Dear friends,
I want to thank those of you who attended my recent Town Hall meeting with Senator Scalze and Representative Isaacson. We had a robust discussion and talked about many questions featured in our legislative survey. I invite you to take the survey
here.
Women’s Economic Security Act
Last year, the House passed the Women’s Economic Security Act (WESA) which is now being successfully implemented and is already helping working women in Minnesota.
Major WESA components include:
• Expanding unpaid leave under the Minnesota Parental Leave Act from six to 12 weeks; allowing use of leave for pregnancy-related needs.
• Reducing the pay gap through increased enforcement of equal-pay laws for state contractors and by allowing employees to discuss pay inequities.
• Supporting development of women-owned businesses in nontraditional industries.
• Requiring equal employment treatment whether you're a parent, single or any other family status.
• Studying how to offer a retirement savings plan for workers without access to an employer-provided plan.
Long Term Care Legislation
We recently passed a bill out of the Aging and Long Term Policy Committee that would restructure the way we reimburse nursing facilities for their costs. The goal of the new payment system is to better align reimbursement with the actual cost of care. This bill is the major reform proposal of The Long Term Care Imperative, the legislative collaboration between Minnesota’s two long term care provider associations.
Industrial Hemp Legislation
This session, I am coauthoring a bill to legalize and regulate the production of industrial hemp in Minnesota. The hemp plant is genetically related to marijuana but it cannot be used as a drug. Industrial hemp has potential to stimulate Minnesota’s economy, as hemp is a versatile plant that can be used in the production of paper, textiles, clothing, food and biofuels. Many Minnesota companies already use hemp as an everyday part of their productive process but they are forced to import it due to Federal restrictions. The bill would allow for the responsible and regulated production of hemp, which would stimulate our economy and create jobs in this growing industry.
Commissioner Pay
As you may have heard in recent news, Governor Dayton proposed salary increases for State Commissioners. This week we passed a bipartisan compromise that tempers the commissioner raises and revokes the authority of the Governor to raise their pay without legislative approval moving forward.
As always, please contact me anytime during the legislative session with your input. I can be reached by phone at (651) 296-0141, by email at
rep.barb.yarusso@house.mn, or in person at the State Office Building.
Sincerely,
Barb Yarusso
State Representative