Dear Neighbors,
The 2020 Legislative Session wrapped up earlier this week. Like nearly everything in our lives, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the session and completely changed our focus. We quickly shifted from an in-person Legislature to one that operates remotely and online while still being open to the public and input.
We enacted four pieces of COVID-19-related legislation with incredible bipartisan effort, and the work will continue.
Monday, May 25 is Memorial Day — a day for us to remember and honor those who lost their lives in the service of our country. While the pandemic keeps us physically apart, we can still remember our fallen heroes and pay our respects.
The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs is partnering with Twin Cities PBS-TPT to create a 30-minute Memorial Day program entitled “Always Remember: A Minnesota Tribute to Veterans we’ve lost,” that will be broadcast across the state on TPT’s Minnesota Channel at 7:30 pm on Monday, May 25. The program can also be live streamed online from the TPT website and on Facebook. The program will be rebroadcast on TPT several times throughout June and July and will also be available online after it premieres.
2020 Legislative Session adjourns
The 2020 Legislative Session adjourned at midnight, Monday, May 18.
This pandemic has shown the importance of caring for one another. From checking in on our neighbors, to working the frontlines in health care, Minnesotans are coming together to keep our communities safe. Now is the time to invest in Minnesotans so we can thrive into the future, not turn our backs on those who need help.
The Minnesota House DFL is working to build a better future for all Minnesotans — through the pandemic and beyond. While some bipartisan progress was made at the start of this crisis, Republicans blocked many DFL measures to safeguard Minnesotans’ health and economic well-being.
Accomplishments
COVID-19 public health preparedness — Responded immediately to provide resources for Minnesota’s healthcare workforce and public health infrastructure to enable an aggressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Emergency assistance for workers, families, and businesses — Invested in assistance for those experiencing housing and food insecurity, small business loans, child care, and veterans.
First responders workers’ compensation — Ensured that nurses, firefighters, paramedics, police officers, child care providers, corrections officers, and healthcare professionals can receive workers’ compensation benefits if they contract COVID-19 on the job.
Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act — Provided emergency access to insulin and made insulin more affordable over the long term. Held insulin manufacturers accountable for soaring costs by requiring them to provide insulin for the emergency program.
Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act — Required drug manufacturers to make their pricing information public to improve accountability and build public pressure to drive down skyrocketing costs.
Election safety and security — Improved cybersecurity and expanded absentee voting to protect the health and safety of election officials and in-person voters.
Help for farmers and producers — Expanded resources for mental health needs, grain bin safety, and emergency financial aid.
Tobacco 21 — Raised the age to purchase tobacco products to 21 to help stop addiction before it starts, improve public health, and save lives.
TCE ban — Became the first US state to ban trichloroethylene (TCE), which can increase risks for certain types of cancer and other serious health issues.
Next Steps — There’s nothing more important than protecting the health of Minnesotans. Minnesotans also deserve economic security during this public health crisis, and those least likely to have it are being hardest hit. It’s critical to provide assistance to working families to help them make ends meet now and once the pandemic is over.
We have the resources to invest in all Minnesotans — no matter where you live or what you look like. House DFLers will keep working to build a better future for all Minnesotans — through the pandemic and beyond.
Jobs and local projects — Minnesotans are asking the Legislature to invest in jobs and local projects. We know people are hurting from the impact of COVID-19, and we have an opportunity to help by investing in our communities and creating statewide economic activity.
Housing assistance for renters and homeowners — All Minnesotans deserve the opportunity to be safe and healthy. Minnesotans can’t stay safe and healthy if they can’t afford their rent or mortgages.
Compensation for hourly school workers — Our school employees (paraprofessionals, lunch staff, child care workers, bus drivers, and others) are frontline workers in the COVID pandemic, providing essential services to our students and families, and they deserve economic security.
Wage increases for personal care attendants — At-risk populations are having increased difficulty finding personal care attendants (PCAs) during the pandemic. Our PCAs are incredibly dedicated and hard-working and deserve a boost in pay to stay on the job in the face of COVID-19.
Grants for small businesses — The small family businesses here in Minnesota deserve a chance to make it to the other side of COVID-19 just as much as the big corporations being prioritized by the Trump Administration.
Better broadband access — Expanding access to broadband expands opportunity for all Minnesotans. While we have made progress, there are still too many parts of rural Minnesota that don’t have adequate access.
Contact tracing — To get Minnesotans back to work safely, we need to establish a contact tracing, case investigation, and follow-up program for COVID-19 cases.
Select Committee on Minnesota’s Pandemic Response and Rebuilding holds hearing on workplace safety for nurses
On Tuesday, the Minnesota House Select Committee on Minnesota’s Pandemic Response and Rebuilding held its first hearing, focusing on workplace safety for nurses during the COVID-19 public health crisis. The Select Committee is looking at the impact of the pandemic on Minnesota, federal and state government responses to the pandemic, and possible future responses — including workplace safety, workers’ rights, and broader societal changes.
Our nurses and health care workers are on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. They put themselves at risk to take care of Minnesotans because that is their calling. Since this crisis began, the legislature has provided $400 million to help make sure our health care system has the resources it needs to respond to COVID-19. A primary purpose of that funding was to ensure we have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for our frontline workers.
The nurses let us know that current PPE allocations are not adequate, and they don’t feel safe. We will follow up to see what we can do to ensure the nurses have what they need to keep them and their families safe.
The Select Committee heard testimony from several nurses and the Minnesota Hospital Association. Nurses expressed their concerns about how hospitals are responding to the pandemic, how PPE is being allocated, and how nurses often face discipline and retaliation for voicing their concerns. Testifiers added that hospitals have been unwilling to provide them with places to shower or change their clothes after shifts so that they don’t have to risk bringing contaminated items into their home. Some hospitals have nurses bringing their own PPE, which nurses then have to bring home and launder themselves.
Materials from the committee can be found here. Video of the hearing is available here.
New Stay Safe MN order
The Governor’s Stay Home Executive Order expired on May 18, and the Governor replaced it with an order continuing to encourage Minnesotans to stay close to home but allowing for gatherings of friends and family of 10 people or less. Retail stores and other main street businesses are now able to open if they have a social distancing plan and operate at 50 percent occupancy.
Governor Walz alo signed Executive Orders to protect Minnesotans most at risk from the virus and safeguard workers. The first Executive Order strongly encourages Minnesotans at greatest risk of serious illness to continue staying home. The second Executive Order ensures workers can raise concerns regarding the safety of their work environments without fear of discrimination or retaliation. It also protects workers from loss of income if they refuse to work under unsafe or unhealthy conditions.
Following the guidance of public health officials, the Governor announced a preliminary set of health indicators that could trigger a decision to re-impose restrictions to slow the spread of the virus. These indicators will be refined over time as we learn more about the virus and the course of the pandemic in Minnesota. They include the number of COVID-19 tests that can be conducted as well as the rate of increase in:
- Number of new COVID-19 cases
- Percent of COVID-19 tests that are positive
- Percent of COVID-19 cases for which the source of infection is unknown
The order allows gatherings with friends and family in groups of 10 or less with social distancing. In all cases, Minnesotans are asked not to gather in large groups. All gatherings are limited to 10 and social distancing with masks, hand-washing and other safety measures should be followed to protect each other.
New guidance for outdoor dining and limited occupancy salons
On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced new phases in the Stay Safe Plan, including allowing limited outdoor dining at restaurants and bars starting June 1, 2020. The Governor also announced that salons and barbershops will be allowed to open June 1 at 25 percent occupancy to ensure the safety of both the employees and the customers inside. In both industries, customers and employees will be either strongly recommended or required to wear masks, make reservations, and adhere to social distancing requirements to keep themselves, other customers, and employees safe.
Outdoor dining can begin on June 1, with restaurants maintaining social distancing and seating no more than 50 patrons at a time. In addition to outdoor dining, restaurants and bars will be able to continue to offer takeout, curbside, and delivery services, which have been permitted throughout the pandemic in Minnesota. Minnesota has ranked first in the nation for takeout and delivery patronage during the outbreak of COVID-19, but restaurants and bars have been closed for in-person dining since March 17.
More information on the activities included in the various phases within the Stay Safe Plan can be found here.
COVID-19 Resources
State and Federal Resources
Our excellent House team continues to keep a list of COVID-19 state and federal resources — you can find the full document here.
The State of Minnesota also has a great COVID-19 webpage. MDH has a public hotline that you can call at 651-201-3920.
MDH has set up webpages in several languages. Please continue sharing 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