Greetings Northlanders,
I wanted to give an update from another busy and productive week at the State Capitol. I had three bills up in committee delivering more options for traveling on ATVs this week. HF 214 funds the Voyageur Country All-Terrain Vehicle Trail and HF 403 funds other trails in St. Louis and Lake Counties, both of which were considered by the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. HF 251, to allow access via ATVs and other off-highway vehicles to campground facilities at Lake Vermilion-Soudan Underground Mine State Park, was considered by the Environment Policy Committee.
Yesterday, Karen Blackburn from the Cook County Higher Education Board joined me as the House Jobs and Economic Development Committee considered HF 412, which would expand programming and academic support services.
Wednesday, Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan hosted a ceremony for two Native American veterans, Valerie Barber and Sandy White Hawk (represented by Russel Barber), who received the Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pin. I had the honor to attend this moving event.
It was also great to catch up with commissioners representing Koochiching and Cook Counties visiting the Capitol for the Association of Minnesota Counties Legislative Day on the Hill.
Ending Veterans Suicide
On Tuesday in the House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, which I chair, we approved HF 586, a bill to recognize the first Saturday of every October as “Veterans Suicide Awareness Day.” The committee heard the story of Justin Miller, a Marine Corps vet who last year took his own life in Minneapolis VA hospital parking lot. His sister Alissa, who last week talked about her family’s tragedy in the Washington Post, joined us for the hearing.
Much work remains to address the mental health needs of our soldiers and veterans, and we aren’t under any illusion that this bill will solve them all. But we need to raise awareness of this issue and start having a serious conversation about it both at the state and federal level. We hope this bill will help do that with the ultimate goal of getting every single veteran the care they need.
Food Insecurity
One of the many topics we’ve discussed in the House Agriculture and Food Finance and Policy Division is food insecurity. All Minnesotans deserve access to healthy, nutritious foods at an affordable price. A lack of proper nutrition harms an individual’s health and development and can create a whole host of other problems. We need to find creative ways to make fresh produce, for instance, more available to every Minnesotan, regardless of income. One bill to address this issue is HF 436. This problem negatively impacts many Minnesotans including children, college students, and seniors, and I’m a proud co-author of this legislation.
Earned Sick and Safe Time
This week the House Labor Committee approved a bill (of which I’m a co-author) to create an Earned Sick and Safe Time policy in Minnesota. Too many Minnesotans work in jobs where they don’t get any type of sick leave or paid time off, and when they get sick, they face the difficult dilemma of choosing between getting well and earning a paycheck. Under the bill, employees would earn one hour for every 30 worked, and would become eligible after 90 days of employment.
Research shows this type of policy significantly improves public health. Workers in our service industries are more likely to not have this leave available to them, and considering the public-facing nature of their work, working while sick is harmful to the health of others, too. After over a decade of consideration, I hope this is the year we enact this policy which is beneficial for the physical as well as financial health of Minnesotans.
Keep contacting me with your input, ideas, and concerns. It’s an honor to be your voice at the Capitol.
Sincerely,
Rob Ecklund
State Representative
Rep. Rob Ecklund
409 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, Minnesota 55155
www.house.mn/03A
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Chair, House Veterans and Military Affairs Policy and Finance Division
Phone: 651-296-2190
E-mail: rep.rob.ecklund@house.mn
Legislative Assistant: Josh Kilgard, 651-296-3918