Dear Neighbors, I want to wish you a happy, safe, and restful holiday season. Like many Minnesotans, I’m eager to spend this time of year with family and close friends but am also concerned about high COVID-19 rates in our state and the new Omicron variant. I know this is not the place in the pandemic we all hoped we would be right now. We need to take care of our community and as my sister -- the nurse in the family -- reminds me often, “it’s a crappy situation, and we need to be gentle with ourselves and each other.” If you’re planning to gather with family and friends, it’s important to take steps to protect yourself, your loved ones, and everyone in our community from spreading COVID-19. My family and I are all vaccinated, and we chose to take rapid COVID-19 tests before celebrating Hanukkah together. Those of us who were eligible got booster shots as well. You can read the Minnesota Department of Health’s recommendations for making holiday gatherings safer here. I encourage you to check out the free testing opportunities, including the state’s at-home testing program. Taking some time for joy and rest feels especially important after the year we’ve had. As we approach the end of the year, I am especially grateful for you and our generous, engaged, diverse community. I wish you and yours a restful holiday season and a happy new year. Connecting with Community Members I’d like to thank everyone who participated in the latest town hall I hosted with Rep. Jim Davnie and Sen. Patricia Torres Ray! We need to hear from you as we prepare for the 2022 legislative session. The thoughtful questions and comments you shared will help us hit the ground running next month and keep us moving in the right direction. If you weren’t able to join us, you can watch the town hall here.  I also had a chance to tour the Neighborhood Development Center (NDC). This local non-profit supports entrepreneurs at every stage of their venture, with a focus on small businesses and businesses owned by Minnesotans of color and Indigenous people. They offer a variety of courses in five different languages and small business loans for those unable to access traditional sources of capital. It was very exciting to see the work being done by this organization and the people and businesses they’ve supported! I was proud to carry legislation (HF 1460) to provide grant funding for NDC that was signed into law earlier this year.  Advocating for Warehouse Workers As I mentioned in my last newsletter, I’m working on legislation to protect and empower Minnesotans who work at Amazon warehouses. The stories of current and former Amazon workers and a new report from the National Employment Law Program (NELP), prepared with help from the Awood Center, that describes astronomical injury and turnover rates as well as wage inequality moved me to act. I’m happy to report that the Star Tribune recently published an op-ed I wrote to draw attention to this important issue and the need for solutions! Introducing SamI’m excited to introduce you to Sam O’Neill, my new Legislative Assistant! Sam is a 2020 graduate of Gustavus Adolphus College, and it’s his life’s mission to bring people from all backgrounds together through public service and music. He’s eager to help engage constituents and small businesses to have a voice in our policymaking. If you’d like to set up a meeting or share a message with me, you can reach Sam at samuel.oneill@house.mn or call my office at (651) 296-3305. Please reach out if you have questions about the work I’m doing or if I can be of assistance. You can contact me by email at rep.emma.greenman@house.mn or call (651) 296-4200. See you in the New Year! Emma |