Dear Neighbors,
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.
How Minnesotans Can Get Their Shot:
- Register for the Vaccine Connector to get invited to make an appointment at one of the state’s COVID-19 Community Vaccination Program locations:https://mn.gov/vaccineconnector.
- Use the state’s Vaccine Finder Map to find the closest vaccine provider:https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/locations/index.jsp.
- Contact their primary health care provider or a local pharmacy.
- Employers may also reach out with information about vaccination opportunities.
How Minnesotans Can Get a COVID-19 Test at No Cost:
- Walk in or schedule an appointment for a test at one of the state’s community testing sites across Minnesota: https://mn.gov/covid19/get-tested/testing-locations/community-testing.jsp.
Order a test through the state’s at-home COVID-19 testing program:https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/testsites/athome.html
Budget Bills Advance
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!
Take care and enjoy the weekend.
Sincerely,
Kelly