Paid Family Medical Leave The Paid Family and Medical Leave Act (PFML) advanced this week in committee. This measure is a key piece of the House DFL’s overall proposal on Economic Security for Minnesotans. If approved by the legislature, workers would start receiving benefits on Jan. 1, 2023. Employers will not start paying premiums until Jan. 1, 2024. The package of benefits is designed to partially replace lost wages and allows up to 12 weeks of wage replacement benefits based on a sliding scale. Six types of paid family and medical leave are covered in the measure: caring for a family member with a serious health condition, bonding with a new child, pregnancy, the worker’s own health, safety leave for victims of domestic abuse, and leave for when a family member is called to active duty in the armed forces. The legislation was laid over for possible inclusion in a later bill. Redistricting Based on the results of the 2020 Census, boundaries of voting districts were redrawn as they are every decade, and this week the new maps were released, reflecting new legislative and congressional districts. You can read more in this Session Daily article and go to the Legislative Coordinating Commission website for more detailed information. 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 |