Volume 6, Issue 5
February 5, 2021
Weekly Review Video
A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
We are at the end of the fifth week of our legislative session. As a reminder if you want to watch what is happening at the Minnesota Senate committee hearings and floor sessions online.
I started this week with a press conference where we introduced the Minnesota adult-use cannabis bill. Fifteen states and Washington D.C. have passed adult-use cannabis, and Minnesota should be the next. Two years ago, I introduced a bill outlining the legalization of adult-use cannabis in Minnesota, and I remain committed to these efforts. We have seen racial disparities in our criminal justice system for minor cannabis offenses, which have rippling effects in our communities. Our neighbors in South Dakota voted for adult-use cannabis, and North Dakota will likely hear legislation regarding it. Minnesota needs to progress forward and join these other states. I am the lead author on this bill, and I look forward to having many discussions about this bill and moving Minnesota forward.
Since I am a member of the Finance Committee, I received my copy of Governor Walz’s full budget recommendation. Next week Minnesota Management and Budget will be going through the budget with us during the Finance Committee.
The Senate District 49 Town Hall in conjunction with the League of Women Voters of Edina and LWV of Bloomington, is on Tuesday, February 9th. The town hall will go from 7:00 – 8:30 P.M. We will address a series of issues important to the community. The event will be broadcasting via Zoom and Facebook Live. To join the Zoom, RSVP to receive the link on Monday.
We have gotten a lot of questions about the COVID-19 vaccine lately. The state is receiving 35,000 more vaccines for Minnesotans over 65. Here is how a few local health providers are dispersing the vaccine:
Sincerely,
Melisa
35,000 vaccine doses going to Minnesota seniors this week
Governor Walz announced this week that 35,000 doses of COVID-19 vaccines would be distributed to over 100 health systems, clinics, and local pharmacies across the state for Minnesotans over 65. In addition, two new permanent site clinics launched this week in Minneapolis and Duluth; another in southern MN will be opening soon. More large-scale community clinics may be added in coming weeks, but most eligible Minnesotans will continue to get their vaccine from health care providers.
To help connect older Minnesotans with providers closest to them, the State launched a new vaccine finder tool. To find vaccine locations: https://mn.gov/covid19/vaccine/find-vaccine/index.jsp
There’s still not enough vaccine supply in the state for everyone over 65 to get vaccinated right away, with the state’s current allocation it will take weeks to get through the nearly one million seniors in the state. Vaccinations are going faster; providers are administering twice as many shots per day compared to last week after Governor Walz set new expectations for providers to be administering 95% of their doses within three days. Minnesota will also get a slight increase in our weekly vaccine allocations for at least the next three weeks to be used for health care workers, long-term care residents, first responders, school workers, and Minnesotans over the age of 65.
Residents of long-term care facilities have been prioritized since the beginning of the vaccine rollout since they account for 63% of the Covid-19 deaths in Minnesota, largely due to age, underlying health conditions, and how the virus spreads in communal settings. The Minnesota Department of Health shared positive news at the Aging and Long-Term Care committee meeting this week that residents in all of our skilled nursing and assisted living facilities have been offered their first dose of vaccine. Cases and deaths in these facilities have been declining in recent weeks, and state officials are hopeful this trend continues as residents and staff continue to receive their second doses.
Tax-filing season opens February 12
The state and federal tax-filing season officially opens on Friday, February 12. Taxpayers have until April 15, 2021, to file income tax returns for Tax Year 2020. This year, there are many items to consider when filing taxes:
Federal Recovery Rebate: The Economic Impact Payments (“stimulus checks”) distributed by the federal government in 2020 were based on taxpayers’ 2018 or 2019 tax return data. Some taxpayers did not receive the full stimulus payments or did not qualify at all. Those taxpayers should examine potential eligibility for a federal Recovery Rebate on their federal taxes, which is based on 2020 tax information. The IRS website provides more information on the Recovery Rebate Credit, but it particularly applies to:
- Those who lost wages in 2020 compared to 2019
- Recent college graduates
- Anyone who did not receive the full amount of the first EIP of $1,200 ($2,400 married-joint) or the second EIP of $600 ($1,200 married-joint)
Free state income tax filing: Free electronic filing of Minnesota taxes is available for Minnesotans whose Adjusted Gross Income is $72,000 or less or who meet certain other requirements, which vary based on the electronic tax-filing system used. To determine eligibility for each program, visit the Department’s website.
Free tax preparation: Taxpayers may qualify for free tax preparation help for federal and Minnesota income tax returns if they meet one of these criteria: be age 60 or older, have a disability, speak limited or no English, or have income less than $57,000 per year. There are more than 200 free tax preparation sites across Minnesota offering help from IRS-certified volunteers. Most sites are open February 12 through April 15 and can be found on the Department’s website.
Fraud prevention: The Department of Revenue reviews and verifies information on all tax returns to make sure the right refund goes to the right person. Learn more about identity theft and see tips on how to protect financial information on the Identity Theft and Tax Refund Fraud page.
Track refunds: Taxpayers can track the status of their refunds by using the Where’s My Refund? system on the Department of Revenue’s website. The system will alert filers whether any additional action is needed and will display the exact date any refunds are sent.
Property tax refunds: Renters and homeowners in Minnesota may be eligible for property tax refunds. The applications must be filed separately from income tax returns and refunds will not be distributed until after August 2021. Forms may be found here.