From the floor this week:

We cannot afford to have our child care centers close for good. Our essential workers need child care to support our communities during this pandemic – I stood on the Senate floor in support of the families of our essential workers, and I’m proud this legislation passed.

A message from your Senator

Dear Constituents and Friends,

Things are looking different in how business is done at the Legislature for the next several weeks. The Legislature is following the guidelines of the Minnesota Department of Health surrounding social distancing: six feet of distance is maintained between people, in-person meetings are being extremely limited, staff are encouraged to telecommute whenever possible, and senators are in recess, only returning to pass emergency COVID response legislation or legislation agreed upon by all legislative caucuses before heading to the floor.

We remain committed to being available to our constituents through these trying times and new guidelines. Minnesotans are encouraged to continue contacting their senators with any questions or concerns they may have via phone or email. Meetings can still be set up, but for the safety of staff, members, and constituents alike, meetings must occur via phone or over email to maintain distance and curtail the spread of COVID-19. Constituents should also continue to follow MDH guidelines on staying home to avoid the virus and remain healthy during this time.

You should not hesitate to reach out to us for any reason, COVID-19 related or not. We are here to serve our community and make sure we all get through this together. You can reach me directly at melisaf@senate.mn or 651-296-6238.

Staying informed is essential, and if we continue to follow these guidelines, we can flatten the curve and ensure Minnesota continues to operate in response to this pandemic effectively and efficiently. The most up-to-date information on COVID-19 from the MDH can be foundhere.

We will get through this, and we will do it together.

Sincerely,

Melisa

Legislature returns to pass COVID-19 relief package

For the first time since the adoption of an “on-call” posture, the Senate met in session this week passing new measures strengthening Minnesota’s response to the spread of COVID-19. The measures included a relief package of $331.5 million to help families, businesses, and state agencies respond to the growing effects of COVID-19 on the state’s economy, as well as policy changes necessary to help provide economic security and safety for Minnesotans.

Approximately $200 million of the funding will be going to the newly created COVID-19 Minnesota Fund. The money in the fund will be available for the Commissioner of Management and Budget, who can transfer it to agencies as necessary to protect Minnesotans from the COVID-19 outbreak and to maintain the operations of government during the peacetime emergency. For example, the fund could be used to pay for increased healthcare and staffing costs in prison facilities, staffing and overtime in direct care and treatment, and resources for potential response activities by the Minnesota National Guard.

Several other critical needs will receive additional funding in response to the effects of COVID-19. Approximately $2.4 million will go to the Department of Vehicle Services to increase their capacity to process drivers’ licenses. Food shelf programs would receive $9 million, while housing supports would receive $5.5 million. Childcare grants totaling $29.9 million would be available to help providers. Assistance for military veterans would total $6.2 million. An additional $26.3 million would be available for first responders in the form of Emergency Services Grants. The bill also includes much-needed support for Minnesota’s 11 tribal nations, with $11 million in grants.

Due to the state-ordered shutdown, many of Minnesota’s small businesses are struggling. These businesses are the backbone of the state’s economy and employ hundreds of thousands of people in every corner of the state. This bill includes $40 million in support for small businesses: $30 million will go to a small business emergency loan account that will be available throughout the peacetime emergency and an additional $10 million for the small business loan guarantee program at the Department of Employment and Economic Development. While these measures will help, the legislature is working with Governor Walz to do everything they can to find more ways to support small businesses.

This new funding is in addition to the $200 million aid package that was passed last week. Of that, $150 million was appropriated to the Minnesota Department of Health to create temporary testing, treatment, and quarantine sites and to make and administer a grant program for health care providers for costs related to COVID-19. The remaining $50 million will be added to the public health response contingency account. This is in addition to the $20.9 million passed earlier this month that can be used for costs relating to planning, preparing, or responding to a pandemic influenza or communicable or infectious disease.

While this new funding provides critical support for areas of need, more work remains. This includes securing guaranteed pay for hourly workers in our schools, increasing outreach and support for Minnesotans experiencing homelessness, and other necessary steps to slow the spread of COVID-19 and respond to its effects.

This was the first meeting of the Legislature since the adoption of extraordinary public health measures meant to slow the spread of COVID-19. Steps were taken to protect legislators and staff by following Minnesota Department of Health guidelines, including staggering the number of members who could be on the floor for each vote. The Legislature has once again moved to an “on-call” posture and is prepared to meet again as further action is needed.  (HF 4531)

Executive Orders signed by Governor Walz

Since March 13, when Governor Walz signed his first Executive Order declaring a Peacetime Emergency, he has issued a total of 20 Executive Orders to help Minnesotans cope with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and associated economic consequences. These orders range from preventing price gouging to activating the national guard, suspending evictions to helping families and businesses. The most far-ranging order was the stay-at-home order issued on March 25. The stay-at-home order issued by Gov. Tim Walz won’t necessarily bring down the number of infections. But researchers said the peak of the pandemic could be pushed back by several weeks, preserving limited health care resources while Minnesota works to get more masks, ventilators, and testing supplies.

These orders are issued to aid in the state’s efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus in Minnesota — and to save lives — and are in accordance with federal guidelines and the CDC, which include avoiding social gatherings of 10 or more people, practicing social distancing of six feet, and employing frequent, thorough hand washing, and surface disinfecting.

The full list of Executive Orders signed by Governor Walz is available here.

Employment and economic development resources during COVID-19

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has developed a website to provide general information to workers and business impacted by the pandemic. The website is being updated as new information becomes available: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid.

Questions for workers and employers: 651-259-7114 or 800-657-3858

Unemployment Benefits: If a business you work for has reduced your hours or terminated your employment in response to the pandemic or for any reason that is no fault of your own, it is likely that you qualify for the unemployment insurance benefits. The agency is encouraging applicants to utilize their website as they are receiving a high volume of calls.

The application to apply is available at the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s website: https://www.uimn.org/applicants/index.jsp.

Who qualifies: The March 16 executive order makes applicants eligible for unemployment benefits if:

• A healthcare professional or health authority recommended or ordered them to avoid contact with others
• They have been ordered not to come to their workplace due to an outbreak of a communicable disease
• They have received notification from a school district, daycare, or other childcare provider that either classes are canceled or the applicant’s ordinary childcare is unavailable, provided that the applicant made reasonable effort to obtain other childcare and requested time off or other accommodation from the employer and no reasonable accommodation was available.

Waiting period: Governor Walz’s executive order waives the non-payable or “waiting” week to ensure applicants have access to unemployment benefits as quickly as possible.

Work requirement: While all applicants for unemployment benefits must actively seek suitable employment, if you have only been laid off temporarily, you can meet work search requirements by staying in contact with your current employer.

Business owners: Governor Walz’s executive order waives the ordinary five-week benefit limitation for business owners who have become unemployed as a result of COVID-19.

For jobseekers: DEED noted the top job vacancies right now: transportation/material moving, sales and grocery, office/computer, healthcare. The state’s career force network is important for people trying to find work and will be moving to virtual service model (remote services, video conferencing) beginning tomorrow. Careerforcemn.com

Small Business Assistance: The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development is recommending pandemic-impacted small businesses contact the Small Business Administration (SBA) disaster assistance customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 for the latest information on its Disaster Loan program. Small business guidance and loan resources can also be found on the SBA’s website: https://www.sba.gov.

Executive Order 20-15 directs DEED to create a Small Business Emergency Loan Program by making available $30 million from special revenue funds.  These dollars will be used by DEED’s lender network to make loans of between $2,500 and $35,000 for qualifying small businesses. The loans will be 50% forgivable, and offered at a 0% interest rate.

If other financing becomes available to small businesses that received an emergency loan, such as federal funding, the emergency loan must be repaid. These emergency loans will be made by an existing network of lenders DEED works with across the state. Depending on the size of the loans offered to businesses, DEED estimates this emergency loan program will provide needed resources to between 1,200 and 5,000 businesses.  DEED expects loan applications will available later this week through our lender network. Minnesota small businesses should send questions about this emergency loan program to ELP@state.mn.us.

The executive order also allows local units of government or lending partners which have a revolving loan fund to use those funds to issue loans to retail and service providers for the next 90 days. DEED estimates that up to $28 million in capital could be accessible through local revolving loan funds and local governments through this action.  Local partners will be looking at ways to deploy these resources to support their local businesses.

For the latest information from DEED for employers and businesses and workers, visit the DEED COVID-19 Information page on  the DEED website.

Business Guidance for the Stay at Home Executive Order

The most effective resource for employers or employees trying to determine how they are impacted by Executive Order 20-20 (Directing Minnesotans to Stay at Home) is through Minnesota’s Department of Employment and Economic Development: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/business-exemptions/. On this website, businesses may search their industry in various forms to determine whether they are essential, including:

o   Searching the list of critical businesses

o   Reviewing the executive order

o   Submitting a form for specific overview by a DEED employee

o   If a question is not answered via these sources, questions on what qualifies as a critical business also may be emailed to: CriticalSectors@state.mn.us

Businesses Helping in COVID Response

Businesses across the state are helping health care workers and people in their community. Businesses who would like to offer resources, supplies, or personnel to COVID-19 response efforts should complete this distribution form or email hsem.ppp@state.mn.us. Submissions will be reviewed by personnel in the State Emergency Operations Center. Businesses will be contacted if there is a need for the identified resources.

Sales tax grace period: Restaurants, bars and other businesses impacted by the temporary closures now have a 30-day grace period in paying sales and use tax, under a grace period announced yesterday by the Minnesota Department of Revenue. This means that affected businesses with a monthly Sales and Use Tax payment due March 20, 2020 will have until April 20 to make that payment. These customers should still file their return by March 20. Penalties or interest will not be assessed during the grace period. Find out more at the Minnesota Department of Revenue website.

Tax Deadline Delayed

The Department of Revenue officially announced that Minnesota’s income tax filing and payment deadline is now July 15, 2020, to align with the federal changes.

The Governor stressed that this is the right thing to do, but it also means a significant delay of anticipated revenue coming into the state and that will have to be rectified in the future. The Department is working with  on economic modeling that reflects this revenue change and other economic matters.

Full information on Department’s page here.

 Housing support during COVID-19

Due to the economic hardship many Minnesotans are experiencing as a result of the outbreak of COVID-19, Governor Walz issued an Executive Order to ensure renters and homeowners were not evicted during this health emergency. Beyond the economic hardship the pandemic is creating, the Executive Order will also protect people from unnecessary exposure to COVID-19.

It is important note, nothing in the order relieves a tenant’s or homeowner’s obligation to pay for housing. Additionally, the Executive Order will only remain in effect until the declared peacetime state of emergency ends. As a result, these protections are temporary. The Minnesota Housing Agency has a FAQs document that might be helpful to individuals who have questions.

For those who are homeless, there several resources that might be helpful on the Minnesota Housing Finance agency’s website.

If you or your family’s housing is being impacted by COVID-19 or you have other concerns, there are several resources that are available that may help. A good first step is likely contacting your landlord or lender directly to update them on your ability to pay or for other concerns you may have. The Minnesota Housing Finance Agency also has a list of resources that might be helpful depending on your unique circumstances. You can access this list here. If your issues are legal in nature, you can contact the Office of the Minnesota Attorney General.

Metro Transit suspends overnight hours

Metro Transit announced this week it is suspending bus and light rail services between 11 p.m. and 4:30 a.m. due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Riders are strongly encouraged to practice social distancing and limit rides to day and early evening trips and only for essentials such as food or medicine.

Public transit systems nationwide have curtailed services due to the pandemic amid the need to sanitize vehicles and maintain rider safety. Metro Transit ridership is often lowest in the late evening and early morning hours, which reduces the impact of limited hours on users. There is no indication from Metro Transit when services will transition back to normal hours of operation. More information can be found here.

Resources:

The MN Department of Health has set up a COVID-19 public hotline that is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The hotline number is 651-201-3920.

A MN Department of Public Safety hotline taking questions regarding community mitigation problems, including school and business impacts, is open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily: 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903.

School and child care questions:
Call 651-297-1304 or 1-800-657-3504 (7am-7pm daily)

*Childcare providers with questions should call 1-888-234-1268

Meals for kids: MDE announced a new app/website that can be used to locate free meals for kids, in addition to what districts are doing

A Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for workers and employers:   651-259-7114 or 800-657-3858