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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that 2022 is off to a good start.
I am looking forward to the new legislative session beginning on January 31st and hope we will make significant progress on addressing rising crime, inflation and education issues. With a $7.7 billion surplus, tax increases should be off the table and we should focus on connecting students and workers with the training needed to meet the strong demand for jobs in a variety of sectors.
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Executive Summary
- State COVID Testing Sites/At-Home Options
- Maple Grove's TED Award
- Grant Program for CNA Training
- New Laws
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State COVID Testing Sites/At-Home Options
Omicron cases continue to increase but, thankfully, hospitalizations and deaths seem to be stabilizing, although hospitals continue to run near full ICU capacity. The data is a bit harder to parse this week as MDH is adding in 135,000 results from last week due to a technical error. Access to testing continues to be a problem, however.
This week, the Governor announced that new community testing sites are opening across the state and that 1.8 million at-home rapid tests for schools to distribute directly to families will become available. Additionally, 150,000 free, at-home rapid test kits will be available to communities disproportionally impacted by COVID.
Here are some resources on how you can find the nearest test or vaccine for yourself or your loved ones:
How Minnesotans can get a COVID-19 test:
How to find an appointment for vaccine or booster:
- Contact your primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
- Use the state’s Vaccine Locator Map to find a vaccine provider near you.
- Check for vaccine appointments at Vaccines.gov, where you can search for appointments by vaccine type (e.g., Pfizer).
- Walk in to or make an appointment at one of Minnesota’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination sites.
- Minnesota Department of Health COVID-19 Public Hotline
- 1-833-431-2053
- Mon.-Fri., 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. & Sat., 10 a.m. - 6 p.m
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Maple Grove's TED Award
I am very happy that that Maple Grove's I-94/TH 610 Completion Project was selected to receive $5 million through the 2021 Transportation Economic Development (TED) Program. I have been advocating for completion of this project since I first ran in 2018 and am thrilled to see it coming together (the picture on the left is from a bonding tour visit at the 610 overpass in Maple Grove in 2019).
Completing the I-94/TH 610 connection will significantly reduce congestion in our district and ensure we have capacity for continued growth. This competitive grant for the City of Maple Grove will help fill the last remaining gap of a 50+ year effort to complete the TH 610 corridor in Minnesota.
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Grant Program for CNA Training
Labor shortages continue in almost every sector of the economy but are particularly acute in healthcare right now.
Last week, the Legislative COVID-19 Response Commission (LCRC) approved $3.4 million in funding for a critical investment in the health of our state: recruiting, training, and deploying at least 1,000 new certified nursing assistants (CNAs).
Nursing assistants are the sixth most in demand job in Minnesota, providing frontline care to patients across the health care spectrum. This staffing initiative, led by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education in conjunction with Minnesota State, will offer resources and support to those pursuing a CNA credential from the first day of class to the first day on the job. The program covers costs for tuition, fees, and materials, as well as supports transportation and technology needs for students.
In addition, the $3.4 million in funding approved by the LCRC will provide up to 10 high schools with funds for lab equipment necessary to offer nursing assistant training classes on site. I’ve already shared this information with the Superintendents in our district and hope some of our schools will be able to take advantage of this program. High schools will be determined via an application process, which is expected to roll out in the coming weeks.
CNA programs throughout the state are ready to enroll and train students as soon as possible. Once trained, the CNAs will be eligible for employment at Minnesota long-term care facilities that are facing severe staffing shortages.
Learn more and find a program near you here.
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Photos
First skate of the year with my daughter this week! Love the skating loop at Maple Grove's Central Park!
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Please Contact Me
Many of you have already been in touch to discuss your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you. Thank you for sharing your ideas! Please continue to contact me to discuss any matters to which I can be of assistance.
The House is adjourned until January 31, 2022. The best way to reach me is by email: rep.kristin.robbins@house.mn. For occasional updates, you can follow my Facebook Page at @RepKristinRobbins. You can also leave a voicemail on my office number, 651-296-7806, which is checked a couple of times/week.
Have a great weekend!
Kristin
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225 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.7806 |
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