Here is a link to our first virtual Town Hall!
A message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
While we are still meeting mostly virtually, the Senate is continuing to do their work through Zoom committee meetings and more regular floor sessions while following proper social distancing guidelines.
The sacrifices every Minnesotan has been asked to make these last few weeks are hard, but they are working. Staying at home has cost us a lot, but it has also bought our public health care network invaluable time in building out its ability to prepare. This week, Governor Walz announced the re-opening of outdoor spaces like golf courses, state parks, and recreation areas where social distancing guidelines are followed to get us all through this time. Here is a link to the order released Friday.
I am in full support of this order. Read more in my press releasethanking the Governor.
Minnesota must balance the data from science and health experts in keeping our citizens healthy with making sure businesses are protected and come out of this as strong as possible. I will be introducing legislation next week to provide Minnesota small businesses with a plan to get back to work. Businesses can apply for a waiver if they propose a plan for following CDC guidelines by engaging in proper sanitation, utilizing masks in work spaces, and ensuring social distancing.
I was also proud to be a co-author on legislation to allow restaurants to sell wine, beer, hard seltzer, and cider as off-sale in addition to their takeout food sales in an effort to further support our community’s restaurants struggling during this time. More information about the bill is below.
We have been working as lawmakers to connect with you all virtually, so we hosted our first ever Senate District 49 virtual town hall this week. Thank you to everyone who joined us and for your patience in getting the event up and running. We received great questions, and while we were not able to get to every one, know that we are planning to host more frequent check-ins which we will stream live on Facebook.
Please continue sending your thoughts and questions to melisaf@senate.mn. Let me know if updates have been helpful so far, or if there is a better way to share information. Stay well!
Sincerely,
Melisa
Senate passes takeout beer and wine sales at restaurants
Bar and restaurant owners asked that the sale of wine and beer be allowed with their curbside takeout orders while they are shut down due to the stay-at-home order. Expanding the sale of beer and wine would boost sales and preserve jobs in an industry that has been hit hard since the shutdown.
The Senate passed the takeout liquor bill on Thursday and sent it to the House, where they took it up on Friday. I was a proud co-author of this bill, and I am glad that the governor has indicated that he will sign it into law.
The bill allows establishments with on-sale liquor licenses to sell wine, beer, hard seltzer, and cider as off-sale in addition to their takeout food sales for the duration of the peacetime emergency. The alcoholic beverage must be sold in the original, unopened packaging and must be limited to 72 oz in total of beer, seltzer, and cider, and 750 milliliters for wine per order. Establishments must require proof of age, and municipalities may vote to prohibit these sales in their jurisdiction. Establishments that choose to partake in this must inform their insurance provider.
Sixteen other states have allowed restaurants and bars to serve liquor at curbside during their stay-at-home orders, including Wisconsin, Illinois, and California. (SF 4489)
Legislature passes the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act
After more than a year of hard work and negotiation, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act this week to create an emergency insulin access program and ongoing support programs. Governor Walz signed the bill into law shortly after. Many insulin-dependent Minnesotans will no longer have to decide between rationing or going without this life-saving medication.
Advocates across the state worked tirelessly with legislators on this issue to make sure no one dies from a lack of access to affordable insulin. This bill is named after Alec Smith, who died in 2017 at age 26 after being forced to ration his insulin due to the extremely high costs. Alec’s story has sparked a dialogue in Minnesota and put a spotlight on those who lost their lives in the absence of a safety net program that this legislation provides.
The bill requires manufacturers to make insulin available for eligible individuals who are in urgent need of insulin by July 1, 2020. No individual in urgent need will pay more than a $35 copay. Each manufacturer also must maintain an ongoing patient assistance program for qualifying individuals. Pharmacies may charge up to a $50 co-pay for each 90-day supply issued under that program to cover processing and dispensing costs. Manufacturers that fail to comply face initial penalties of $200,000 a month, increasing to $600,000 a month after one year of noncompliance.
Changes were made through negotiations in order to save lives and provide long-awaited relief to insulin-dependent Minnesotans, like reduced co-pays for the emergency access program and increased penalties on manufacturers who do not comply with the law. This bill comes at a time when more and more Minnesotans face financial insecurity during these unprecedented times. (HF 3100)
Quarterly economic update released
Minnesota Management and Budget released its quarterly economic update last Friday. The information included in the document showed what many had assumed: concerns with the economy as a result of COVID-19 and the actions taken to control its spread. COVID-19 has brought a lot of uncertainty to the global market, and economic forecasts have become more tentative as a result. Forecasts indicate that the U.S. will see a contraction of 5.4% in GDP. The COVID-19 stay at home order has had a large impact, but the collapse of oil markets and the auto industry shutdown has made matters worse.
Typically, legislators have used the February forecast to develop a budget. However, the calculations for producing that forecast are flawed given the dramatic change in the realities of our current economic environment. Minnesota Management and Budget will be taking the unusual step of providing the Legislature with an updated forecast in May which will provide legislators and Governor Walz with an updated look at our budget.
Governor Walz has taken some steps to limit the impact of the forecast by reducing his senior staffs’ salary and agency commissioners by 10%. Some legislators may also start looking at agency budgets in anticipation of a poor updated forecast.
You can find the full update here.
Stay-at-home extension modifies descriptions and clarification on exempt critical sectors
Governor Walz announced an extension to the stay-at-home order last week, which will now last until May 3. In addition to the extension, modifications and clarifications were added to the list of sectors that are considered critical (and unable to offer work-from-home flexibility to employees) and are therefore exempt from the stay-at-home. Clarifications were made to several sectors to address ambiguity on what businesses and workers are and are not exempt. For instance, lawn care workers, workers who install and update water-related equipment such as docks and boat lifts, and several types of animal-care workers are considered exempt whereas daycare providers, tobacco shop employees, and residential house cleaning services are not. Other modifications were also made to the following sectors:
- Health care and Public Health
- Food and Agriculture
- Transportation and Logistics
- Commercial Facilities/Essential Supply Stores
- Laundry and Hygiene Products and Services
- Animal Care and Veterinarians
- Construction and Critical Trades
The full list of industries, sectors, and workers that are exempt from the stay-at-home order can be found here.
Although Minnesotans are being asked to continue remaining in their homes and many businesses to cease operations, efforts are underway to reopen businesses while adhering to DEED-approved protocols that ensure safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. DEED is currently gathering information on how businesses can maintain appropriate social distancing measures when returning to work and welcomes inputto help inform decisions.
Legislature passes bill to cover COVID testing and diagnosis costs for uninsured
The Legislature passed a series of policy proposals this week to provide more relief to Minnesotans during the pandemic. One of these provisions aligned state statute with recent federal changes to provide Medical Assistance (MA) coverage for any COVID testing and the related office visit for uninsured individuals.
The federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act permits state Medicaid programs to provide coverage for COVID-19 testing and any associated visit to uninsured residents through a new eligibility group. We must work to ensure those people who test positive have access to health coverage so they can obtain any necessary treatments or services that advance public health goals of preventing further spread of the disease.
Residents who are not eligible for health insurance, like undocumented immigrants, are uniquely vulnerable during the pandemic and have few options for safety net services if they get sick. These populations are disproportionally employed in industries like health care, agriculture, and other high-risk jobs deemed essential to keep society running while others self-isolate.
Many undocumented residents might avoid seeking medical care out of fear that it could jeopardize their pathway to citizenship, though the U.S. Citizen and Immigration Services has stated that seeking necessary medical treatment due to COVID-19 symptoms will not negatively impact future public charge analysis. While, the state’s health plans have already agreed to waive cost-sharing charges for in-network hospitalizations for Minnesotans who are hospitalized due to COVID-19, uninsured residents are left with few options. (HF 4556)
MDH announces new grant funding available for health care industry
The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) announced that applications are now open for the remaining $150 million in COVID Health Care Response Grants. The funding for this grant program was passed by the Legislature last month. Learn more about this program and how to apply here.
While there is no deadline for applying, MDH is anticipating many requests for this funding and encourages those interested to apply as soon as possible. Along with hospitals and clinics, providers working in ambulance services, pharmacies, nursing homes, or long-term care facilities are eligible for these grants. We know that Minnesotans in and out of the health care field are concerned with costs associated with COVID-19, which is why as a condition of accepting a grant, the provider must agree not to bill uninsured patients for the cost of COVID-19 screening, testing, or treatment. If a patient is out-of-network, the provider must agree to accept the median network rate as payment in full.
Some of the activities these grants may be used for include:
- Establishment and operation of temporary sites to provide testing services, to provide treatment beds, or to isolate or quarantine affected individuals
- Staff overtime, hiring additional staff, training and orientation
- Purchasing consumable protective or treatment supplies and equipment to protect or treat staff, visitors, and patients
- Development and implementation of screening and testing procedures
- Patient outreach activities
- Additional emergency transportation of patients
- Temporary IT and systems costs to support patient triage, screening, and telemedicine activities
MDH also announced the recipients of the $50 million in emergency health care grants to address short-term COVID-related needs. This money will go to about 350 organizations statewide, largely to cover costs related to staffing, equipment, and supplies like personal protective equipment. The full list of grantee recipients can be found here.
Hotline for Health Questions:
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Questions for workers and employers:
651-259-7114 or 800-657-3858
Hotline for School and Childcare questions:
Call 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504 (7am-7pm daily)
Hotline for Childcare Providers with questions: 1-888-234-1268
Hotline if you experience or witness bias and discrimination:
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