 Dear Neighbors,
We’re in what feels like the deep throws of winter with the blanket of snow out there. If you’re interested, you can check out the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources’ list of our state’s top 25 snowfalls from 1884 to 2023.
After you dig out from this week, I hope you can join me for a community coffee hour at Curiouser Coffee in Apple Valley(14889 Florence Trail) on Saturday morning. We’ll gather at 9:00 a.m. for a casual and productive conversation. All are welcome.
Health Care Affordability
As you may know, President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans ended valuable tax credits this fall that helped reduce health insurance costs in the private market. As a result, premiums are expected to rise by as much as 50% next year, with farmers, small business owners, and older adults hit the hardest. They also stripped Medicaid coverage from more than 140,000 Minnesotans, including some of our most vulnerable neighbors. Outcomes from these cuts include fewer people receiving the care they need, additional strain on our hospitals, and – ultimately – more expensive health care for everyone.
I’ve been going to rural communities across the state to hear directly from Minnesotans who are feeling the fear of not being able to afford their care. Please take a moment to share how rising health care costs are affecting you and your family by completing this short survey.
Skyrocketing health care prices and reduced coverage are putting more pressure on working families already struggling with an affordability crisis, as costs of food, energy, child care, and housing continue to rise. Your experiences can help shape real solutions in the Health Finance Committee, which I’m grateful to co-chair, to fix our broken system and make health care more affordable.
Paid Leave Launches January 1
The U.S. is the only developed country in the world that doesn’t guarantee some form of paid leave, forcing most workers to make impossible choices between a paycheck and caring for a new child, an aging parent, or their own serious health condition. But in Minnesota, that’s about to change with the launch of Paid Leave on January 1, 2026. As we prepare for Paid Leave to take effect, I want to share a bit about the basics of the new law, how it impacts you, and how to use it.
Paid Leave – which DFLers in the Legislature and Governor Walz passed in 2023 – provides partial wage replacement for up to 12 weeks of paid medical leave for your own serious health condition, including pregnancy and recovery. It also provides up to 12 weeks of paid family leave to care for a new child, a seriously ill loved one, or for certain military or safety-related events. If using both medical and family leave, workers can use up to a total of 20 weeks annually. A short video explaining the basics of how it works is available here:
The program will have a small cost, but offer powerful support. The premium rate for 2026 will be 0.88%, with employers responsible for at least half. If the employer chooses to split the premium with the employee, each will pay 0.44%. For an employee earning the average annual income, this amounts to about $5 per week each for the worker and the employer.
Input and feedback from businesses will be continually collected and the program will be refined and strengthened so it runs smoothly and stays reliable. Importantly, Paid Leave will level the playing field for small businesses that have wanted to offer this benefit so they can better compete to attract talent, but haven’t been able to do so in a sustainable way.
DEED has developed helpful toolkits with resources for workers and businesses alike. The toolkit for workers can help you find out if you’re eligible for coverage, when Paid Leave can be used, how much time you can take, how you’ll be compensated, and more. The toolkit for businesses includes info about upcoming public engagement events, information on premium rates and contributions, equivalent plans for Paid Leave, and other FAQs.
For many Minnesotans, missing a single paycheck means the difference between staying above water and facing dire financial challenges, and that’s particularly true considering the affordability crisis we’re facing now, with prices rising on just about everything in our daily lives.
This initiative has truly been years in the making, and I’m so excited for families in our community. As we get closer to the program’s rollout, I encourage you to check out all of the resources available at pl.mn.gov.
Keep in Touch
Even if you can’t make it on Saturday, please always feel free to reach out with questions, comments, or ideas. I’m always happy to provide assistance when I can.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Apple Valley neighbors at the State Capitol.
Sincerely,
Robert Bierman
State Representative
 Turcks Trees of Litchfield delivered the Capitol Holiday Tree last week, which will be on display throughout the holiday season in the Capitol Rotunda. The Minnesota Department of Agriculture assisted, and added this lovely ornament to memorialize Melissa, Mark, and Gilbert.
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