Latest Releases
Senator Smith and Representative Omar Reintroduce No Shame at School Act
WASHINGTON– Today, U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) and U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar (D-MN) announced the reintroduction of the No Shame at School Act, a bill aimed at ending lunch shaming practices in schools nationwide. The No Shame at School Act would prohibit school districts from publicly identifying or shaming students who are unable to pay for school meals. It also bans schools from hiring debt collectors to recover unpaid school meal debt.The legislation requires schools to attempt to directly certify children with unpaid meal debt for free or reduced-price meals and allows schools to be retroactively reimbursed for meals served to these children. “No child should have to go through the experience of being shamed at school for an unpaid lunch bill,” said Senator Smith. “I’m so proud of the work Minnesota has done to address this issue through universal school lunches, but there are too many places around the country where we still see this happening. We need to set our children up for success in school, and making sure kids get the school lunches they need without being made to feel ashamed or embarrassed is an important part of that success.” “In Minnesota, we have already implemented universal school meals and are leading the charge to remove school lunch shaming,” said Rep. Omar, a member of the Committee on Education and Workforce. “It’s time for the rest of the nation to follow suit. Every child deserves to learn and grow without the pangs of hunger or the fear of being
Bipartisan Momentum Builds for Warehouse Worker Protection Act
Washington (September 25, 2024) – U.S. Senator Tina Smith, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) committee, along with Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Josh Hawley (R-MO), and Bob Casey (D-PA), applauded the bipartisan momentum behind the Warehouse Worker Protection Act, legislation that would protect warehouse workers by prohibiting dangerous work speed quotas that lead to high rates of worker injuries. The legislation as re-introduced includes new enforcement authority for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), as well as an exemption for small businesses. Senators Smith, Markey, and Casey, first introduced the Warehouse Worker Protection Act in May. “The Warehouse Worker Protection Act is about protecting the health and dignity of workers from the scourge of corporate greed at Amazon and other large companies,” said Senator Markey. “This movement is strong and growing, and we will not rest until warehouse workers know when they clock in that they will return home unharmed.” “Corporations too often prioritize profit over their workers’ safety and well-being, treating them like cogs in a machine. It has to stop. This legislation combats the warehouse industry’s worst practices while ensuring corporations do right by their employees in treating them with the dignity they deserve,” said Senator Hawley. “The momentum to protect workers is growing. These big companies hold a lot of power, they are literally controlling the lives of workers minute by minute with their productivity metrics and quotas,” said Senator Smith. “With this bill, we are saying, enough is enough. We’re putting accountability into this system and power back in the hands of workers
U.S. Sens. Tina Smith & Ben Sasse Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Improve Credit Union Employee & Member Safety
WASHINGTON, D.C. [05/20/21]—U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) introduced bipartisan legislation to make credit unions safer for employees and members. The Credit Union Employee and Member Safety Act of 2021 would simplify the expulsion process for credit union members who engage in unacceptable, sometimes dangerous behavior, while preventing unfair expulsions. Minnesota credit unions have shared stories of members who have robbed credit unions, smashed ATMs, and sexually harassed tellers. Despite this unacceptable behavior, it can be difficult for credit unions to expel these members. That is because current law requires the credit union to call a vote of membership to expel a member,
U.S. Senators Tina Smith & Patty Murray, U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene Unveil Legislation to Support Sustainable Workplace Retirement Plans
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/20/21]—Today, U.S. Senators Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and U.S. Representative Suzan DelBene (D-WA 1) introduced legislation in the Senate and House to provide legal certainty to workplace retirement plans that choose to consider environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors in their investment decisions or offer ESG investment options. Despite considerable demand for sustainable investment options, relatively few workplace retirement plans, such as pensions and 401(k) plans, take sustainable investing principles into account in their investment decisions or provide sustainable investment options to workers. One of the primary issues hindering plans that want to offer sustainable
U.S. Senator Tina Smith, U.S. Representative Angie Craig Introduce 21st Century Workforce Partnerships Act
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/17/21]—U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and U.S. Representative Angie Craig (D-MN 2) recently introduced companion legislation in the Senate and House to expand school-business partnerships, which would help ensure a future workforce that is trained for the jobs employers are creating. Many employers struggle to find qualified workers across several industries, including advanced manufacturing, agriculture, information technology and health care. According to workforce studies, almost two-thirds of the millions of jobs that will need to be filled in the U.S. will require at least some post-secondary education. Schools and employers are already building programs and partnerships like those outlined
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, MN Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho Host Call Highlighting Urgent Need to Stop Evictions for Minnesota Renters Hurt by COVID-19
WASHINGTON, D.C. [5/14/21]—Today U.S. Senator Tina Smith (D-Minn.) and Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho led a discussion about the urgent need to prevent evictions for tens of thousands of Minnesota renters who have been hit hard by the pandemic and fallen behind on their rent. Sen. Smith and Ho were joined by non-profit leaders who are helping connect the growing number of financially-troubled renters with the assistance they need to stay in their homes in the Metro area, Duluth, Willmar, Faribault, Rochester, St. Cloud, and Marshall. You can watch a clip from the discussion here and the entire conversation here. “I’m so grateful for the important work that Minnesota Housing Commissioner Jennifer Ho and all of the housing assistance
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