May 15, 2020
Dear Neighbor,
We’re approaching the end of the regular legislative session. The legislature is required to adjourn for the 2019-20 biennium by midnight on Monday, though I expect that there will be a need for a special session, possibly more than one given the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting needs. A number of major issues are yet to be resolved, and I continue to hope that they will be before we adjourn. As always, please keep in touch if you have questions or would like to share your thought.
Governor Walz Takes Additional Actions
On Wednesday evening, Gov. Walz announced the next phase of the COVID-19 response in Minnesota. Citing progress made to prepare for peak of infection, the Governor announced a measured, cautious turning of the dial toward a new normal. With the Stay Home Executive Order set to expire on May 18th, the Governor will replace it with an order continuing to encourage Minnesotans to stay close to home but allowing for gatherings of friends and family of 10 people or less. The Governor will also open retail stores and other main street businesses if they have a social distancing plan and operate at 50 percent occupancy.
In conjunction with this announcement, the Governor signed Executive Orders to protect Minnesotans most at risk from the virus and safeguard workers. The first Executive Order strongly encourages Minnesotans at greatest risk of serious illness to continue staying home. The second Executive Order ensures workers can raise concerns regarding the safety of their work environments without fear of discrimination or retaliation. It also protects workers from loss of income if they refuse to work under unsafe or unhealthy conditions.
Gov. Walz also announced a series of indicators that could trigger a decision to re-impose restrictions, a process for developing guidance for reopening bars, restaurants, barbershops, and salons, and that he was extending the peacetime State of Emergency until June 12th.
Legislative Action
This week, a number of bills passed off the floor of the Senate. It’s not uncommon for things to happen quickly near the end of the legislative session. Some notable bills that were discussed include:
- S.F. 4511 – Would preempt Gov. Walz’s Stay at Home order and any future executive orders related to business closings. – I voted No
- S.F. 3322 – An omnibus Human Services policy bill that updates and provides needed guidance related to a number of areas including child care, county human services departments, and community supports. – I voted Yes
- H.F. 331 – Raises the purchase age of tobacco products in Minnesota to 21. – I voted Yes
Additionally, the Commerce Committee heard the prior authorization bill I mentioned last week, and the Health and Human Services Committee continued our work on a COVID-19 testing and response bill, with detailed discussions around testing protocols, contact tracing, and investigation.
End of Session Nears
As I mentioned, the legislature is required by the Minnesota Constitution to adjourn by midnight on Monday night. Although the legislature must adjourn by Monday, bills must pass by midnight on Sunday. Some of the larger items yet to be agreed to include a bonding bill, additional spending related to COVID efforts, and ratifying contracts for our state employees. I am hopeful that we can get these things done for Minnesotans. A bonding bill is a jobs bill, and provides important support for state and local assets. Given how many of our state employees are essential, I do also believe they deserve to have their fairly negotiated contracts ratified.
I’m also disappointed that some things that could have moved forward did not. This is a frequent issue towards the end of the legislative session. An example this year is a bill to allocate funding from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Projects for this bill are recommended by the Legislative-Citizens Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR), and approved by the legislature. Unfortunately, while the LCCMR did put forward several recommendations worth funding, and the House of Representatives did move a bill forward, the Senate did not.
I expect that I will be working through the weekend, and possibly late into the night on Sunday, as well. I hope you will reach out to my office if you have any other questions in these final days.
Thank you for the opportunity to serve our communities in the Minnesota Senate.
Regards,
Melissa