Legislative Update: Worker Support, Housing, Black Maternal Health

Dear neighbors,

Thank you for your continued communication with my office. I had someone recently ask me what my ideas are on this year’s surplus. If you didn’t already hear, Minnesota is economically thriving with a $9.2 billion budget surplus. I think this is an incredible opportunity to support our students and teachers and invest in our public schools. I would also like to see significant investment in infrastructure within our district, as well as a push for affordable housing this year. I’ll be doing the most I can to get surplus dollars to communities that face chronic underinvestment.

Supporting Workers

This week we passed several pro-worker bills on the House floor. I was glad to vote yes on legislation ratifying the 2020-21 public employee labor contracts.

Also approved was legislation to protect and empower Minnesota’s warehouse workers and to address practices that have led to high injury rates at Amazon facilities. No one should be hurt at work or scared to take a break.

Lastly, the House also approved legislation to require Minnesota employers to provide workers Earned Sick and Safe Time. The legislation would ensure, at a minimum, one hour of paid time for every 30 hours worked, up to at least 48 hours per year. The time can be used to attend to physical and mental health needs – including illness, injury, or a doctor’s appointment – for workers and their family members. Nearly 900,000 Minnesota workers, including two-thirds of workers in the lowest wage positions, lack access to paid time off.

At a time of sickness, injury or emergency, everyone should be able to take care of themselves or a family member. The pandemic demonstrated the urgent need for this proposal, which allows employees to earn time off. This is a matter of worker dignity and necessity. It’s time this important measure becomes law.

Transgender Day of Visibility

Earlier this month, we celebrated #TDOV, a day created for trans joy. But visibility isn’t enough- it’s time the Minnesota Legislature takes action on real support that we can pass for the trans community. Let’s ban conversion therapy, protect access to healthcare, make it easier for official documents to reflect your gender, and make the equal rights amendment a reality.

Housing Update

I presented a bill for the Build Wealth, MN program to the Housing committee last week. Their new initiative would provide funding to house 9000 families across the state. Build Wealth’s mission is to promote sustainable social and economic wealth creation to underserved communities. The organization does this through education initiatives and by directing families to down payment assistance, closing cost programs, career development and other social service resources. 

This year I also introduced a bill to support first-generation homebuyers. There are stunning disparities within homeownership, demonstrating that generational wealth is the single largest factor in being able to own a home. We are long overdue to correct this by creating policies and directing financial resources specifically to first-generation home buyers.

My bill establishes a first generation down-payment assistance pilot program. The program is available to individuals: 

• whose income is at or below 100 percent of the area median income at the time of? purchase
• who is a first-time homebuyer
• who is preapproved for a first mortgage loan; and?
• whose parent or prior legal guardian does not or did not at the time of their death own a home.?

Eligible homebuyers complete a homebuyer education course prior to signing the purchase agreement. The home must be purchased within the maximum loan amount set by the federal Housing Financing Agency, and the homebuyer contributes at least $1,000 towards the down-payment or closing costs. Following the purchase of the home, the homebuyer must occupy it as their primary residence. 

This is a significant measure to make sure that young people and BIPOC Minnesotans have a shot at owning a home.

Support for Small Businesses

Recently, I presented my small business aid bill that is targeted specifically to help businesses working in underserved communities.

This proposal creates a county pandemic business and community relief aid program that is designed to help businesses and communities that have been adversely affected by the pandemic. Delivering aid to underserved communities and businesses that have been impacted by the pandemic is a huge priority of mine. This bill does a good job of targeting these aid dollars to the places where they’ll go the furthest.

Black Maternal Health Caucus Agenda

The difference in life expectancy begins before birth. For as long as data has been collected on infant mortality, there has been a racial gap. Black and Indigenous infants in Minnesota are twice as likely to die before their first birthday than white infants. The disparity between infant mortality rates of Black and White babies is larger than the gap experienced under chattel slavery. Furthermore, research demonstrates that when Black newborns are cared for by Black physicians, they are less likely to experience death in the hospital setting. According to the research, when Black newborns in the study were cared for by White physicians, Black newborns were approximately three times more likely to die in the hospital than White newborns. But when Black physicians cared for Black mothers, the excess mortality rate dropped by about 50 percent.

We need to not only study, but take action to address disparities around maternal health. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues and fight for the measures listed above.

COVID-19 Update

This week, the FDA authorized a second booster shot for Americans over 50 and for those 12 years and older who are immunocompromised. Following the FDA’s announcement, the CDC expanded eligibility for an additional booster dose for certain higher risk individuals. Second boosters for all Americans will be evaluated. You can read more from the U of M Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) here.

Considering dropping COVID-19 numbers and fewer positive tests and serious illnesses, Minnesota is changing its testing strategy, gradually moving away from saliva tests toward rapid at-home tests. Minnesota households are now eligible to receive two test kits (for a total of four tests) per home through the mail at mn.gov/covid19. Minnesota has secured 500,000 test kits (for a total of 1 million at-home tests) and the program will be available until all the test kits are ordered. You can also order free rapid at-home tests at CovidTests.gov.

Getting a test is still recommended if you have symptoms, have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, after traveling, or if you’ve attended a high-risk event.

Minneapolis Redevelopment Grants

The Minneapolis Foundation is now accepting proposals for grants to support business recovery and economic development along the Minneapolis commercial corridors worst hit by the combined impact of COVID-19 and the destruction following the murder of George Floyd. Thanks to funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Main Street Economic Revitalization Program, $18 million will be distributed to projects in these corridors:

• Lake Street, from the Mississippi River to the Uptown neighborhood.
• 38th Street, from Bloomington Avenue on the East to Nicollet Avenue on the West.
• West Broadway in North Minneapolis, from I-94 on the East to Queen Avenue on the West.

You can learn more about these grants and apply here.

Keep in Touch

You can reach me at either (651) 296-8659 or rep.esther.agbaje@house.mn. You can also “like” and follow my official Facebook page or subscribe to these updates to stay connected. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely, 

Esther Agbaje
State Representative