March 27, 2020
Legislature Passes COVID-19 Emergency Relief Bill
Yesterday the Senate voted on an emergency economic relief bill to help everyone who is economically impacted by our response to COVID-19. Included in the bill is:
- Emergency childcare grants
- Food shelf aid and expansion of goods and services provided
- Emergency housing assistance
- Grants for emergency services
- Military veteran economic assistance
- Temporary expansion of driver and vehicle services
More details on the bill can be found HERE and HERE. There were a few things we could not reach a compromise on in time, such as ensuring pay for hourly school employees, funding community education, and ensuring that COVID is covered by worker’s compensation. We will likely be meeting again in the near future to take up another bill. Please let me know if you have any questions.
Due to our social distancing measures, some senators have been allowed to vote remotely. Most members in attendance were seated in areas outside the Senate Chamber. I was with a group in the Senate’s retiring room, behind the president’s desk. Our various locations took turns on voting on the floor so as to maintain a healthy distance apart.
My Office Remains Open
Aside from necessary votes, all of us senators are required to work from home for the time being. I am still answering emails and calls though, and this week I have heard from over one hundred of you. I have spoken with mental health professionals, business owners, chemical dependency professionals, nurses, educators, farmers, and those of you who are experiencing unemployment. My office will continue to be open for the people of Senate District 48. I strongly encourage you to reach out if you haven’t already.
Staying Minnesota Nice
Many of us are worried about ourselves and our loved ones right now, and it is important in times like these that we all come together. Asian American communities have been experiencing an increase in hate crimes these past few weeks, and I just want to encourage you all to be your best selves and treat everyone with respect. My colleague, Senator Foung Hawj, spoke about this on the floor yesterday. I also encourage you to watch his speech, which you can find by clicking HERE.
Lessons From a Constituent Living in Italy
One of our fellow constituents of Senate District 48 is living in Italy right now, and recently had a piece published in MinnPost on what she has learned from her experience. You can check out the article by clicking HERE.
What the Interns Are Up To
Both of our interns are currently on hiatus from the legislature, and we asked them what they are doing to keep busy during this difficult time.
Urji: Currently reading Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger, and classes have all resumed online.
Adrianna: Started scrap-booking and is learning to cross-stitch. Classes have also resumed online.
Their optimism during this time is inspiring, and I hope we can all find ways to enjoy the beauty of life during this difficult time.
Catching Up On Reading
What are you reading for pleasure right now? It’s something I find myself asking others a lot these days. I just finished reading Pandemic 1918. Leadership is next on my list, and then I’ll be finishing up with The Splendid and the Vile. I hope you’re getting to do some reading during this time as well.
Stay Home, Stay Healthy, Save Lives
On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced a new Stay Home executive order which will be in place from March 27 – April 10. From April 10 – May 1 we will then revert to the previous social distancing measures that have already been in place. For these next two weeks, we are asking that Minnesotans not leave their homes except for critical needs.
The goal of this is to delay the time when we reach peak ICU need. We are doing this so that we can build our capacity and ensure that every Minnesotan can get their healthcare needs met. According to modeling, we are expected to need 6,000 ICU beds during peak infection, and right now we are only at 236 available beds. We are now past the point of being able to flatten the infection curve, and our biggest goal now is to buy time for building this ICU capacity. The work have done over the past two weeks has helped, but we need to do more in order to save lives.
You can still leave your home if you need to. Below is a list of critical reasons for venturing outdoors. It is by no means exhaustive, and we are trusting Minnesotans to use their own judgement when deciding whether or not to leave the house.
- Health and safety activities, such as obtaining emergency services or medical supplies
- Outdoor activities, such as walking pets, hiking, running, biking, hunting, or fishing
- Necessary Supplies and Services, such as getting groceries, gasoline, or carry-out
- Essential and interstate travel, such as returning to home from outside this state
- Care of others, such as caring for a family member, friend, or pet in another household
- Displacement, such as moving between emergency or homeless shelters if you are without a home
- Relocation to ensure safety, such as relocating to a different location if your home has been unsafe due to domestic violence, sanitation, or essential operations reasons
- Tribal Activities & Lands, such as activities by members within the boundaries of their tribal reservations
Only critical staff will be attending work during these next two weeks. Those who are able to work from home are encouraged to do so. Those who have been laid off or furloughed can find info on unemployment insurance HERE and can apply HERE. Business owners who do not qualify for unemployment can find info on state-backed high-forgiveness zero-interest loans by clicking HERE and HERE. Critical workers and businesses in the following sectors are exempt from the order:
- Healthcare and public health.
- Law enforcement, public safety, and first responders.
- Child care.
- Emergency shelters.
- Homeless shelters.
- Food and agriculture.
- News media.
- Energy.
- Water and wastewater.
- Critical manufacturing.
If your business or occupation is not listed here and you have further questions about whether or not you fall under the exemption, you can find more info HERE and HERE.
All of the governor’s executive orders during this pandemic can be found by clicking HERE.
Those of us who can’t stay home are depending on those of us who can, and we are all in this together. We can all do our part to fight COVID-19. You may have questions, comments, and concerns after reading through this. Please do not hesitate to reach out.