Dear neighbors,
I hope everyone is enjoying the nice spring weather. We’re still hard at work at the State Capitol as we vote on policy bills on the House Floor aimed at improving the lives of working and middle class Minnesotans.
Here’s the latest from Saint Paul:
Labor Policy Bill
The House continued our work passing policy bills off the House floor that build on the work of our historically productive 2023 session and improve the lives of Minnesotans, including the Labor Policy bill. As Vice Chair of the Labor Committee, and as a proud union member, I know firsthand that when we lift up our workers, it benefits not just them, but all Minnesotans. The Labor Policy bill includes provisions to enhance worker protections, strengthen the minimum wage, ban shadow non-competes, increase pay transparency, and more.
Notably, the policy package addresses pay transparency, requiring all job postings to list a salary range. This transparency will put jobseekers, especially women, in a stronger negotiating position and help them to identify genuine professional opportunities. It will also help employers attract a larger and better-suited pool of applicants, leading to a better hiring process for both employers and prospective employees. By addressing pay transparency, we can help close the gender pay gap, and create a stronger economy for all Minnesotans.
Committee Hearings
This week I presented my bill, HF 5226, to the House Labor Committee. This bill makes a simple but profoundly impactful technical change to state statute– it would help prevent the underpayment of shift and other wage differentials duly owed to employees. A wage differential is a small, increased amount of money an employee earns on top of their base pay, typically for working shifts that are difficult to fill, such as night shifts. Under current law, if a union employee realizes they have not been paid a duly entitled wage differential rate, they are often told to defer to a collective bargaining agreement procedure which frequently has short windows in which they can collect their pay. Employees can potentially lose thousands of dollars under current law. When many working families are struggling to make ends meet, this bill seeks to ensure that when workers are not paid wages to which they are entitled they are fully included in the protections and remedies of our wage protection and theft prevention loss.
Tax Season Reminder
Tax Day is this Monday, April 15! As a reminder, if you’re a renter, don't forget to claim your property tax refund! This is the first year renters will be able to receive this credit with their tax filing rather than later in the year. Along with making it simpler and more convenient, we also expanded the credit to many Minnesotans who didn’t qualify previously.
I also want to remind you that nearly 300,000 Minnesota households are eligible for the nation-leading Child Tax Credit! With our Child Tax Credit, families will save up to $1,750 for each dependent. Democrats are cutting child poverty by one-third with this rebate.
You can claim the tax credit by filing a 2023 income tax return. The $1,750 credit is for each child 17 years old and younger, with no limit on the number of children. For all tax filers, this credit begins to phase out at an income level of $35,000 and fully phases out at a maximum of $90,750 for a family with four children.
Minnesota families: If you qualify, file your taxes to make sure you claim the benefits available to you.
Funding Habitats Across Minnesota
This week, the Lessard-Sams Outdoor Heritage Council (LSOHC) issued its annual Call for Funding Request from the Outdoor Heritage Fund. Approximately $150 million will be available for both metro and statewide grants to aid Minnesota habitat restoration, protection and enhancement.
This is a great opportunity for investment in the habitats that exist in our own community!
Requests are due to the LSOHC on Friday, May 24, 2024 at 4 p.m., with funds for approved programs signed into law during the 2025 legislative session being available on Monday, July 1, 2025.
Since the Outdoor Heritage Fund’s creation in 2008, $1.6 billion in on-the-ground habitat programs have been allocated by the Minnesota Legislature and over 1.4 million acres of Minnesota forests, prairies and wetlands have been restored, protected or enhanced. The latest set of funding recommendations totaling $180 million is currently before the Minnesota Legislature.
Proposal requirements and terms of funding are outlined in the Call for Funding Request. To view details or learn more, visit: www.lsohc.mn.gov. For answers to specific questions, contact LSOHC Staff: www.lsohc.mn.gov/staff. If you have a potential project proposal but are unsure, LSOHC are there to help!
Stay In Touch
If you have questions, ideas, or feedback you’d like to share, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Email me at rep.kaela.berg@house.mn.gov or call (651) 296-5387. For more regular updates, you can subscribe to these regular legislative updates if you haven’t already, here, and you can also “like” and follow my official State Representative Facebook page.
Sincerely,
Kaela Berg
State Representative