Dear neighbors, I hope this email finds you well and enjoying fall in Minnesota! This week, I’m continuing a series of deep dives into the state budget. If you’d like to read about other areas of the budget, you can find the rest of the series here. Supporting Workers and Small Businesses The Jobs and Labor budget legislators passed this year will help workers, families, and small businesses recover from challenges they experienced due to the pandemic and thrive for years to come. Some of the significant measures will: - Provide $70 million worth of grants to small businesses that faced financial hardship due to COVID-19.
- Help increase the number of child care providers in Minnesota.
- Make high school students eligible for unemployment insurance (UI) benefits.
- Repeal a law that reduces UI benefits for workers who receive Social Security benefits.
- Require employers with 15 or more workers to provide new parents with reasonable accommodations for health conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth.
Everyone deserves to be safe in the workplace, to have economic security, and to be able to take care of themselves and their families. We have more work ahead of us, but my colleagues and I will keep advocating for hardworking Minnesotans and our state’s small businesses. Resources Available for Job Seekers The Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) offers a variety of resources for Minnesotans who are searching for a job, including online job listings, a career development and talent matching program called CareerForce, and occupational data. DEED also provides targeted services for veterans, people with disabilities, and people who are blind or visually impaired. You can find more information about all of these tools at https://mn.gov/deed/job-seekers/. Community Spotlight White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce The White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce represents more than 400 businesses from a variety of industries. It brings together small business owners and entrepreneurs from 12 communities and offers networking, marketing, and professional development opportunities to members. The Chamber also advocates for members’ interests at the state and local level. If you’re searching for a job in our area, I encourage you to check out the White Bear Area Chamber of Commerce’s job board. You can learn more about their work at whitebearchamber.com. If you have any questions, ideas, or feedback, please don’t hesitate to email me at rep.ami.wazlawik@house.mn or give me a call at (651) 296-3018. Sincerely, Ami Wazlawik
State Representative |