Volume 6, Issue 10
March 12, 2021
Remarks from the Senate Floor
A weekly message from your Senator
Dear Constituents and Friends,
This week Governor Walz announced that over 70% of Minnesotans age 65 and older weeks have been vaccinated. This means that more Minnesotans are now eligible to receive the COVID-19. Due to an increase in vaccine supply, Minnesotans in phases 1b and 1c are now eligible to receive the vaccine.
I recommend signing up for the Vaccine Connector. Also talk to your local health providers or workplace management to see if the current availability to get the vaccine.
The federal government is ramping up COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts in the coming weeks. It is expected to take between six to eight weeks to complete vaccinations in the current group, after which the COVID-19 vaccine will then be available to the general public, likely sometime in May.
To see more information or if you will be eligible in the next phase click here.
This morning Governor Walz announced COVID-19 guidance updates for Minnesotans. These updates will go into effect on Monday, March 15 at 12:00 p.m. Here are the new provisions:
Make it easier to safely gather with family:
- Social gatherings: Up to 50 people outdoors or 15 people for indoor gatherings, both without household limits.
- Youth sports: Pod size increasing to 50 for outdoor activities.
- Religious services: Remove occupancy limits, but social distancing required.
- Celebrations: Follow venue guidance.
Support small businesses:
- Bars and restaurants: Increasing allowable occupancy to 75%, up from 50%, with a limit of 250 people. The limits apply separately indoors and outdoors. Bar seating increases to parties of 4.
- Salons/barbers: Removing the occupancy limit, but social distancing required.
- Gyms/fitness centers/pools: Increasing allowable occupancy to 50%, up from 25%. Outdoor classes can increase to 50 people.
- Entertainment venues: Increasing allowable occupancy to 50%, up from 25%, both indoors and outdoors, with a limit of 250.
As summer nears, the state will adjust guidelines for large venues. All venues can open at 50% capacity up to 250 people. Venues with normal occupant capacity over 500 can add additional guests, effective April 1:
- Seated outdoor venues can add an additional 25% of their capacity over 500, with a limit of 10,000 people.
- Non-seated outdoor venues can add an additional 15% of their capacity over 500, with a limit of 10,000 people.
- Seated indoor venues can add an additional 15% of their capacity over 500, with a limit of 3,000 people.
- Non-seated indoor venues can add an additional 10% of their capacity over 500, with a limit of 1,500 people
Monday, March 18th marked International Women’s Day, and we are currently in Women’s History Month. On Monday I stood with my colleagues to reaffirm our dedication towards the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) and gender equity under the law.
In 1923, for the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the 1848 Woman’s Rights Convention, the first version of the Equal Rights Amendment was introduced. It stated: “Men and women shall have equal rights throughout the United States and every place subject to its jurisdiction.” The amendment was introduced in Congress the same year. It was largely opposed by reformers who had worked for protective labor laws. Those laws treated women differently from men and they were afraid that the ERA would wipe out the progress they had made.
In 1943, the ERA was rewritten stating, “Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” It was also around this time that both the Democratic and Republican parties added the support of the ERA to their political platforms. But the labor movement was still committed to protective workplace laws, and social conservatives considered equal rights for women a threat to existing power structures.
In the 1960s, as the second wave of feminism took over, the ERA became the central symbol for the movement. Organized labor and an increasingly large number of mainstream groups joined the call for the Equal Rights Amendment, and politicians reacted to the power of organized women’s voices in a way they had not done since the demand for the right to vote. The ERA passed the U.S. Senate and then the House of Representatives, and on March 22, 1972, the proposed amendment to the Constitution was sent to the States for ratification. But Congress placed a seven-year deadline on the ratification process. Many ERA advocates appealed to Congress for an indefinite extension of the time limit, and in July 1978, the National Organization of Women (NOW) coordinated a successful march of 100,000 supporters in Washington, D.C. Due to public pressure, Congress granted an extension until June 30, 1982.
When the deadline for ratification arrived on June 30, 1982, the ERA was three states shy of the necessary 38 states for full ratification. The ERA was reintroduced in Congress on July 14, 1982 and has been introduced before every session of Congress since then. Between 2017-2020, the last three states needed to ratify the ERA did so, and it is now up to Congress to remove the deadline.
There are currently two bills in Legislature asking for the removal of the time limit on the National ERA. Doing this will allow for the ratifications of the final three states to count and therefore secure the ERA in the U.S. Constitution. At a state-level, ERA Minnesota strives to add two amendments to the state constitution stating, “Equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of gender”, and “Equality under the law shall not be abridged or denied on account of sex”. These amendments must be heard and passed this session, so that they can be added to the 2022 MN ballot.
On Tuesday, I participated in Philips Women Lead’s International Women’s Day event. I spoke to Phillips Minnesota employees about this year’s theme — #ChooseToChallenge and how I challenge myself and others during my life. Here’s this year’s International Women’s Day #ChooseToChallenge prompt:
A challenged world is an alert world. Individually, we’re all responsible for our own thoughts and actions – all day, every day.
We can all choose to challenge and call out gender bias and inequality. We can all choose to seek out and celebrate women’s achievements. Collectively, we can all help create an inclusive world.
From challenge comes change, so let’s all choose to challenge.
I continue to meet with constituents and groups throughout the legislative session. This week I met with ISAIAH faith leaders in Senate District 49 along with Rep. Elkins to talk discuss affordable housing, paid family leave, and funding our futures.
On Thursday we debated SF 263, which provides tax relief to Minnesota businesses that received Paycheck Protection Plan loans and to Minnesotans that received unemployment compensation from the CARES Act. I voted for SF 263 because Minnesotans and small businesses need our help. As a small business owner I know how important this tax relief will be for many businesses that depended on these loans to keep their doors open and workers employed. Here’s my remarks from the Senate floor about the bill and here is my press releaseabout my vote.
Sincerely,
Melisa