We are in the second week of the legislative session and this year I serve on the same committees as last session. I have a full schedule including serving as vice-chair of State Government Finance and Elections. My other committees are Commerce, Taxes, Preventative Health Policy Division, and as alternate on Ethics. This week, our committee work focused on a variety of topics but perhaps most of note in the State Government and Elections Finance Committee we heard a series of bills that would strengthen voter registration and increase elections transparency. House DFL Frontline Worker Bonus Pay and the UITF Proposals Advance This week, two key pieces of legislation advanced, making up part of the House DFL’s overall proposal on Economic Security. HF 2900, which appropriates $1 billion for bonus payments to thousands of frontline workers. HF 1035, which would appropriate $1.2 billion to settle the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UITF) debt. The frontline worker bonus pay legislation builds upon the efforts of last year’s working group and invests $1 billion to recognize Minnesotans who have worked on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on the number of accepted applications, eligible workers would receive payments of up to $1,500. The Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund (UITF) legislation would pay back the UITF’s $1.2 billion debt, owed to the federal government, while also providing for no additional assessments in 2022, making hourly school workers eligible for UI in the summer months, and increasing the period from 20 days to 60 days for UI applicants and employers to appeal when the Department of Employment and Economic Development decides on UI eligibility. The UITF legislation would be largely funded with the remaining American Rescue Plan funds, about $1.15 billion, with the remainder coming from the General Fund. With the enormous amount of UI benefits paid to laid-off workers due to the pandemic, the balance in the state’s UITF went from $1.6 billion in February 2020 to -$1.2 billion as of Feb. 1, 2022. Video of the hearing is available on the House Public Information Youtube Page. COVID-19 Update Getting the COVID-19 vaccination and booster can keep you and your family safe. If you’re not feeling well, get tested. You can still order up to 4 free COVID tests from the government. Go to https://www.covidtests.gov/ to get your test kits and many more resources.  ________________________ Stay in Touch You can stay up to date on our work by subscribing to these legislative updates and “liking” my official Facebook page. For any questions you have on the resources available to our community or our work in the Minnesota House, you can reach me at rep.andrew.carlson@house.mn or leave a voicemail at (651) 296-4218. I look forward to hearing from you. Sincerely, Andrew Carlson State Representative |