Dear neighbors, I hope this email finds you and your loved ones well and enjoying fall activities in our community! This week, I’ve been busy attending Tribal Relations training, meeting with constituents, and putting together legislation to discuss next session. Minnesota Values Project Survey As we prepare for the 2022 legislative session, House DFLers are seeking input from Minnesotans. We’d like to hear about what’s going well for you and your family, your hopes for the future, and any roadblocks you’ve experienced. This information will help us advocate for you at the Capitol. If you’re willing to share your thoughts, please take the short Minnesota Values Project survey we put together. There are only four questions, and any input you provide will help guide legislators next year and beyond. Thank you for your participation!  Wages for PCAs Increase The dedicated personal care attendants (PCAs) who support the most vulnerable members of our society deserve to be compensated fairly. This year, we secured a long overdue raise for these workers. Thanks to legislation we passed, the statewide minimum wage for PCAs increased from $13.25 to $14.40 per hour on October 1. It will increase again, to $15.25 per hour, on July 1, 2022. The legislation we approved also allows PCAS to earn an hour of paid time off for every 30 hours they work, increases the number of paid holidays from five to seven, and provides funding for voluntary training opportunities. These policies will better support PCAs and hopefully encourage more Minnesotans to join and stay in the field. Rapid Testing for COVID-19 Now AvailableMinnesota has launched several community testing sites to provide free COVID-19 tests to residents. Several of them are now offering rapid testing, including the site in St. Paul and a new location in Stillwater. Fifteen locations across the state, including sites in St. Paul and Lino Lakes, will continue offering saliva tests. A list of community testing sites is available here. Minnesotans can also order an at-home saliva test for free. You can find more information about this option here. Make Your Voice Heard Apply for the Family Child Care Training Advisory Committee A new group, the Family Child Care Training Advisory Committee, has been established to improve and modernize the training process for family child care providers. I advocated to create the group based on recommendations from the bipartisan Family Child Care Task Force, which I co-chaired. The new group is searching for several members, including two family child care providers from the metro area and four people with expertise in child development and either instructional design or training delivery. If you have relevant experience and expertise, I encourage you to apply. You can find more information here. If you have any questions or input, please don’t hesitate to reach out. You can email me at rep.ami.wazlawik@house.mn or call (651) 296-3018. Sincerely, Ami Wazlawik
State Representative |