both passed out of the committee. We know workers and main street businesses have made many sacrifices to keep us safe while risking their own safety and livelihoods. We can and should deliver relief to both.
COVID-19 Update
The ‘Kids Deserve a Shot’ vaccine incentive program to encourage families in Minnesota to get their kids 5- to 11-years-old fully vaccinated against COVID-19 is still ongoing. It is paramount that we vaccinate our children so they can learn in person as much as possible. You can learn more about the ‘Kids Deserve a Shot’ program here. Here are some important details on the incentives:
- Families in Minnesota who get their 5 to 11 year olds fully vaccinated in January and February can get a $200 Visa gift card. To be eligible, kids in Minnesota ages 5-11 must receive their first and second dose between January 1 and February 28. Registration will open at 10:00am on January 24, 2022 and close at 11:59pm on February 28, 2022. Learn more here.
- Later this spring, there will be drawings for five $100,000 Minnesota college scholarship drawings for all 5-11 year olds who are fully vaccinated. Details will be released soon.
Families in Minnesota can visit mn.gov/vaxforkids to find local vaccine clinics. Families can also check with their pediatrician, family medicine clinic, or local pharmacy about appointments. In addition, please be sure to watch for vaccination clinics being offered at schools or other community locations around Minnesota.
The federal government is now offering free at-home COVID-19 tests to every household. As the COVID-19 omicron variant continues to spread across our state, testing frequently and isolating if positive are some of the best preventative measures after getting vaccinated. Get your free tests here.
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.kaela.berg@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-5387. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here, and follow my Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch.
Sincerely,
Kaela Berg, District 56B
423 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155