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Neighbors and Friends,
We are ten days from adjournment of the legislative session and as you might imagine, our days are full. We are meeting in floor session frequently and conference committees are comparing House and Senate bill versions, aiming to reach compromises in the next few days. The House DFL Budget focuses on ensuring all Minnesotans can provide for their families and thrive now and into the future.
I serve as one of five House members on the Housing, Agriculture, and Broadband Conference Committee and this week held our first hearing. We reviewed each section of the House and Senate bills to determine similarities and differences. Negotiations will be ongoing. You can watch the hearing on the House of Representatives’ YouTube Channel link.
Frontline Pay Becomes Law
You may be eligible for a bonus check for your in-person work during the early days of the pandemic. Check your eligibility at the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry website and sign up here to receive information on the application process.
The Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) has signed a contract with a vendor to build the Frontline Worker Pay application system and the department hopes to begin accepting applications by mid-June. After that, a 45-day application period will begin, with payments anticipated in late summer or early fall.
Visitors to frontlinepay.mn.gov may now choose their preferred language to view the website, using the drop-down option from Google Translate. While translation tools are never perfect, it's our fastest way to spread the word to all eligible applicants.
When the application is ready, a call center and help desk will be available to assist applicants in multiple languages.
I encourage everyone to use our resources to help spread the word to those workers who may be eligible to apply.
 Avian Influenza Update
The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI/H5N1) continues to spread in Minnesota. It is recommended bird feeders be removed for now and those who raise backyard chickens should keep the birds enclosed and separated from wildlife. Call the new HPAI hotline at 1-833-454-0156 for questions and learn more from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture or the Board of Animal Health.
COVID-19 Update
Anyone over 50 and those 12 years and older who are immunocompromised are encouraged to get a second COVID-19 booster shot. If you have symptoms, have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, after traveling, or if you’ve attended a high-risk event, please get tested to slow the spread of the virus. Rapid at-home tests can be ordered from the federal government at CovidTests.gov and from the state at mn.gov/covid19. More information is available through the Minnesota Department of Health website, or the U of M Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP).
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Staying Connected
You can watch legislative sessions and committee hearings by going to this link on the Minnesota House of Representatives website.
The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services also offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, you can utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website.
I welcome your questions and comments anytime. You can call me at (651) 296-3824 or email me at rep.alice.hausman@house.mn.
Thank you for the privilege of representing you in the legislature.
Sincerely,
Alice
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