Rep. Melissa Hortman (HD36B) Update: March 22, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you and your family are staying safe and healthy — and practicing social distancing. We are in some very challenging times, but I remain confident in Minnesotans’ ability to help each other make it through.

Here’s an update on our state’s COVID-19 response efforts.

Updated actions and guidance from Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health

Schools closed to students

Last Sunday morning, Governor Walz announced that schools will be closed to students from March 18-Friday, March 27 in order for school administrators and teachers to make long-term plans for the continuity of education and essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Governor’s executive order requires schools to provide care for elementary-age children of health care professionals, first responders, and other emergency workers to ensure Minnesota’s first line of defense against COVID-19 can stay on the job. It also requires schools to continue providing meals to students in need and ensures the continuity of mental health services.

Closing schools is never an easy decision, but it’s the right one, and I appreciate the thoughtful way his executive order addresses the need for care and meals for our children.

You can find additional updates from the Minnesota Department of Education here. There is also a school and child care questions hotline — (7 am to 7 pm): 651-297-1304or 1-800-657-3504.

Bars, restaurants, other venues temporarily closed

On Monday, Governor Walz announced the temporary closure of Minnesota bars and restaurants for dine-in customers, theaters, gyms, and other venues. The Governor also took executive action to strengthen Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and ensure that affected establishments have benefits available for workers who are not able to work as a result of COVID-19.

If your employer has reduced hours or shut down due to COVID-19, you should apply for Unemployment Insurance. You can learn more and start the process here.

Taking these steps is very difficult but in the best interest of Minnesotans. Social distancing and drastically limiting the size of crowds are critically important to slowing the spread of COVID-19. Slowing the spread of this disease is necessary to prevent our health care system from being overloaded.

Banning price gouging and protecting vulnerable Minnesotans

On Friday, Governor Walz signed an executive order prohibiting price gouging during a peacetime emergency. We have heard a number of reports of extreme price hikes for common household necessities. Minnesotans can report instances of price gouging by calling the Attorney General’s office at 651-296-3353 or 800-657-3787. Callers can ask for a translator at these numbers as well. Complaints can be made online at www.ag.state.mn.us/office/complaint.asp.

Governor Walz signed two additional executive orders on Friday. The first authorizes the Commissioner of the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) to seek federal authority to temporarily waive or modify certain requirements for federal programs, including the Minnesota Family Investment Program, Medical Assistance, and MinnesotaCare, to ensure these programs continue providing necessary support to Minnesota families during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The second order allows DHS to temporarily issue waivers or modifications to state requirements to ensure that their services can be delivered to Minnesotans safely and without undue delay, protecting vulnerable Minnesotans and those who care for them. DHS provides health care coverage, programs, and services for over 1 million Minnesotans, including groups likely to be significantly impacted by COVID-19 such as older adults, individuals who have disabilities, families with children, and individuals with mental illness.

Governor Walz and MNsure are also launching a 30-day special enrollment period for qualified individuals who are currently without insurance in response to the potential growth of COVID-19 cases. This special enrollment period begins Monday, March 23 and runs through April 21, giving uninsured individuals 30 days to enroll in health insurance coverage through MNsure.org.

Lastly, the Governor announced that Minnesota will partner with the YMCA to care for the school-age children of emergency workers in Minnesota. The YMCA will open 38 locations across Minnesota to provide access to distance learning and care to children in kindergarten through sixth grade, coordinating with school districts. They will prioritize our tier 2 emergency workers and other children 5 to 12 which some school districts do not have the capacity to care for.

These are all excellent steps and I thank Governor Walz for taking them. The Governor has been a great partner with the Minnesota House of Representatives through this pandemic. We will continue working closely with him and his Administration.

MDH has also updated their community mitigation strategies. MDH recommends postponing and canceling:

Events where 50 people or more would gather, including but not limited to:
- Concerts.
- Conferences.
- Professional, college, and school performances or sporting events.
- Festivals.
- Parades.
- Weddings
- Other types of assemblies.
Smaller events (fewer than 50 people) that are held in crowded auditoriums, rooms, or other venues that do not allow social distancing of 6 feet per person.
Events with more than 10 people where the majority of participants are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19, including gatherings such as those at:
- Retirement facilities.
- Assisted living facilities.
- Developmental homes.
- Support groups for people with health conditions.
Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing. When feasible, organizers could modify events to be virtual.
More information is available at CDC: Get Your Mass Gatherings or Large Community Events Ready.

Legislative Activity and Changes to Operations

Members of the Minnesota House of Representatives are temporarily working from outside the Minnesota State Capitol. In conformity with Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, State Representatives are engaging in telework rather than in-person work at the State Capitol. Legislators in the Minnesota House of Representatives are convening informal working groups to discuss measures to assist Minnesotans coping with the COVID-19 pandemic and its related disruptions.

Minnesotans’ input is still a vital part of the legislative process. Members of the public are encouraged to stay in touch with their State Representatives during the pandemic through email, phone, virtual town halls and public briefings, legislator newsletters, House committee listservs, and House Public Information.

In this time of an unprecedented public health emergency, we know that Governor Walz will need to move fast and make use of executive orders to protect Minnesotans. In many cases, it is not currently practical for Minnesotans to have to wait for the normal legislative process in order for action to be taken which protects their health and welfare. In some cases, action cannot be taken by executive order, and in other cases the Legislature may be able to assist the executive branch by preparing legislation or by contributing work product for use in the executive order process. As Speaker, my priority is ensuring the safety of our members, our staff, and the public at this time, while we work to address Minnesotans’ needs.

Emergency investments for health care providers

On Tuesday morning, the Legislature passed $200 million in investments for a health care response fund and Minnesota’s public health response contingency account.

While each of us is working as hard as we can to decrease the risk of transmission, we must ensure our health care providers have the resources they need to take care of Minnesotans who may be afflicted with COVID-19. These investments are critical to addressing this pandemic and making sure Minnesotans who get sick get the care they need.

You can learn more about the legislation here.

State Representatives are working on a number of other measures, including, but not limited to, the following:

Ensuring hourly workers and contract workers at our schools get paid
Ensuring workers have paid time off for COVID-19-related illness or business closure
Licensing extensions and flexibility for businesses
Preventing evictions and foreclosures during the pandemic
Forgiveness for expired driver’s licenses
Child care provider support
Local jobs and projects bill
Abatement of penalties for late income and property tax filings

Resources for Minnesotans

We have compiled a list of dozens resources from the Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED), Minnesota Department of Education (MDE), Department of Human Services (DHS), Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA), the Courts, and the Attorney General’s office. You can find all of those resources here.

More information about coronavirus can be found on MDH’s Coronavirus website. MDH also has a public hotline that you can call at 651-201-3920.

MDH has set up webpages in several languages. Please share these links to help keep Minnesotans informed.

As always, please contact me anytime with your input. I appreciate hearing from you! You can reach me at 651-296-4280 or rep.melissa.hortman@house.mn. You can also keep up with what’s happening at the Capitol by liking my legislative Facebook page and following the Minnesota House DFL on Twitter and Facebook. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Melissa Hortman