If you’re confused by Minnesota’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout, you’re not alone.
The plan has changed several times since Minnesota started administering vaccines in December, and more updates are on the horizon as the state nears completion of its first vaccine priority group.
Here’s the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines in Minnesota. Continue reading.
Celebrating Black History Month
and everything happening in the Legislature this week.
Senate DFL celebrates Black History Month
February 1 through March 1 is recognized federally and state-wide as Black History Month. In recognition of that, DFL members are taking time to reflect and listen to those who have consistently been underrepresented in our Legislature. As we take this month to reflect on their legacy, we take up the mantle of change. Read more >>
Continue reading “Senate DFL Week in Review: September 5, 2021”
Old Republican slogans of ‘law and order’ and ‘personal responsibility’ no longer work
What is the Republican Party in 2021? It’s easier to say what it’s not.
With a majority of the party’s House members voting to invalidate the results of a free and fair election, and a good chunk of its voters going along with the fantasy that Donald Trump was robbed, it’s clear the GOP is not a stickler for democracy or the Constitution. And with most Republican senators not interested in holding an impeachment trial for a former president accused of “inciting an insurrection,” Americans can be pretty sure the party is not too keen on accountability.
It’s not a new contradiction. But while it’s true that the GOP has long instructed voters not to “look behind the curtain,” the mess that is spilling out has become impossible to ignore. The sight of thousands of violent rioters storming the center of legislative government will do that. Continue reading.
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, members of the DFL Party State Central Committee gathered to elect new leaders of the Minnesota DFL Party. Those elected leaders include:
“I am honored to have been re-elected Chairman of the Minnesota DFL Party alongside a fantastic slate of organizers and activists that are ready to double down on our party’s winning record,” said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin.“When I first took over the DFL Party in 2011, we were deeply in debt and reeling from a series of electoral defeats. Ten years later we have turned the party around and it is stronger – organizationally, financially, and electorally – than ever before in its 77 year history”
Continue reading “Minnesota DFL Party Elects New Leadership Team”
On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced that the State of Minnesota has ramped up its COVID-19 vaccination efforts, and is now administering two times the number of shots given per day on average compared to just last week. The increase in vaccination rate follows Governor Tim Walz’ directives given last Monday designed to accelerate the availability of vaccine across the state.
To date, More than 600,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Minnesota.
Continue reading “Gov. Walz and Lt. Gov. Flanagan Update: February 5, 2021”
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Senate Republicans heard legislation February 3 targeting transgender youth whose assigned sex at birth is different from their true gender. The Senate Republican-controlled Education Committee heard a bill which would prohibit schools from allowing any student whose “sex is male” from participating in girls’ sports.
Rep. Ruth Richardson (DFL-Mendota Heights), chair of the House Education Policy Committee condemned the measure and released the following statement in response:
“For Minnesota to be a state with world class education we must ensure an inclusive school experience for students of all genders with equitable access to the activities that support their learning and well-being. As the House Education Policy Chair, I am committed to using my gavel to expand opportunity, not restrict it on the basis of transgender status. Our committee will not give Senate Republicans’ bill a hearing because it would have a harmful and exclusionary impact on children in our schools.
All of our students in Minnesota deserve every opportunity to be successful in and out of the classroom and that includes participating in extracurricular activities and sports. We ought to be celebrating the contributions our students are making to their school teams among their peers, not denying or restricting their opportunities based on transgender status.”
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – On February 4, a bipartisan group of legislators announced new efforts to deliver vital supplemental state health assistance to Minnesota’s 22,000 firefighters. The Hometown Heroes Act, authored by Rep. Cheryl Yoaukim (DFL-Hopkins) and Sen. Jeff Howe (R-Rockville), would address the alarmingly high incidence of cancer, cardiac issues, and emotional trauma facing these frontline workers.
“Our firefighters face unique challenges, especially with the ongoing pandemic,” said Representative Youakim. “They have higher incidences of cancer, cardiac issues and now more than ever, trauma. This bill would not only deliver quality health care assistance our firefighters need but takes a proactive approach with the necessary awareness training they deserve.”
“I, unfortunately, have watched many of my fellow firefighters suffer and die from cancer and heart disease,” said Senator Jeff Howe. “If we don’t take care of the folks we call when we’re in trouble, how can we expect them to be there when we need them? I’m passionate about this subject, and I’m honored to be carrying this bill.”
Continue reading “Minnesota Lawmakers Announce Bipartisan Hometown Heroes Act”
The video from May 3, 2020, bears striking similarities to footage showing three of the same officers — Derek Chauvin, Thomas Lane and J. Alexander Kueng — aggressively detaining Floyd.
Three weeks before he planted his knee on George Floyd’s neck, Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin responded to a report of a woman being held hostage by armed men in a South Side apartment.
Along with officers Thomas Lane, J. Alexander Kueng and Luis Realivasquez, Chauvin marched into the building as a Black man named Adrian Drakeford walked out. Drakeford was carrying an object the officers later said they thought to be a knife. Without a word, they tackled him to the ground outside the apartment building.
His brother Lee Drakeford started recording with his cellphone as he and Adrian’s girlfriend, Kamaria Layton, pleaded that the officers were making a mistake. Continue reading.
To improve employee health and well-being, particularly among lower wage earners, House DFLers have reintroduced legislation that would require paid time off for all Minnesota workers.
HF7, sponsored by Rep. Liz Olson (DFL-Duluth) and co-sponsored by 15 other DFLers, would require employers to provide workers at least one hour of health-related paid time off for every 30 hours worked.
The time could be used to recuperate from an illness, care for an ill family member, attend an appointment, watch kids during weather- or emergency-related day care closures or care for a parent. Continue reading.
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, the House Health Finance & Policy Committee received an update on COVID-19 from Dr. Michael Osterholm, world-renowned epidemiologist and Director of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy. The committee also discussed the important role of local public health in combating the pandemic and considered legislation to boost investments in local public health grants.
Dr. Osterholm shared several concerns regarding the virus with the committee, including the emergence of new COVID-19 variants that could mean the worst of the pandemic is still in front of us. Noting that the first doses of the vaccine has been greatly effective, he discussed the possibility of adapting to a first-dose priority plan for those ages 65 or older, postponing the second dose for those patients. He also stressed the importance of continued mask wearing, physical distancing and avoiding crowds, and discussed the need for individuals to protect their mental health.
“We’ve recently seen key COVID-19 metrics, including case counts and hospitalizations, trend downward, but as Dr. Osterholm told us, we aren’t out of the woods yet,” said Rep. Tina Liebling (DFL – Rochester), Chair of the Health Finance and Policy Committee. “As Minnesota continues vaccinating our residents, we must all remain vigilant against the virus – particularly as new variants emerge – to continue making progress and get through the pandemic as quickly as possible.”
Continue reading “House Health Committee receives update COVID-19 update from Dr. Osterholm, discusses Rep. Wolgamott’s proposed public health investments”