Workforce Payment Bill Advances at the Legislature

Posted on March 31, 2022 by Erin Huppert

On Tuesday, March 29, LeadingAge Minnesota testified in support of our bill to provide permanent wage increases to caregivers in the Senate’s Human Services Reform Finance and Policy Committee.

Erin Huppert, Vice President of Advocacy at LeadingAge Minnesota, testified alongside our Long-Term Care Imperative partner about our 23,000 open positions, the increasing number of nursing homes at risk of closure, and the need to support our caregivers through wages across long-term care settings.

Committee Chair Sen. Jim Abeler acknowledged the workforce crisis in human services, including long-term care and announced that his committee intends to devote $1.3 billion of surplus funds towards workforce needs through 2025.

For a non-budget year, this is a significant promise for investment in human services, and we are pleased to see that the Senate recognizes Minnesota's caregiver workforce crisis. As we wait for the House and Gov. Walz to share where wages for senior caregivers fall on their budget priorities, we continue to advocate for investments in this area.