Dear Neighbors,
I hope you and your loved ones are healthy and safe as we continue to grapple with COVID-19 and its impact on our community. In the Minnesota Legislature, we are moving quickly toward our constitutional adjournment date of May 18, which will be the last day of the normal legislative session for the year. Before we’re done, my colleagues and I in the Minnesota House are determined to ensure Minnesotans have the tools and resources necessary to properly weather this pandemic and the economic insecurities it brings.
To that end, we’ve spent this week on the House floor passing legislation that puts Minnesotans first. We prioritized economic relief, safe and secure elections, and support for our schools’ hourly workers. You can read more about these bills below:
Building Economic Security
On Thursday, we passed a package of legislation that incorporates several important economic measures that my colleagues and I in the DFL House have been working on. COVID-19 hasn’t only brought new problems, it’s also built on the inequities that had already existed in our communities. The bill we passed contains provisions for housing assistance, a temporary wage increase for personal care assistants (PCA), funding to expand broadband access, and small business loans.
Holding Safe and Secure Elections
Coming into 2020, we were well aware that we would have to take steps to ensure this year’s elections were secure from interference. Federal funds were allocated to Minnesota for this purpose, and in addition to improving accessibility and modernizing election security, funds were also made available to better ensure the health and safety of election officials and in-person voters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
We don’t yet know what this fall will look like for this virus, but we need to be prepared. This includes preparation for increased absentee voting, new polling place locations, the purchase of sanitation and disinfectant supplies, and public outreach for implementing social distancing guidelines related to voting. You can read more about this bill here.
Supporting Those That Support Our Students
Like many of our frontline workers, the hourly employees at Minnesota’s schools have been crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they deserve economic security no matter what community they serve in our state. As we work to provide economic support to all Minnesotans, we can’t leave these workers behind. Our bill in the house delivers the economic security and clarity they deserve.
Stay Connected and Informed
Today, we’ll be taking up legislation providing additional funds for the Minnesota Family Investment Program, increasing the legal age of tobacco use to 21, mandating more transparency in drug pricing, and more. You can watch the floor debate live at 1:30 PM.
Things will continue to move quickly over the next week. Be sure to follow along on the House Public Information website, and be sure to visit the state’s COVID-19 informational dashboard for the latest accurate news and data on the virus.
If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me at rep.andrew.carlson@house.mn or leave a voicemail at (651) 296-4218. It’s an honor to represent you in the Minnesota House, and I appreciate your input.
Sincerely,
Andrew Carlson
State Representative