Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Here is the latest news from the Capitol.
New Legislation to Help Strengthen Minnesota’s Workforce and Lift Minnesotans out of Poverty
On Monday, I introduced new legislation that will help bolster our state’s workforce and lift Minnesotans out of poverty by implementing work or job training requirements for able-bodied adults currently on Medical Assistance (MA). I think it’s important to note that these requirements would not apply to a child’s sole caregiver, seniors, students, or to anyone with a disability, certain medical diagnoses, addictions or other barriers to employment. It’s estimated that this bill would impact around 125,000 Minnesotans.
Despite our strong economy, enrollment on public welfare programs is growing and too many Minnesotans are getting left behind. I think most Minnesotans agree that if you are an able-bodied adult who is not at home taking care of your child or another dependent, it's reasonable to expect that you should be working, looking for work, or in a job training program.
Under the proposed legislation, able-bodied adults who are not the sole caretaker of a child or a dependent would be required to work or be engaged in community or public service for at least 80 hours per month, be seeking employment, or enrolled in a job training program. Nearly identical requirements are already in place for SNAP and TANF at the federal level, meaning anyone who is meeting the requirements for other county-administered programs would fulfill the requirements under the proposed legislation.
Minnesota now has more job openings than job seekers, and this legislation is about lifting people out of poverty and helping people get the skills they need to reach their full potential, succeed in our economy and have a good-paying job.
3M Settlement Bill
I introduced another bill this week that outlines terms of the recent settlement between 3M and the State of Minnesota. The bill creates a new Water Quality and Sustainability Account, requiring the Pollution Control Agency Commissioner and Department of Natural Resources Commissioner to work with stakeholders and recommend projects deserving of funding, providing a reliable source of public money for response and corrective actions to address future cases of contamination or environment hazards.
The East Metro is our home, and a portion of the $850 million settlement with the state should go toward protecting our communities and taxpayers from future contamination issues. This fund will help mitigate costs for residents down the line.
If you would like to learn more about the settlement or share your input, the MPCA and DNR are holding public meetings on March 29 from 6-8 pm at Oak-Land Middle School in Lake Elmo, and on April 3 from 6-8 pm at Park High School in Cottage Grove. I would encourage people to attend!
The Vivian Act
On Thursday evening in HHS Reform Committee, my bill known as the Vivian Act was passed. The bill promotes education, awareness and early detection of congenital cytomegalovirus (CMV), a virus that affects around one in every 150 babies born each year and is the most common congenital viral infection in the United States, according to the National CMV Foundation. Of those children, approximately one in five babies will be sick or have long-term health problems including hearing loss, vision loss, intellectual disability, small head size, lack of coordination, weakness of muscles and seizures. The legislation is named after Vivian Henrikson, who was born with congenital CMV and developed cerebral palsy and deafness.
We are advancing the Vivian Act so that parents and children born with congenital CMV like Vivian can get the help they need right away, leading to better long-term outcomes. Our legislation makes evidence-based information available to health care practitioners and expectant mothers, and recommends doctors consider testing babies who do not pass the newborn hearing screening which is a common early indicator of CMV.
Fox 9 did a great story on the Vivian Act which you can see here.
At the Capitol
Speaking at the press conference on Monday.
With Speaker Kurt Daudt and Woodbury constituents Greg Allen and his son, Andy.
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As always, if you have ideas about what you would like to see happen this session or need assistance on a matter of state government, I welcome you to contact me. Please don’t hesitate to call (651-296-1147), email (rep.kelly.fenton@house.mn) or stop by my office.
Sincerely,
Kelly
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