State Issues 25 , CD3 DFL

Governor Gretchen Whitmer to Keynote DFL Founders Day Dinner

DFL Party to Host Dinner on 77th Anniversary of Party’s Founding

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the DFL Party is announcing that Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer will keynote the party’s 2021 Founders Day Dinner. The virtual dinner will take place on the evening of April 15th, which marks the 77th anniversary of the DFL Party’s founding.

Senators Klobuchar and Smith and Governor Walz will also be speaking during the event. Members of the media will be able to tune in to the virtual dinner. Those looking for more information and to order tickets can visit www.dflfoundersday.com.

Minnesota family caregivers turned away for the COVID-19 vaccine despite being eligible

Those caring for relatives with complex needs are eligible as health workers.

Laura Rede was turned away from a vaccine appointment Thursday because the clinic wouldn’t accept the paperwork showing that Rede is a health care worker.

“They asked ‘Do you have a badge?’ ” Rede said. “Well you don’t have a badge if you work at home.”

Rede is one of thousands of Minnesotans who care for a relative at home, in this case daughter Shanika who has Down syndrome, autism and other conditions that have been shown to make her vulnerable to COVID-19. Continue reading.

Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: March 5, 2021

Governor Walz: First Johnson & Johnson Vaccine Doses Have Arrived in Minnesota

On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced that the first Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine doses arrived in Minnesota and met one of the first shipments to arrive in the state. Immunizations began shortly after doses arrived to Minnesota providers.

“This is an exciting development. We now have three vaccines available that are safe and highly effective in preventing severe disease, hospitalization, and death,” said Governor Walz. “The Johnson & Johnson vaccine will help our state quickly provide immunity and get us one step closer to ending this pandemic. We know we need broad community protection before we can get back to the normal, enjoyable parts of life we have missed, and the way we get there is by getting as many people vaccinated as quickly as possible. Everyone who has the opportunity to get this shot should take it.”

Minnesota Ranks First in the Nation for Children Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – A recently published study from Save the Children finds that over the last four months of 2020, Minnesota consistently ranked first in the nation for children amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Using four months of data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, the Save the Children’s COVID Child Protection Ranking identifies where children have been most and least protected during the COVID-19 pandemic, finding that Minnesota has continually ranked first in protecting children from hunger, learning loss, and financial stress.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of Minnesotans across the state, but it has hit our working families and their children the hardest,” said Governor Tim Walz. “While we are proud that in this report Minnesota has consistently ranked first in the nation for families during the pandemic, we have work to do. We know that Minnesota children still face unacceptably high disparities in race and income. Our children are our future, and we must continue to invest in their success to emerge from this crisis stronger than before .”

“ There is no more important investment than in our children,” said Lieutenant Governor Peggy Flanagan. “Supporting our littlest Minnesotans and their families with a focus on equity has been foundational to our COVID-19 response and remains our top priority.”

First doses of new COVID-19 vaccine arrive in Minnesota

State expects to get 42,500 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week

The first doses of the new Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine arrived in Minnesota on Wednesday, just days after receiving federal regulatory approvals.

An M Health Fairview facility in southeast Minneapolis took possession of 980 vials, enough to vaccinate 4,900 people.

Other health care providers in the state, including Essentia Health in Duluth, received the vaccine Wednesday as part of a shipment of 42,500 doses coming to Minnesota this week. Continue reading.

Bloomington may ban conversion therapy for minors, vulnerable adults

Bloomington has two practitioners of widely discredited “conversion.”

Bloomington is among the latest Minnesota cities taking steps to outlaw conversion therapy for minors and vulnerable adults, a ban that would affect at least two providers employing the discredited practice within city limits.

OutFront Minnesota, an LGBTQ advocacy group, found that unlike Minneapolis, St. Paul, West St. Paul, Duluth, Robbinsdale, Red Wing, Winona and Rochester — which have approved conversion therapy bans in recent years — Bloomington has two licensed providers offering conversion therapy to minors. The practice aims to change an individual’s sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression.

In St. Louis Park, where the council is considering a resolution denouncing conversion therapy — similar to a measure Golden Valley passed last March — there is at least one provider that offers therapy for “unwanted same-sex attraction,” according to the website of Agape Christian Counselors. Messages left with founder and counselor David Hovis were not returned. Continue reading.

Senate DFL Week in Review: March 5, 2021

Supporting Minnesota’s Working Families
and everything happening in the Legislature this week.

Senate DFLers support working families

As Minnesotans recover from the devastating effects of a global pandemic, they need support at home, in the workplace, and help to stay connected. The Senate DFL recognizes that everyone, from birth through aging, should have access to affordable health care, safe and affordable housing, and economic security. Read more >>

Minnesota continues strong progress in vaccine distribution

Minnesota continued to be among the national leaders in COVID-19 vaccine distribution this week and was helped by the approval of a third vaccine. As the Walz Administration continues to lead vaccine rollout efforts in Minnesota, the state now ranks third in the nation in the percentage of doses received that have been administered. Read more >>

Type 1 diabetes, rare diseases added to Minnesota COVID-19 vaccine priority groups

More qualifying medical conditions added to list.

People with Type 1 diabetes and some high-risk rare medical conditions, such as ALS and cystic fibrosis, were added to the state’s next phase of COVID-19 vaccine priority groups by health officials Tuesday.

Those diseases were not initially included when the qualifying medical conditions were announced last Thursday. Minnesota Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said the changes were made to align the state with federal guidance.

The state also added workers in the court system and some public health jobs that were not included in earlier phases as it published seven pages of detailed guidance on who qualifies for COVID-19 shots after the 70% of those 65 and older are vaccinated by the end of the month. Continue reading.

Minnesota health systems to identify at-risk patients for next round of COVID-19 shots

More than 1.3 million Minnesotans will become eligible for shots in April.

People with health conditions that make them susceptible to COVID-19 complications most likely will be contacted by their health care provider when it’s their turn to get the shot.

“We’ll use our electronic medical record as well the expertise of our clinicians to help identify patients,” said Dr. John Misa, interim chief medical officer for the Allina Health Group.

Once 70% of the state’s seniors are vaccinated, perhaps by the end of March, the state’s rollout plan calls for the medically vulnerable and essential workers to become the next priority groups. Continue reading.

Tide turns on Minnesota legislative session

The nature of Minnesota’s legislative session has dramatically changed.

No longer is there a projected deficit to fix. A modest budget surplus is now in the cards, and a big chunk of money could soon be on its way from the federal government.

Differences over how to craft the next budget remain, but the prospect of a protracted stalemate is diminished. Continue reading.

DFL Party to Host Dinner on 77th Anniversary of Party’s Founding

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