This has been a challenging and emotional couple of weeks. I hope you’ve been able to set aside time for yourself and are taking a moment to check in on loved ones. In spite of – and because of – these tumultuous times, I am more committed than ever in my role as your state representative to help bridge divides and get us on a path forward together.
As you know, we’ve been working diligently on developing a balanced two-year state budget. In the House, we’re focused on pandemic recovery for our families and small businesses, and ensuring all areas of the budget deliver opportunity for every Minnesotan to thrive.
So far, we’ve passed budget bills for the following areas:
ST PAUL, MINNESOTA– Today, the Minnesota DFL Party is strongly condemning a bill introduced by Republican Senator David Osmek that seeks to stifle Minnesotans’ freedom of speech and expression by imposing extraordinarily harsh punishments on rally-goers and demonstrators.
A person convicted of a criminal offense related to the person’s illegal conduct at a protest, demonstration, rally, civil unrest, or march is ineligible for any type of state loan, grant, or assistance, including but not limited to college student loans and grants, rent and mortgage assistance, supplemental nutrition assistance, unemployment benefits and other employment assistance, Minnesota supplemental aid programs, business grants, medical assistance, general assistance, and energy assistance.
DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin released the following statement:
The eyes of the world are on Minnesota as we face the killing of Daunte Wright. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones and all Minnesotans who are grieving his tragic death. We must find a way to navigate this difficult moment together.
Public safety reform has taken a central focus with renewed efforts to make positive change and safer communities across the state. As you may recall, the Legislature passed several bipartisan public safety reform measures last summer, with law enforcement stakeholders at the table. Some of the measures we passed with the Minnesota Senate include a tougher standard for when police can use deadly force, a ban on “warrior training” and choke holds, a duty to intercede, and expanded Autism training. I’m committed to continuing this work in partnership with our 33B residents and local police departments. Balancing the state budget and ensuring safe communities for all are my top priorities as we wind down the 2021 session.
Vaccine Update
It’s been a long, dreary week, but today we received the bright news that 50% of Minnesotans age 16 and older have gotten at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine. As Minnesota waits for additional supply of vaccine, it’s critical we stay vigilant to keep each other safe. Every individual action we take now to protect public health will help our collective efforts to close this challenging and painful chapter of our global history.
Although the state is following federal guidance to take a pause on Johnson and Johnson vaccine administrations, we are still in good shape for getting Pfizer and Moderna shots into as many arms as possible. Anyone who currently has an appointment to receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should watch for a notification from their provider about canceling, postponing, or rescheduling the appointment. If your appointment is cancelled, you can look for other vaccination appointments through the Vaccine Locator map, local pharmacies or your health care provider.
Yesterday on the House Floor we started the process of voting on the bills that comprise our new state budget. Here are some highlights from the legislation we approved yesterday and are considering today.
Legacy
In 2008, Minnesotans voted to adopt the Legacy Amendment, which increased sales taxes by three-eighths of one percent. The revenue this constitutional amendment generates is divided between four funds. Sixty-six percent of the revenue is split evenly between the Outdoor Heritage Fund and the Clean Water Fund, 19.75 percent goes to the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund, and the Parks and Trails Fund receives 14.25 percent. These funds are appropriated every two years except the Outdoor Heritage Fund, which is appropriated annually.
The 2021 Legacy bill reflects our commitment to ensuring that Legacy Amendment funds benefit all Minnesotans and takes important steps to protect our outdoor heritage, water quality, and parks and trails systems.
State Government, Elections and Veterans
As our state continues to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, the State Government, Elections, and Veterans bill includes investments in the responsive and efficient state government Minnesotans deserve to meet this moment and assist in our economic recovery. The bill also invests in Minnesota’s veterans with additional funding for our state veterans’ homes, funding to help end veteran homelessness, strategies to prevent veteran suicide, and a pathway for veterans who have been charged with crimes stemming from service-related trauma to get mental health or substance abuse help as an alternative to incarceration. The bill also includes several provisions to strengthen our democracy and elections.
Transportation
Minnesotans expect our roads and bridges to be safe and efficient, but across the state, our infrastructure continues to deteriorate. Many bridges are near collapse. Ourtransportation budget makes direct investments in transportation to address the long-term safety risk posed by our aging roads, bridges, and transportation infrastructure. The bill helps Minnesota grow our multimodal transportation system to help people get where they need to go no matter where they live, with investments in pedestrian and bike infrastructure, transit investments in both the metro and greater Minnesota, road safety improvements, rail projects, and more.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out anytime at input or questions at rep.kelly.morrison@house.mn or 651-296-4315. I’m happy to help provide assistance when you need it.
Thank you for the honor of serving our 33B residents and families in the Minnesota House of Representatives!
I hope those who celebrate Easter or Passover had a nice celebration and that everyone had a chance to enjoy the spring weather we had last weekend!
Legislators gaveled back in for session on Monday after our customary mid-session recess to observe the holidays. The Legislature is assembling budget bills and committees spent the week vetting them, adopting amendments, and most importantly, hearing from the public.
Governor Walz today announced that starting next Tuesday, all Minnesotans aged 16 or older will become eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. If you haven’t done so, now is the time to sign up for the state’s COVID-19 Vaccine Connector which will alert you to vaccine opportunities. You’re also encouraged to contact your healthcare provider, local pharmacy or use the Vaccine Locator Map to search for nearby vaccine providers.
While all Minnesotans will become eligible next Tuesday, not every Minnesotan will be immediately able to make an appointment. Vaccine shipments from the federal government will continue increasing over the coming weeks, but for now demand will still exceed supply. Providers will be directed to keep prioritizing older Minnesotans, those with underlying health conditions, and those in frontline jobs. Following that, they will have the flexibility to give appointments to others eligible. Starting next week, we’re expected to receive much larger quantities of the vaccine which should quickly accelerate distribution.
The postmaster general announces his long-awaited strategic initiative, one that diminishes delivery standards and raises prices
Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on Tuesday unveiled the largest rollback of consumer mail services in a generation, part of a 10-year plan that includes longer first-class delivery windows, reduced post office hours and higher postage prices.
DeJoy presented his long-awaited strategic vision for the U.S. Postal Service during a Tuesday webinar. Portions of the initiative already made public have raised alarms from postal advocates, who say they could further erode agency performance. Mailing industry officials warn that substantial service cuts could drive away business and worsen its already battered finances.
But DeJoy has cited the need for austerity to ensure more consistent delivery and rein in losses. The agency is weighed down by $188.4 billion in liabilities, and DeJoy told a House panel last month that he expects the Postal Service to lose $160 billion over the next 10 years. Without the plan, Postal Service Board of Governors Chairman Ron Bloom said, the agency’s future was “profoundly threatened.” Continue reading.
The longer days and signs of spring give us much to look forward to as we get closer to closing the chapter on the COVID-19 pandemic.
We’ve exceeded our goal to vaccinate 70% of Minnesotans 65 and older, which means vaccination eligibility has been expanded.
Minnesotans who are now eligible to receive a vaccine include the following:
People with certain underlying conditions, including sickle cell disease, Down Syndrome, and oxygen-dependent chronic lung or heart conditions, and those who are in active cancer treatment or immunocompromised from organ transplant
People with rare conditions or disabilities that put them at higher risk
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – House DFL lawmakers Wednesday introduced new legislationto increase opportunities for equitable COVID-19 vaccine access. In response to the vast disparities outlined in reporting from the Minnesota Department of Health, Representative Kelly Morrison (DFL-Deephaven), Representative Jay Xiong (DFL-St. Paul), Representative Hodan Hassan (DFL-Minneapolis), Majority Leader Ryan Winkler (DFL-Golden Valley), and 31 other House DFLers are leading efforts to close the gap and get more vaccine doses distributed to marginalized communities across the state.
“By doubling down on our efforts now to get shots into as many arms as possible, in every corner of the state, we can crush the virus and close the chapter on this public health crisis,” said Rep. Morrison, a practicing physician and Assistant Majority Leader in the Minnesota House. “The Minnesota Department of Health has been doing an incredible job handling the pandemic response, but we can and should do more for our communities who have been especially hit hard over the last year.”
The legislation would establish a Mobile Vaccine Program, in which mobile vaccination vehicles are deployed to disproportionately impacted communities around the state to provide COVID-19 vaccines to those residents. A mobile vaccination vehicle providing vaccines in a community with a large number of residents with limited English proficiency must also be staffed by interpreters for the needed languages.
In response to the Carver County outbreak of the B117 COVID variant over the weekend, the Minnesota Department of Health announced a new temporary COVID-19 testing site at the Chanhassen Recreation Center (2310 Coulter Blvd., Chanhassen, MN 55317). Saliva testing at this location will take place Thursday, March 11 through Saturday, March 13, and Thursday, March 18 through Saturday, March 20. Appointments are encouraged but not required. Walk-ins are also available. Hours of operation are as follows:
Thursday, March 11, 2 – 8 p.m.
Friday, March 12, noon – 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 13, noon – 6 p.m.
Thursday, March 18, 2 – 8 p.m.
Friday, March 19, noon – 6 p.m.
Saturday, March 20, noon – 6 p.m.
Other testing locations in Carver County can be found here:
Minnesota received positive news on the COVID-19 vaccine front this week: the pace of vaccination has picked up significantly, we’re on track to exceed the goal of vaccinating 70% of Minnesotans 65 and older by the end of the month, and as of Wednesday, the CDC ranked Minnesota 3rd among states for the percentage of doses received that have been administered. I’m optimistic that the arrival of the Johnson & Johnson single-dose vaccine in our state will only help quicken efforts to get as many shots into arms as possible.
To date, 975,781 Minnesotans have received a first dose of the vaccine, with 516,422 completing the series.
If you haven’t done so yet, I encourage you to sign up for Minnesota’s Vaccine Connector, which will notify you when you’re eligible and connect you with vaccination opportunities.
Survey
Hearing from and engaging with community members is the most important part of public service. I hope you’ll take a moment to share your input with me on various issues moving through the House by taking my 2021 legislative survey. Questions vary from how you’ve been impacted by the pandemic to what your thoughts are on adult-use cannabis legalization. Thanks in advance for sharing your views!
Legislation Progress
Our work continues in the Minnesota Legislature. Over the past week, House and Senate committees have been working into the evening, carefully vetting, and reviewing legislation to help get our state on track post-pandemic. This year has been understandably challenging for our youth, and this week, I presented a few of my bills to support students and their healthy development. You can read more about them below:
MN Youth Council
This week, I presented my bill that would invest in the Minnesota Youth Council. Current and former MYC representatives Paula Akakpo, Ava Kalenze, Neese Parker, Weston Loughmiller, D’Andre Gordon and Bridget Westrum gave testimony that spoke to the importance of MYC to the Minnesota legislature and our state.
Protecting Early Childhood Develoapment
I presented my bill to limit individual screens for students in preschool and kindergarten in the Early Childhood Education Finance and Policy committee this week. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no screens before 18 months and no more than 1 hour per day for ages 2-5. Developing brains need free play and relational experiences, not solitary individual screens. Good Morning America covered my legislation last year, and you can read more here.
Community Spotlight
It was great to meet with constituent Rob Wudlick, who is living with a spinal cord injury himself and does a tremendous amount of work and advocacy on behalf of Minnesotans living with spinal cord injury and traumatic brain injury. He’s currently advocating for a bill that would maintain and strengthen the SCI/TBI research grant program. Thanks for all you do, Rob!
It was such an honor to present Randy Maluchnik with a House Resolution honoring his service to our community last night during the Carver County Veterans Council meeting tonight. He has served selflessly in so many different capacities: a veteran, an advocate for veterans and their families, and a dedicated and hard working Carver County Commissioner, to name just a few. Thank you for your service, Randy!
Upcoming Town Hall Meeting- Save the Date!
I’m looking forward to our next opportunity to gather online for a virtual town hall meeting on Saturday, March 20 at 10:00 a.m. Stay tuned for details on how you can join.
Keep in Touch
Please continue to reach out anytime at rep.kelly.morrison@house.mn or 651-296-4315 with questions, input, or to let me know how I can be of assistance.
Thank you for the honor of representing our 33B residents and families in the Minnesota House!
