Protecting Our First Responders
Last week the Minnesota Legislature passed a number of bills designed to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. But one critical bill didn’t make it across the finish line. My friend Rep. Dan Wolgamott is sponsoring a bipartisan bill to protect our first responders. The bill would ensure that our police, firefighters, EMTs, and other critical workers have access to worker’s compensation if they are infected with COVID-19 while doing their job. The bill had overwhelming bipartisan support in the Minnesota House, but the Senate refused to pass it.
Despite the Senate’s obstruction, we must keep advocating for those who are putting their own health and safety at risk to help others. That is why I, along with Rep. Wolgamott and a bipartisan group of lawmakers, are asking Gov. Walz to issue an executive order implementing these workers compensation protections for first responders. You can help by signing the petition below.
https://www.change.org/p/gov-tim-walz-mn-first-responder-covid-19-work-comp-presumption
Tomorrow is Census Day!
Sometimes it is easy to forget that there is more going on in the world than just the COVID-19 pandemic. One thing that is critically important to our community is the census. Census counts determine how many members of Congress Minnesota will have for the next decade, as well as how much federal funding we get for many critical programs. That is why it is so important that everyone fill out their census form as soon as possible. This year, you can fill out your census form online at https://2020census.gov/. If you haven’t done so yet, please take a moment (it only takes a few minutes) and do so right now.
You can also see what percent of your community has responded to the census at https://2020census.gov/en/response-rates.html. For example, 43.8% of Minnesotans have already filled out their census form, which is good, but it’s still less than the 44.3% of Wisconsinites who have already done so. Being second to Wisconsin is just unacceptable. Closer to home, 48.9% of Champlin residents have filled out the census, compared to 48.6% of Coon Rapids residents. Both are above the average response rate for Minnesota (and Wisconsin), proving once again that my constituents are all above average.
Stay Connected
Please continue to contact me anytime with questions or input. My cell phone number is 763-370-9000. You can also email me at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn. I appreciate hearing from you!
Sincerely,
Zack Stephenson
State Representative |