Sandra Masin's Blog

Last week, the House Jobs and Economic Development Finance and Policy Committee approved a bill authored by State Representative Sandra Masin (DFL – Eagan). The bill, included in the Women’s Economic Security Act, was approved on a voice vote and re-referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

According to a new report by the University of Minnesota Humphrey School’s Center on Women & Public Policy, families headed by women are four times more likely to be living in poverty and that women earn a median pay of 80 percent of what men earn.

“These bills are designed to make sure all workers have equal rights and opportunities in the work place,” said Rep. Masin. “More and more households are depending on women to support them financially, and now is the time to address the barriers that are still in place for those women.”

Rep. Masin’s bill would bar any discrimination or retaliation against an employee who talks about salaries and wages with fellow employees.

During the committee hearing, Leah Olm shared the story of a friend who found out she was earning less at her job than a male in the same position. Olm said her friend’s boss threatened to fire her for asking male coworkers how much money they earned, which is how she found out about the pay gap in the first place. “This package would clear the way for a more equal playing field,” said Olm.

The Women’s Economic Security Act builds on Minnesota’s positive economic momentum by ensuring equal opportunities for women to succeed in the workplace and provide for their families. Members of the public, small business owners, and religious organizations testified in support of the bill at today’s hearing.

Kathryn Mollen, Policy and Outreach Coordinator for the Minnesota Catholic Conference (MCC) said her organization wants to ensure that women have access to a workplace that supports family economic security and motherhood.

“This act is an important step towards those goals,” said Mollen.

The other components of the legislation heard during last week’s committee hearing were:

• Rep. Yvonne Selcer: Author of HF 2243 (Women entrepreneurs business development grant program created, and money appropriated).

• Rep. Barb Yarusso: Author of HF 2259 (Nursing mothers; unfair employment practices clarified).

• Rep. Will Morgan: Author of HF 2291 (Women’s economic self-sufficiency promoted; gender segregation in the workforce reduced; gender pay gap reduced through the participation of women in high-wage, high-demand, nontraditional occupations; women and nontraditional jobs grant program established; and money appropriated).

• Rep. Paul Rosenthal: Author of HF 2366 (Unemployment benefits eligibility modified when applicant is a victim of sexual assault or stalking).

• Rep. Phyllis Kahn: Author of HF 2371 (Pregnancy and parenting leave provided, and pregnancy accommodations required).

Senate District 51 held its convention today.  It was a day filled with voting for the new Senate District 51 Officers, Senate District Central Committee Members and Alternates, and State Convention Delegates and Alternates.  I am extremely proud and pleased to say that I received the endorsement of the 51A delegates to be their candidate for the 51A position.  The 51B delegates endorsed Laurie Halverson for the 51B race.

We heard from many of the candidates running for state offices and voted on resolutions, too. 

A very busy and a very exciting day.  Signs of a democracy in action.

The Minnesota House of Representatives is now voting on HF 1777, a tax bill  that includes federal tax conformity, it will provide relief for working class families and businesses.    It just passed 126-2.

I participated in the Burnsville Chamber’s Pre-Legislative Forum on Thursday, Feb. 20. Representative Mogan, Representative Myra, Senator Carlson, and Senator Hall were also on the panel.

The first question was on federal tax conformity. Last year, the legislature passed HF6 which conformed Minnesota’s taxes to most federal taxes for tax year 2012-for those paid by April 15, 2013. The DFL House Omnibus Tax Bill did a provision to address federal conformity for future years, but that did not have Senate approval and was not in the final tax bill. This year, House Tax Chair Ann Lenczewski has introduced HF 2106 that conforms the state’s income tax to federal taxes and provides tax relief to middle-class taxpayers and businesses.

The bonding bill received attention as well. The Burnsville Chamber had supported the bonding bill last year. The bonding bill covers projects for buildings, roads, bridges, and other projects that have regional or statewide importance. The Governor’s bonding proposal invests an additional $126.3 million to finally complete state Capitol restoration process. The Capitol is one of Minnesota’s most important assets and the need for repair has been obvious for decades. I am advocating for a bonding proposal for a necessary project to improve the Red Line BRT. Interest rates are still fairly low, so this is a very good time to have a large bonding bill. It enhances assets for Minnesota and it means JOBS.

There was also spirited discussion on a minimum wage bill and some of the business-to-business taxes.

Last night, I saw the THE BALLAD OF EMMETT TILL  at the Penumbra Theatre.  Cold as it was outside, there was a packed house inside.  This is a story about a fourteen-year old boy from Chicago that was murdered in Missisissippi in 1955.   The story and the performance  do an outstanding job of portraying the life of a young man that had such a tragic ending.

What is impossible to comprehend is that the murderers seem to think they had a right to kill Emmett Till.  The confession in LOOK magazine details their actions and reasoning.  In spite of the progress we have made in the civil rights area, the chilling reality is that we still have these outrageous acts still happening.  How long before we can all live together in harmony and respect the rights of others?

Restore the Vote MN is a coalition who wants to restore voting rights to people living in our communities who have lost that right due to a previous conviction .  This is a broad coalition that involves organizations providing public safety and legal services, faith based organizations, and civic engagement groups.  For more information, see:   www.RestoretheVoteMN.org

There are many reasons to do this.  One being that it will clear confusion as to who is eligible to vote.

The second is that it will help with integration into the community.  Restore the Vote Minnesota says that research has shown that persons with criminal convictions in their past are less likely to be arrested again in states that restore voting rights after their release from incarceration than in states where they face permanent disenfranchisement.  It encourages a sense of responsibility.

From a long-range perspective, children are more likely to vote as adults if they are raised by parents who engage in the voting process.

To summarize, the change will make the law more clear and save resources, encourage participation in the democratic process, and will help create safer and more just environments.

The Minnesota Coalition for Battered Women held a Memorial Service today for those who lost their lives as a result of domestic violence last year.  In  2013, at least 37 Minnesotans lost their lives and their names were each read aloud to acknowledge the loss.

Anarae Schunk and Palagor Obang Jobi were two of the people recognized.

As part of the Clothesline Project, a decorated shirt for each person was on exhibit.  This program has been going on for years and the shirts are shown in communities throughout the state as a reminder of the lives that have been so tragically ended.

As a community and as a state, we have to work on ways to prevent these violent crimes.

For information on MCBW, see www.mcbw.org

I attended the performance of A TOAST TO PROHIBITION at the Minnesota History Center yesterday afternoon.  It was a musical program with songs related to temperance and temptation.  It was a entertaining and educational.  While the program was in progress, historical photos and newspaper articles were shown on the screen that was at the back of the stage.  Some interesting facts include: Congress passed the Volstead Act in 1919, which established the government’s right to investigate and punish violators of Prohibition (Volstead was from MN); in 1925, Collier’s magazine ranked San Francisco and St. Paul as the two “wettest cities” in the nation; and a statistic from 1926 estimated that 100 Americans died each week from toxic alcohol.

Dan Chouinard, Maria Jette, and The Rose Ensemble were some of the performers and they all did a great job.  I saw many of them in CAFE EUROPA last year and that was  outstanding.  The research involved in these productions is impressive as is the musical talent.

I attended the Feed My StarvingChildren Celebration of their Eagan Site Expansion this afternoon.  In addition to a video about  the history of the organization, the CEO, Mark Crea, commented on some of the activities that were coming up, and we had a tour of the facility. The  number of meals that have been prepared by this organization is amazing. They have some mobile packs and the percentage of meals prepared by the mobile packs is projected to increase.

One staff person told us about the work being done in the Philippines.  They had food on the way to the Philippines prior to the landing of the recent Typhoon Haiyan.  A video showed some of the workers in a community telling the survivors that there was enough food for all and there was no need to panic.

This organization seems to do well in attacting volunteers and partnerships.  The statistics show that they have an excellent record of getting the food delivered with the help of partnerships they have formed.  Check out their website for more information,   fmsc.org

In spite of all the problems and challenges we face daily, we who live in the United States of America have much for which to be grateful.  Regardless of religion, Thanksgiving is one day in which we can all take time to meditate and count our blessings.  It is a good time to extend gratitude those who have helped us personally or helped our community. 

Our church holds a Thanksgiving Eve service.  One of the highlights of the service is the music during the offering because all past and present choir members gather at the front to sing, and that is almost  half the congregation. 

The refrain of that song tonight was: 

Praise to thee, O Lord of all creation. Give us thankful hearts that we may see All the gifts we share and every blessing, All things, come of thee. 

 Happy Thanksgiving!