Hello Northerners,
I’m always delighted when folks make the long trip down to the State Capitol. This week I had the honor to visit with constituents including Ranier Mayor Dennis Wagner and Tom Dougherty, and ISD 361 Superintendent Kevin Grover.
A Brighter Future for Minnesota Workers
All Minnesotans deserve to be safe and supported at work, with the ability to achieve economic security for themselves and their families. This week, the House Labor, Industry, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee – which I chair – approved our 2022 Labor & Industry finance bill. The legislation contains increased protections for workers, new funding for apprenticeships and job training, and a permit fee holiday for building trades workers. Minnesota currently has some of the lowest OSHA penalties in the country, and to conform with federal requirements, the bill increases penalties for workplace safety violations. If we don’t enact these changes, the federal government will likely take over the state OSHA program, which would result in less flexibility, harming both workers and businesses.
Last year, I worked on a logger safety initiative that’s proven to be successful, and this budget includes an additional $1 million for the program. The bill also updates the Packinghouse Workers Bill of Rights, invests in prevailing wage enforcement, and bans anti-worker “no-poach” clauses for franchised businesses.
Time and time again, House DFLers have proven we stand with workers by advancing solutions to support them, including those who work in dangerous fields and who could be vulnerable to exploitation. Workers are the backbone of our economy, and we have to do everything we can to deliver opportunities to be successful and safe on the job. More information about the legislation is available here.
Honoring Our Veterans and Service Members
Our committee also this week approved our Veterans & Military Affairs budget proposal unanimously. The legislation focuses on ending veteran homelessness and improving veteran mental health and suicide prevention strategies. While we’ve made some progress in recent years, we’re all too familiar with these heartbreaking tragedies.
As we’ve relied more on the Minnesota National Guard to help with natural disasters, public health emergencies, and situations impacting public safety, the bill seeks to attract additional highly qualified candidates with $2 million in enlistment incentives. The budget also includes service bonuses for post-9/11-era veterans to recognize their service, including those who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan. These awards are similar to those Minnesota offered following other major wars.
With a $9.25 billion surplus, we have a great deal of capacity to tackle these persistent problems and invest in solutions we know will help lead to a brighter future for those who’ve served. I’m incredibly proud of this committee’s work to create a future in this state where Minnesota veterans can have robust opportunities to thrive, with quality health and wellbeing and economic security. More details are available here.
Lowering Rising Costs for Minnesotans
Folks across the state are struggling with higher costs of everything from food, to gas, to health care, and more. This week, House DFLers announced a comprehensive package of legislation aimed at reducing costs for Minnesotans. The plan helps Minnesotans with expenses including child care, housing, and prescription medications, along with the biggest property tax cut in the last two decades.
The bill updates the Homestead Credit and Renter’s Credit refund programs. Approximately 400,000 new homeowners will qualify for a refund, while 1.3 million who currently receive the credit will see an increase. Our proposal also reduces the cost of child care for Minnesota families by providing a tax credit of up to $3,000 for each child under five years of age, capped at $7,500 in total tax credits. It also provides a one-time “child tax credit rebate” of $325 for each child under 17 years of age. This means a family with three children under the age of five would receive nearly $7,000 in benefits. The bill also significantly expands the tax exemption for social security. Under our plan, no couple earning $75,000 or less per year will pay a dime in taxes on their social security payments.
It's imperative this session we use our budget surplus to help Minnesotans who truly need it the most, especially working families and senior citizens. This proposal will put more money back into Minnesotans’ pockets at a time they need it the most.
A fact sheet about the proposal is available here.
Investing in Education
All Minnesotans deserve a world-class education, and I’m committed to delivering ongoing support to Minnesota’s students, families, and schools. Our House DFL education proposal, announced this week, includes $1.15 billion in additional investments for mental health support, funding to address the special education and English Language Learner shortfalls districts are facing, new opportunities for early learners, and more.
For strong and stable schools, we must continue our commitment to getting our Minnesota students and families the resources they need to recover from the pandemic’s fallout now and thrive well into the future. Here’s a fact sheet about the package.
The legislature will be on recess next week in observance of Easter and Passover. Don’t hesitate to contact me with your feedback and ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Rob Ecklund
State Representative