Tim Walz on Jobs Democrat

Paid leave and paid sick days

Governor Walz has invested millions in workforce development to connect Minnesotans to high-growth, high-demand career fields like manufacturing, education, and public safety. To lower costs and grow Minnesota's workforce, Governor Walz and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan provided free college for students with a family income under $80,000. They also invested over $1 billion in child care and early learning opportunities.

Minnesota Miracle: expanding workers' rights

The new legislature wasted no time passing laws expanding workers' rights, reproductive rights, voting rights, gun safety, clean energy, and the social safety net. The "Minnesota Miracle" [included] nearly every item of the Minnesota AFL-CIO agenda.

For nearly a decade, Minnesotans for Paid Family Medical Leave fought for the landmark legislation that grants up to 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave. The legislature passed other bills to massively expand labor rights, including protections against wage theft, and an expansion of public sector collective bargaining.

The laws also boost possibilities for union organizing. A stronger labor movement, allied with the DFL, can defend and grow legislative majorities.

Vetoed minimum wage for rideshare drivers

"Rideshare drivers deserve fair wages and safe working conditions. I am committed to finding solutions that balance the interests of all parties, including drivers and riders," said Governor Walz. "This is not the right bill to achieve these goals. I have spent my career fighting for workers, and I will continue to work with drivers, riders, and rideshare companies to address the concerns that this bill sought to address."

To allow time to find solutions that balance the interests of all Minnesotans, Governor Walz vetoed Chapter 65, House File 2369 as passed by the Minnesota legislature.

$24M for job training and economic development programs

"Investments in job training and economic development strengthen our workforce and boost our economy," said Gov. Walz . "This funding will enhance Minnesota's culture of innovation, global talent market, and high quality of life."

The programs supported by this funding include:
• $2.5 million for Launch Minnesota for innovation grants to assist eligible Minnesota entrepreneurs or start-up businesses with their operating needs
• $2 million to the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games
• $1.25 million to the Minneapolis Downtown Council for infrastructure and associated costs for the Taste of Minnesota
• $1 million to the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce for technical support to Black-owned small businesses

Push back against right-to-work legislation

Jeff Johnson (R): Yes. Supports making Minnesota a right-to-work state.

Tim Walz (D): No. Opposes "assaults on our right to collective bargaining,

Supports $15 minimum wage for Minnesota

Jeff Johnson (R): No. Says it would lessen options for young & least experienced people.

Tim Walz (D): Yes. Supports $15 minimum wage for Minnesota.

Close the wage gap that still exists between women and men

Press Release Apr 8, 2014,"Walz Calls for Passage of the Paycheck Fairness Act on Equal Pay Day: Women in Southern Minnesota Earn Only 78 Cents for Every Dollar Earned by Men":

As we mark Equal Pay Day on April 8, Rep. Walz stated that more needs to be done to close the wage gap that still exists between women and men--including passage of the critical Paycheck Fairness Act.

Member of House Committee on Agriculture.

The House Committee on Agriculture has general jurisdiction over federal agriculture policy and oversight of some federal agencies, and it can recommend funding appropriations for various governmental agencies, programs, and activities, as defined by House rules. The Committee was established in 1820; in 1880 forestry was added to its jurisdiction. Its jurisdiction now includes:

1. Adulteration of seeds, insect pests, and protection of birds and animals in forest reserves.
2. Agriculture generally.
3. Agricultural and industrial chemistry.
4. Agricultural colleges and experiment stations.
5. Agricultural economics and research.
6. Agricultural education extension services.
7. Agricultural production and marketing and stabilization of prices of agricultural products, and commodities (not including distribution outside of the United States).
8. Animal industry and diseases of animals.
9. Commodity exchanges.
10. Crop insurance and soil conservation.
11. Dairy industry.
12. Entomology and plant quarantine.
13. Extension of farm credit and farm security.
14. Inspection of livestock, poultry, meat products, and seafood and seafood products.
15. Forestry in general, and forest reserves other than those created from the public domain.
16. Human nutrition and home economics.
17. Plant industry, soils, and agricultural engineering.
18. Rural electrification.
19. Rural development.
20. Water conservation related to activities of the Department of Agriculture.

Raise the minimum wage to $10.10 per hour by 2016.

Congressional summary: Increases the federal minimum wage for employees to:

1. $8.20 an hour beginning 6 months after enactment
2. $9.15 an hour beginning 1 year later,
3. $10.10 an hour beginning 2 years later, and
4. an amount determined by increases in the Consumer Price Index, beginning annually after 3 years.

• Increases the federal minimum wage for tipped employees to $3.00 an hour beginning 6 months after enactment, with annual CPI adjustments.

Proponent`s argument in favor (RaiseTheMinimumWage.com): The federal minimum wage of $7.25 per hour remains decades out of date, and the federal minimum wage for tipped workers--$2.13 per hour--has not increased in over 20 years. The minimum wage of the past provided significantly more buying power than it does today. The minimum wage of $1.60 an hour in 1968 would be $10.56 today when adjusted for inflation.

Opponent`s argument against: (Neil King in Wall Street Journal, Feb. 24, 2014): The CBO concluded that a jump in the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour could eliminate 500,000 jobs. For Republicans, the report provided ammunition that a higher minimum wage would kill jobs. Democrats pointed to the CBO`s findings that the higher wage would lift 900,000 people out of poverty. But both sides missed a key finding: That a smaller hike from the current $7.25 to $9.00 an hour would cause almost no pain, and still lift 300,000 people out of poverty while raising the incomes of 7.6 million people.Congressional Budget Office report:: Once fully implemented, the $10.10 option would reduce total employment by about 500,000 workers, or 0.3%. Some people earning slightly more than $10.10 would also have higher earnings, due to the heightened demand for goods and services. The increased earnings for low-wage workers would total $31 billion. Accounting for all increases and decreases, overall real income would rise by $2 billion.

Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue.

Amends the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to declare that an unlawful employment practice occurs when:
1. a discriminatory compensation decision or other practice is adopted;
2. an individual becomes subject to the decision or practice; or
3. an individual is affected by application of the decision or practice, including each time wages, benefits, or other compensation is paid.

[Note: A woman named Lilly Ledbetter filed a lawsuit for gender-based discriminatory compensation. The Supreme Court ruled that Ms. Ledbetter could only sue for damages going back 180 days, and the 180 days was calculated from the time her employment contract was initiated, i.e., her hire date. This new law changes the 180-day period to two years, and also calculates the date from the time of each paycheck, rather than the hire date. -- Ed.]

Stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination.

A bill to amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to provide more effective remedies to victims of discrimination in the payment of wages on the basis of sex.
• Revises the exception to the prohibition for a wage rate differential based on any other factor other than sex. Limits such factors to bona fide factors, such as education, training, or experience.
• Prohibits employer retaliation for inquiring about, discussing, or disclosing the wages of the employee in response to a sex discrimination investigation.
• Makes employers who violate sex discrimination prohibitions liable in a civil action for either compensatory or punitive damages.
• States that any action brought to enforce the prohibition against sex discrimination may be maintained as a class action in which individuals may be joined as party plaintiffs without their written consent.