Hello Northlanders,
Happy New Year! We’re quickly approaching the 2022 Legislative Session which is set to begin on January 31. Following a challenging couple of years, many folks are still struggling, and the pandemic is still posing a variety of difficulties in health care, education, and economic recovery. This session I’ll be working to ensure all workers, families, students, and small businesses can have a strong future. A $7.7 billion positive budget balance gives us the opportunity to make an enormous difference in people’s lives. Also, I’ll be working to enact a sizable capital investment package to invest in public assets across the state. I encourage you to contact me anytime with your own priorities and for the upcoming session.
Listening Session in International Falls
Koochiching County-area residents are invited to join me for a Legislative Listening Session Tuesday, January 25 at 6 p.m. at the Library Bistro (1323 3rd St) in International Falls. I’ll give a brief update on my work at the Capitol, but the lion’s share of the time will be devoted to hearing your input and answering questions as we look ahead to the Legislative Session.
This event is nonpartisan and everyone is welcome. I’m grateful to represent interested, engaged constituents and I hope people in the area will take advantage of this opportunity to connect about issues important to them. If you can’t make it, as always, feel free to connect with me directly.
Sheet Metal Workers Tour
This week, I took members of the House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Committee, which I chair, on a tour of the SMART Sheet Metal Workers Local 10 Metro-Area Training Center in White Bear Lake. We got a first-hand look at the center’s apprenticeship training program and learned about the industry’s role in energy efficiency, COVID-19 mitigation, fire suppression, and technological innovations. Members learned about how Sheet Metal Workers develop their skills through the apprenticeship program, which includes 8,000 hours – approximately four years – of on-the-job training and about 180 hours of related instruction each year. Commercial Sheet Metal Workers can earn starting wages in excess of $43 per hour with a robust benefits package.
Check out this video of the tour I posted on my Facebook Page. I’m hopeful we can continue to work together to support valuable resources like Local 10’s apprentice program, which creates rewarding career opportunities for Minnesotans.
Health Care Careers
The pandemic has stretched our health care system to the max and has highlighted a significant worker shortage. If you’re interested in exploring a career in health care, free training is available to become a Certified Nursing Assistant through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education.
CareerForce has other resources available as well including job openings, tips, and other valuable information.
Redistricting
The Legislature has a deadline of February 15 to enact new congressional and legislative district maps following the 2020 census to reflect changes in population. The House and Senate have both developed proposals, as have other interested parties.
In preparation for the strong possibility lawmakers can’t reach an agreement, a special judicial panel has been appointed and it recently concluded a series of public hearings spanning several months. Last week, the panel listened to arguments from representatives of several groups and communities. MinnPost has a fairly comprehensive summary of the process and some of the cases advocates are making. I’m hopeful the final maps provide fair, equitable, nonpartisan, and keep communities of interest together to the extent possible.
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