Dear Neighbors,
I hope those of you who celebrate Easter had a great weekend, and others were able to relax and enjoy the nice weather in Minnesota over the Spring Break! We are extremely close to the finish line of this pandemic with speedy vaccine distributions and economic recovery. I urge you all to reach out to friends and neighbors negatively impacted by the pandemic; here at the legislature, we are committed to do everything in our power for a renewed sense of normal as we approach the end of the session.
Governor Tim Walz and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced a new federal Community Vaccination Clinic in Minnesota: The site will be located at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds and receive 168,000 doses over eight weeks. It will prepare to administer a combination of Pfizer and J&J doses, which will result in over 100,000 total people being vaccinated during the eight week period. Vaccinations will begin at the Fairgrounds on April 14 and serve Minnesotans living in the highest Social Vulnerability Index zip codes near the Fairgrounds.
Make sure you are signed up for the Vaccine Connector for accessible information and appointments.
Legislative Action to Protect Survivors
Last week, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that people voluntarily consuming alcohol are not protected under the definition of “mentally incapacitated” and will be denied justice under the law. Intoxicated survivors are incapable of giving consent and the Court’s ruling further enables predatory behavior that endangers not just women, but any person of any age. This rulingsends a traumatizing message to survivors of sexual assault and threatens the safety of Minnesotans.
Our bi-partisan legislation will make clear that we value and believe survivors – it will clarify language in our Minnesota Statutes to not allow predatory behavior when someone is clearly too intoxicated to consent.
Progress on Paycheck Protection Program Conformity
As a result of the pandemic, many businesses in Minnesota have suffered over the past year. To support these businesses, the federal government offered Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Prior to the Spring Break, the Minnesota house advanced HF 501 with a bipartisan floor vote. The bill would provide state conformity to the federal tax rules and exempt these loans from taxation.
Approximately 68% percent of PPP loans went to businesses who operated at a loss in 2020, and those businesses would not receive any benefit in 2020 from federal conformity. These businesses include the local restaurants, bars, fitness centers, and entertainment venues harmed the most by the pandemic. Businesses that did not receive PPP loans would see no benefit, nor would unemployment insurance recipients.
My House colleagues and I are committed to help small businesses and families in need of a helping hand on the road to recovery. This tax filing season, please visit the Minnesota Department of Revenue’s website with information on their resources, including COVID-19 relief available for businesses, and sign up for updates.
Edina Girls Become State Champs!
On Saturday, April 3rd, our Edina girls championed a 2-1 victory in the Class AA girls hockey State Championship win over Andover! I am extremely proud (as is all of Edina) of these amazing champions! The exemplified excellence of these young girls is another badge of honor for all of us in Edina!
You can read more about their triumphant win here.
Edina Public Schools: Referendum Election on May 11th
On May 11th, Edina Public Schools will ask district voters to support a 10-year, $7M technology levy (a renewal of the current $6.5mm levy with an increase of $500,000) and approve a 20-year, $7M bond issue for expansion of bus garage facilities and traffic control improvements at two schools.
The support of this referendum is incredibly important for Edina Public Schools by funding the following:
- Curricular: Hardware, software and licensing for students and teachers
- Information Systems: Infinite Campus, Schoology, SeeSaw and employee data and recruitment
- Infrastructure: Network, firewalls, phone systems and bandwidth
- Safety and Security: Security cameras, door lock and alarm systems
- Staffing: Media Specialists, Help Desk, Digital Learning Specialists, Tech Specialists
- Increase in instructional software
Your vote matters and our community deserves to hear your voice. This decision could greatly impact our public schools – I urge you to plan ahead to cast your vote by May 11th. You can read more here.
Here are important voting details for the May 11th Election:
- Early Voting at Edina City Hall has Started: Note that you can early vote at Edina City Hall Monday through Friday from March 26th to May 7th from 8AM to 4:30PM, on Saturday, May 8th from 10AM to 3PM, and Monday, May 10th from 8AM to 5PM.
- Edina City Hall is not a polling place on Election Day (May 11) and if voting on Election Day you should vote at your regular polling place that can be found here: Election Day Voting
- Absentee Voting Information is located here: Minnesota Regular Absentee Ballot Application
Keep in Touch
Please continue to contact me anytime at rep.heather.edelson@house.mn or 651-296-4363 with your input or questions. You’re welcome also to follow me or ‘like’ my official Facebook page for additional updates.
Thank you for the honor of representing our Edina residents and families in the Minnesota House!
Sincerely,
Heather Edelson
State Representative