ST. PAUL – Tonight the Minnesota House passed a GOP initiative to preempt the rights of local communities to set policies such as earned sick and safe time, paid family leave, or a higher minimum wage. For nine years, state Rep. John Lesch (DFL – St. Paul) has championed earned sick and safe time at the Minnesota Legislature.
Rep. Lesch released the following statement:
“The ability to take a day off to get well when you are sick is a matter of basic human dignity. Purely, this bill is a slap in the face to workers like those in the city of St. Paul who have organized in the face of massive opposition from corporate special interests to gain just minimal benefits.
“We should truly be focused on giving hardworking Minnesotans more opportunities to succeed in our economy, not fewer. If House Republicans and their corporate allies like the state Chamber of Commerce are truly sincere in their concerns about a potential ‘patchwork’ of labor policies, I invite them to join me in my effort to give earned sick and safe time benefits to everyone throughout the state. There are plenty of slots left for co-authors on my bill to do this.”
Rep. Lesch is the lead DFL member of the House Civil Law and Data Practices Committee. He represents the Como Park, North End, East Side and Hamline-Midway neighborhoods in St. Paul at the Capitol.