Dear Neighbors,
Governor Tim Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan announced the expansion of vaccine eligibility for people 16 years of age and older which started March 30th. The announcement is in response to the increased supply of vaccines by the federal government to arrive in April. This is fantastic news and a clear sign that we are entering the final stretch of fighting this vaccine. Read more about this development here.
If you haven’t yet, sign up for the state’s Vaccine Connector to get connected with opportunities once you’re eligible.
House DFL Budget Bills
On Monday, the House DFL revealed our omnibus budget bills which will guide many of our conversations for the rest of session, as we work to create a budget that will serve the Minnesotans who need it the most. These budgets are moral documents that reflect our commitment to Minnesota children, families, and main street businesses. You can read more about these bills here, and watch our press conference on the issue here.
Heroes Week
Last week was busy for us as we moved to pass significant legislation that would meet the needs of workers, families, and first responders who sacrificed the most over the last year to protect their communities. It’s not enough to call these folks heroes and credit them for all they’ve done, we must also back our words with action. Here is some of the legislation we passed this week to help Minnesota’s heroes emerge stronger from the COVID-19 pandemic.
HF 1064, or the Summer Learning Plan, will provide funding for summer programs to help prevent learning loss and close the opportunity gaps that have widened over the last year. This necessary funding will strengthen our schools to ensure our children can thrive.
HF 1203 will ensure that first responders receive workers compensation should they contract COVID-19. All public safety and health care workers deserve to know that their needs will be taken care of.
HF 7 will create a statewide earned sick and safe time program. This last year has shown us the true public health value of letting folks stay home when they feel sick, or need time to care for a loved one. This bill will have positive benefits for the health and well-being of Minnesotans across the state while reducing the costs.
HF 39 will improve the retention and rehire process for hospitality and service sector workers. If you were laid off through no fault of your own over this last year, you deserve to return to it. Women and people of color in the hospitality and service sector industry were most affected by lay-offs last year. Ensuring we have rehiring and retention protections for them when the pandemic is over is an equity issue.
HF 403, or the Preventing Discrimination Act, will prevent employers from inquiring about past pay. Your previous jobs shouldn’t dictate your pay for the rest of your life. This is a practice that exacerbates the gender pay gap. It’s time to break the cycle of discrimination.
Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.jessica.hanson@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-4212. 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. You can also follow my Facebook page here. It’s an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch and stay safe.
Sincerely,
Rep. Jess Hanson, District 56A
421 State Office Building
St. Paul, MN 55155