Legislative Update: MMIR, Housing Solutions, PFML

Dear Neighbors,

Hope you're staying warm and well. I'm happy to drop into your inbox with another weekly e-update.

Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives Awareness

This Monday was not only Valentine's Day, but an important opportunity to bring awareness to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives in Minnesota. 

For relatives of people who go missing, finding closure is often impossible. These stories are all too common in the US, where indigenous people go missing at a disproportionately high rate. I joined my colleagues on Monday in wearing red to raise awareness. (Though you can't find me in the photo, I'm still calling in to session from home.)

Video of Rep. Keeler's Floor Speech

House DFL Moves on Housing

Across the state – and in the metro – available, affordable housing is in short supply. This week, the House DFL unveiled our package of legislation to help reduce housing costs for Minnesotans with proposals to lower costs for renters, provide pathways to home ownership, build more homes and improve existing affordable housing, while offering housing security to more Minnesotans. You can read more here about the proposal.

We Need 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. 

Keep in Touch

Thank you so much for the time that you took to read this e-update. Let me know if they're helpful, or if there's more that you'd like to see included. As always, feel free to contact me at rep.jay.xiong@house.mn. I hope that you all have a great week!

In solidarity,

Jay Xiong

State Representative

PS- It was my Legislative Assistant's 21st birthday this week. As legislators, we couldn't do anything without our magnificent staff. Happy birthday, Bonnsy!