Legislative Update - New Year, New Laws

Dear Neighbors, 

I hope the new year is treating you well. The 2024 legislative session is just a few weeks away, starting on February 12, and before we get back to our work on building off of last year’s success, I wanted to provide an update on some of our newest laws that went into effect this month. 

Since I was first elected, I’ve had the opportunity to vote for Earned Sick & Safe Time several times, and now, with a DFL trifecta, we finally got it over the finish line and passed into law. This new law requires employers to provide one hour of sick and safe time for every 30 hours worked, earning a maximum of 48 hours each year unless the employer agrees to a higher amount.

Minnesotans shouldn’t have to choose between a paycheck and looking after themselves when they get sick.

Under the new law, an employee is eligible for sick and safe time if they work at least 80 hours in a year for an employer in Minnesota, and are not an independent contractor. You can find more information on the Department of Labor and Industry’s page here.

A lot of the focus on this new law is centered around the “sick” part of Earned Sick & Safe Time, but an equally important part is the “safe” time as well. As a survivor of domestic violence, the latter half of this new law is personal for me, as I’m sure it is for the 1 in 4 Minnesotans who have also experienced domestic violence. 

When we passed this bill off the House floor last February, I spoke to the importance of this legislation, which you can watch here. 

Other important new laws include the following:

• Stronger tenant protections: New laws strengthen protections for renters, promoting fairer housing practices and stability for Minnesotans.
• Transparency in hiring: Prohibiting past pay disclosure in the hiring process helps combat wage discrimination and promotes fairer hiring practices.
• Free menstrual products: School districts and charter schools must now provide free menstrual products to students, ensuring period equity and removing a barrier to education.
• Pay increases for home care workers.

You can check out all of the newly enacted laws we passed last year here.

Interview with Minnesota House Public Info

Recently, I sat down with the folks in our nonpartisan House Public Information offices to talk about our district, what it was like getting into politics at the height of COVID, the Native American Legislative Caucus, my efforts to address homelessness, and more! 

You can watch my interview here. 

House Public Info is an especially great resource during the legislative session, as they cover the day-to-day work in the Minnesota House in a nonpartisan manner. You can check out their latest updates, from articles to video, here.  

Cold Weather Rule

The temperature has been unseasonably warm, but it’s not spring yet. Despite our little heatwave, I wanted to remind folks that Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule remains in place, which protects residents from having their electric or natural gas service shut off between October 1 and April 30.

To ensure your service is safe from disconnection, you must make and keep a payment plan agreed to by your utility provider. More information is available on the Minnesota Department of Commerce’s website.

Stay Connected

As I prepared to head back to the Minnesota House in February, it’s more important than ever that you reach out with any questions, concerns, or ideas you may have for our work in the legislature. You can reach my office at rep.heather.keeler@house.mn.gov or 651-296-5515. You can also follow my Facebook page. 

In community, 

Rep. Heather Keeler

Minnesota House of Representatives