Volume 6, Issue 7
February 19, 2021
Weekly Review Video
A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
This week Governor Walz released the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector. Input your information into the webpage and they will contact you when it’s your turn to get the vaccine. Minnesotans who already registered for an appointment through the pilot program or the community vaccination program do not need to resubmit their information for the Vaccine Connector. If you are 65+ you are still encouraged to use the Vaccine Locator map to find and make an appointment to receive the vaccine through the listed providers, or you can contact your regular provider directly.
Currently, vaccine eligibility is still limited to Minnesotans 65+, health care workers, long-term care residents, childcare, and K-12 personnel. As long as you are over the age of 18, you can sign up for the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector and you will be notified once it is your turn to receive the shot.
Along with eligibility criteria related to age, employment, and health status, Minnesotans will be asked, but not required, to provide certain demographic information to help the state track and improve the equity in our state’s rollout. The Vaccine Connector is a voluntary tool and all data submitted is protected under the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act.
Sign up at mn.gov/vaccineconnector. Minnesotans can also call toll-free 833-431-2053 for assistance signing up over the phone or for translation services.
On Tuesday I participated in the Prescription Drug Affordability Board Press Conference. I am proud to be the Chief Author of the bill in the Senate – SF 1121. It is so important to make sure that everyone can afford the prescriptions they need to live. A prescription drug affordability board is an important step to address this life or death issue for many Minnesotans.
This week I had my first bill hearing on SF 296, a bipartisan bill that supports a pilot program for parenting with disabilities. I presented the bill to the Human Services Reform Committee in person during the hybrid hearing.
Despite the 14th Amendment, the Olmsted Act, and the ADA, parents with disabilities are the only distinct community of Americans who struggle to retain custody of their children. SF 296 addresses this by proactively supporting parents with disabilities by establishing a pilot program to support these parents by allowing personal care assistants to help with supportive parenting services to compensate for aspects of the parent’s disability that affects that parent’s ability to care for the child. SF 296 passed out of the Human Services Reform Policy and Finance Committee with a referral to the State Government Finance and Policy and Elections Committee.
On Thursday, SF 2 passed in the Minnesota Senate. This bill would prohibit future governor’s from directly safeguarding schools and students during peacetime emergencies. This legislation would delete a provision in state law passed in 1951 that gives a governor authority to safeguard Minnesotans during emergencies including nuclear accidents and weather disasters. The bill would also preclude the governor from closing schools during snowstorms and blizzards.
The bill provides no re-opening plans or resources for districts to use to keep students and staff safe. Although there have been seven special sessions in 2020, no hearings were held on school re-openings or other plans to help school districts with pandemic protocols or procedures. Additionally, this bill had no support from education groups from around the state.
According to the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) there are currently 809 public schools in Minnesota that are fully in-person, 626 that are using a hybrid learning model, and 271 that are in distance learning. About 250 schools have been operating in-person for the entire year.
On the Senate Floor I explained why I am not in favor of SF 2 and I also released a statement about the motives behind the bill. Minnesota School Boards Associations, Education Minnesota, and other education organizations oppose SF 2.
The bill was just recently introduced in the House and no hearings have been scheduled.
On Monday, we heard SF 749, a bill that would penalize Local Government Aid (LGA). The state distributes LGA to cities across Minnesota for general purposes, and it is used by cities to provide basic community services, such as public safety, fire and public works. It has also been used as a mechanism to offer cities property tax relief.
The bill would allow local governments with unpaid expenses resulting from assistance provided to another city to apply for reimbursement of those costs. The reimbursement would come from a reduction in the receiving city’s LGA or county’s County Program Aid (CPA). Currently, cities work cooperatively under mutual aid agreements every day, and there are no significant examples of unresolved disputes. This bill would add an unnecessary, punitive measure that could deplete city resources and increase property taxes.
The Association of MN Counties and Minnesota Inter-County Association, Coalition of Great Minnesota Cities, and the League of Minnesota Cities all expressed concerns with SF 749.
Sincerely,
Melisa
