Tag: House District 36A

Dear Neighbors,

I wanted to share with you a brief update on what is happening at the Legislature this week.

Emergency Insulin Bill Passes

Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, an emergency insulin program accessible to the Minnesotans who need it most. The landmark legislation is named after Alec Smith, who lost his life because he could not afford his insulin. The legislation ensures that Minnesotans have access to affordable insulin if they face an emergency, with insulin manufacturers participating in the solution.

The credit for this legislation goes to Nicole Smith-Holt, James Holt, and the incredible advocates who never stopped fighting to make this day a reality. It’s thanks to the many Minnesotans who shared their stories and shed light on the unnecessary and painful loss of their loved ones due to the high price of insulin. You can read my full statement and more about the legislation here. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: April 14, 2020”

Dear Neighbors,

Last night, Governor Walz delivered his second State of the State Address remotely from his residence. His message inspired hope and encouragement for all of us during these difficult times- and acknowledged the challenges we’re facing as we adjust to a new, but temporary normal. You can watch his speech here.

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Zoom Town Hall

Join Professor M. Kumi Smith and me for a virtual town hall on the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuesday night. Professor Smith is a professor of epidemiology and community health at the University of Minnesota. This is a great chance to ask questions about the COVID-19 pandemic and the efforts to control it in Minnesota.

Here are the details: Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: April 6, 2020”

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you and yours well.

On Sunday, Governor Walz will give his State of the State address remotely from his residence. While this is unusual, I appreciate he’s keeping up with the tradition to provide an update to Minnesotans now, especially under these challenging circumstances with COVID-19. You can stream it on his YouTube Channel or watch on any local news station.

Today, the Governor launched a dashboard that serves as a central hub for Minnesotans to track confirmed cases by county, and provides the latest data on supplies, like ventilators and personal protective equipment. You can check it out here.

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Unemployment Update

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has been working hard to quickly and effectively process thousands of unemployment insurance applications for folks in need during the COVID-19 pandemic. To date, DEED has processed more unemployment applications over the past two weeks than they have in the past two years.

To assist in this process, DEED has now designated certain days for Minnesotans who are applying for Unemployment Insurance benefits for the first time based on the last digit of their social security number. With applications coming in at an unmatched pace, this will ensure displaced workers can get faster, more effective services and the benefits they are depending on. To enroll or find more information, visit www.uimn.org.

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New Guide for Small Business Owners

Several state and federal programs have been created to help small businesses affected by COVID-19. Different programs make sense for different businesses, so the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has posted a guide that details all of the assistance available in one spot. This information can help small businesses determine which programs might work for them, including the ones I authored that were included in the emergency COVID-19 aid package. Click here to view the guide.

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Child Care Grants Available

Governor Walz this week announced that the application process for emergency grants for child care providers impacted by COVID-19 is open. This funding was a part of the comprehensive COVID-19 emergency package of bills we passed last week. There are approximately 420,000 children under the age of 12 who live in a household of an essential worker within a critical sector. Of these, the state estimates that during this peacetime emergency, about 270,000 children will need care and approximately 120,000 are likely to need care from licensed child care settings. Visit this webpage to learn more about grant availability

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Keep in Touch

Please continue to reach out to let me know how I can of assistance. I am always happy to answer questions, and help navigate any of these state or federal programs. Contact me on my cell at 763-370-9000 or by email at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn.

It’s an honor to serve you at the state legislature.

Take care,

Zack Stephenson

State Representative

Dear Neighbors,

COVID-19 Local Response

We’ve all read about how the COVID-19 pandemic is impacting our country and the world, but many people have asked me about what is happening in Champlin and Coon Rapids. Early this week, I had a great conversation with Mercy Hospital President Sara Criger about how Mercy is preparing and what people in the community can do to help. You can watch here. We’re so lucky to have such a great hospital right in our backyard. Thanks to everyone who works at Mercy for keeping our community healthy and safe.

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COVID-19 Relief Bill Passes Legislature, Includes Two of My Bills

Yesterday, my colleagues and I returned to the State Capitol – practicing Minnesota Department of Health physical distancing guidelines – to pass a bipartisan package of bills addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill created a new $200 million COVID-19 Fund in the state treasury to enable state agencies to respond to COVID-19-related challenges. It also included $9 million to the Department of Human Services for food security, $26.5 million for the Emergency Service Grants program to provide shelter for Minnesota’s homeless population, $30 million in one-time grants to child care providers, financial relief for displaced workers, and the necessary flexibility for state agencies to respond to the pandemic. You can access the entire bill here and read a recap from nonpartisan House Public Information Services here.

I was the House chief author of two of these bills as part of a COVID-19 response package. Both of my bills were designed to help small businesses survive the crisis. The first is a small business loan guarantee program. The program is specifically designed to give small businesses access to the working capital they need to keep their employees on the payroll during the pandemic.

The second gives Minnesota cities new flexibility to use their existing economic development funds (under the Minnesota Investment Fund program) to help the businesses hardest hit by the crisis. Current law prevents cities from using these funds to help retail, service, and hospitality businesses like bars and restaurants. My bill gets rid of that prohibition for the next year.

As we navigate through these unprecedented times, we must do all we can to protect and preserve our mom and pop shops and their financial wellbeing. I’m glad to see this bipartisan measure advance so we can start getting them the relief they need quickly.

Governor’s Stay at Home Executive Order

Most people have heard by now that Gov. Walz issued a stay at home order effective from Friday, March 27 at 11:59pm to April 10 at 5:00pm. I highly encourage anyone who missed the Governor’s announcement to watch it here: https://bit.ly/2WGF4Dj As you can see, the Governor’s order is part of a larger strategy get Minnesota through the COVID-19 pandemic. The presentation also includes facts and data showing how the Governor’s strategy will work, and what would happen if we did nothing.

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If you have additional questions about how the Governor’s order will work, you can learn more here: https://mn.gov/governor/covid-19/.

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Stay in Touch

Please continue to contact me anytime with questions or input on my cell phone at 763-370-9000 or by email at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn. I post additional updates on my official Facebook page.

I am honored to represent our Champlin and Coon Rapids neighbors at the Capitol (currently remotely from Coon Rapids).

Sincerely,

Zack Stephenson

State Representative

Dear Neighbors,

I hope this finds you well and staying home, if you can.

Here’s an update on some additional action the state’s taken to address the COVID-19 pandemic:

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Executive Action

Protective Gear for Health Care Workers

Governor Walz announced a new executive order, which authorizes the Minnesota National Guard to deliver assistance during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency by addressing the critically low supply of personal protective equipment in Minnesota’s hospitals and health care facilities, as well as the delivery delays from the federal government’s Strategic National Stockpile. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 24, 2020”

Dear Neighbors,

The COVID-19 situation continues to evolve by the hour. We all have a role to play in preventing its spread to keep our neighbors and community safe. As we are likely to face increasing challenges, the legislature’s responsibility is to ensure Minnesota is prepared to respond. We are taking proactive, swift, and thoughtful action to address this issue.

Public health officials in Minnesota are working around the clock to prepare for and stop the spread of COVID-19. At the Capitol, the House, Senate, Department of Health (MDH), and Governor’s Office are in near-constant communication to ensure we can quickly work to prevent further outbreak.

On March 10, Governor Tim Walz signed into law legislation that authorizes nearly $21 million for our public health response to COVID-19. I’m glad that the legislature moved quickly and collaboratively (the funding passed with unanimous support in both the House and Senate) to provide the Minnesota Department of Health with additional resources. But there is more we need to do. Continue reading “Rep. Zack Stephenson (HD36A) Update: March 13, 2020”