This week, I’d like to ask for your feedback on issues that could be discussed this 2021 Legislative Session, including recovering and rebuilding from COVID-19, ensuring Minnesotans have affordable health care, great educational opportunities from preschool through job training, and economic security. Our government always works best when the decisions made include all.
The link for the 2021 Legislative Survey for District 50B is below. Please get in touch with me anytime. I appreciate hearing from you!
HealthPartners recently opened its first drive-up vaccination site at its Bloomington headquarters, and is prepared to open additional drive-up sites as vaccine supply increases. The site will be open 7 days a week, and appointments are required.
We’re getting a clearer picture of when more Minnesotans could expect to receive the COVID vaccine. Supply is still not meeting the great demand, but we’re currently on track to vaccinate 70% of Minnesotans age 65 and older by the end of this month. Once we meet that important milestone, we’ll begin the process of vaccinating those who are at a high risk for workplace exposure and people with certain underlying health conditions. In following the state’s vaccine timeline, all Minnesotans will have the opportunity to get vaccinated this summer.
This week’s news on the approval of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine means the date of a vaccine for the general public might even be sooner, with President Biden announcing that a new deal between drug manufacturers could lead to vaccines for all adults in the US by May. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for Minnesota’s Vaccine Connector, which will help you find out when, where, and how to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
It’s an honor to serve our community at the State Capitol. The legislative session began January 5th. Today, I’d like your feedback on issues that could be discussed this year. Our government works best when the decisions made include all voices.
As your Representative, I’m committed to recovering and rebuilding from COVID, and ensuring Minnesotans have affordable health care, great educational opportunities from preschool through job training, and economic security. We need to help Minnesotans get through this pandemic and thrive after it.
The link for the 2021 Legislative Survey for District 50B is below. Please get in touch with me anytime. I appreciate hearing from you!
According to data reported as of February 19th, the total vaccine doses administered in the state of Minnesota is 1,095,934. The speed of vaccination is picking up to approximately 100,000 people each week, and there have been a series of online tools that make it easier for eligible individuals to schedule appointments and access the latest news on COVID-19 information.
The COVID-19 Vaccine Connector Tool
Minnesota has just launched a new tool to make reliable vaccine updates and COVID-19 related information reach you faster. The COVID-19 Vaccine Connectorwill help Minnesotans find out when, where, and how to get their COVID-19 vaccine.
When you become eligible, the Vaccine Connector will:
This week, Governor Walz announced a new tool to help Minnesotans find out when they’ll be able to get their vaccine – the COVID-19 Vaccine Connector. We’re still months away from the vaccine being widely available for all who want it, but the Connector will be able to better streamline that process once it’s available for you.
By signing up, the Connector will:
alert you when you are eligible to receive a vaccine;
connect you to resources to schedule a vaccine appointment; and
notify you if there are vaccine opportunities in your area.
The 2021 legislative session is a new opportunity for lawmakers to respond to Minnesotans’ needs. House Members have proposed immediate actions the Legislature can take to help the Minnesotans who have sacrificed and risked the most to keep all of us healthy and safe. Our latest proposal is focused on the needs of our hospitality and service sector workers laid off due to the pandemic.
Getting Hospitality Workers Back to Their Jobs Safely
In 2020, many of us had to cancel our travel plans for graduation, summer vacation, Thanksgiving, Christmas and so on. However, behind these visible personal impacts are our hospitality workers that are hit hard by the pandemic due to restaurant, hotel and airport layoffs.
On Monday, we announced H.F 39, chief authored by me, to help laid-off hospitality and service sector workers return to their jobs. It’s one of many immediate actionsthat House Democrats are proposing to respond to the needs of workers, families, and small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. High-quality video and audio of this virtual press conference will be available here.
There’s nothing like a spell of sub-zero temperatures to make one grateful for having a safe and warm home with which to escape the cold – but during this winter, during this global pandemic, that’s not the case for all Minnesotans. As vice chair of the Housing Finance and Policy Committee, and a member of the Preventing Homelessness Division, legislation concerning Minnesota’s housing crisis has been a focus of mine.
We are now more than a month into the legislative session, and if the emails and phone calls and letters I’ve been getting from you are any indication, there is a lot of interest in discussions and work happening in St. Paul. I hope you’ll always take the opportunity to reach out.
Celebrating Black History Month
February 1st through March 1st is recognized federally and state-wide as Black History Month. In recognition of that, I’d encourage us all to take time to reflect on the history and contributions of African American people to America and our democracy. While we have made progress in recognizing our history, we still have critical work to do to achieve an equitable and just America that we all deserve. I am committed to centering racial equity in my work as a Senator. It is the way we will address the large disparities in outcomes we see in many areas of life in our state. I also wanted to share these comments made by Senator Bobby Joe Champion of Minneapolis during one of our Senate floor sessions on the true importance of Black History Month.
Tax Filing Opens Today
The state and federal tax-filing season officially opens on Friday, February 12th. Taxpayers have until April 15th, 2021, to file income tax returns for Tax Year 2020. This year, there are many items to consider when filing taxes:
Federal Recovery Rebate: The Economic Impact Payments (“stimulus checks”) distributed by the federal government in 2020 were based on taxpayers’ 2018 or 2019 tax return data. Some taxpayers did not receive the full stimulus payments or did not qualify at all. Those taxpayers should examine potential eligibility for a federal Recovery Rebate on their federal taxes, which is based on 2020 tax information. The IRS website provides more information on the Recovery Rebate Credit, but it particularly applies to:
Those who lost wages in 2020 compared to 2019
Recent college graduates
Anyone who did not receive the full amount of the first EIP of $1,200 ($2,400 married-joint) or the second EIP of $600 ($1,200 married-joint)
Free state income tax filing: Free electronic filing of Minnesota taxes is available for Minnesotans whose Adjusted Gross Income is $72,000 or less or who meet certain other requirements, which vary based on the electronic tax-filing system used. To determine eligibility for each program, visit the Department’s website.
Free tax preparation: Taxpayers may qualify for free tax preparation help for federal and Minnesota income tax returns if they meet one of these criteria: be age 60 or older, have a disability, speak limited or no English, or have income less than $57,000 per year. There are more than 200 free tax preparation sites across Minnesota offering help from IRS-certified volunteers. Most sites are open February 12 through April 15 and can be found on the Department’s website.
Fraud prevention: The Department of Revenue reviews and verifies information on all tax returns to make sure the right refund goes to the right person. Learn more about identity theft and see tips on how to protect financial information on the Identity Theft and Tax Refund Fraud page.
Track refunds: Taxpayers can track the status of their refunds by using the Where’s My Refund? system on the Department of Revenue’s website. The system will alert filers whether any additional action is needed and will display the exact date any refunds are sent.
Property tax refunds: Renters and homeowners in Minnesota may be eligible for property tax refunds. The applications must be filed separately from income tax returns and refunds will not be distributed until after August 2021. Forms may be found here.
Bills Move Forward
Committee work is the main focus of our time until we reach second deadline on March 19th, and here are a couple examples of bills that I have worked on that are moving forward. Yesterday, I was joined by Bloomington Mayor Tim Busse and Fire Chief Ulie Seal to present S.F. 88. This would provide for a sales tax exemption on construction materials for the new Bloomington Fire Station #4, saving Bloomington taxpayers thousands of dollars. S.F. 88 was laid over for possible inclusion in an omnibus bill, so it would require a larger tax bill passing to become law. I will be working with my colleagues on the Tax Committee to ensure that it does move forward.
I’m also a co-author of S.F. 269, which is based on the recommendations of the Family Child Care Task Force that I served on, along with Senator Mary Kiffmeyer of Big Lake, Representatives Ami Wazlawik of White Bear Twp and Lisa Demuth of Cold Spring, as well as representatives of child care providers, parents, businesses, and organizations from across the state. The group began meeting in the fall of 2019, and issued our final report earlier this month. S.F. 269 would provide funds to establish a Family Child Care Regulation Modernization project. The purpose would be to ensure that regulations related to family child care are more accurately viewed through a lens of national best practices, and that violations and sanctions are appropriately weighted based on health and safety risks for children. This bill is an important first step in ensuring that child care providers are held to standards that reflect real world needs and expectations. This is important as we work to find ways to attract new people to the child care field and retain current providers. Access to quality child care is fundamental to mothers and fathers being able to work.
I’m grateful to have had some opportunities recently to meet with constituents, including advocates for 100% clean energy, and the Bloomington League of Women Voters. Looking forward, I will be attending a virtual lunch with other area legislators and Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and ensuring that the concerns I’m hearing from you are also heard by our federal leaders. I’m also anticipating the Virtual Muslim Day on the Hill, and continuing committee work on the budget and other important priorities. I hope you’ll continue to keep in touch if you have any questions or concerns you’d like to share!
SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA — Rep. Andrew Carlson (DFL-Bloomington) and House Democrats are proposing new legislationto help laid-off hospitality and service sector workers return to their jobs. It’s one of many immediate actions that House Democrats are proposing to respond to the needs of workers, families, and small businesses hit hardest by the pandemic. High-quality video and audio of this virtual press conference will be available here this afternoon.
“In 2020, many of us had to cancel our travel plans for graduation, summer vacation, Thanksgiving, Christmas and so on. However, behind these visible personal impacts are our hospitality workers that are hit hard by the pandemic due to restaurant, hotel and airport layoffs.” said Rep. Carlson. “We need to pass legislation that will create a pathway forward to economic recovery for Minnesotans, especially communities of color who make up 71% of displaced hospitality workers. My new bill will ensure that these workers are heard and supported by their state government.”
Rep. Carlson’s bill applies to Minnesotans employed by hotels, airports, and event centers; the facilities attached to them, including restaurants, bars, and retail; as well as related services, including maintenance, security, ticketing, ground-handling, and food and beverage services. It also applies to an enterprise providing maintenance and security services to office, retail, or commercial buildings, like a staffing agency.
The legislative session is now well underway. Committees have begun to hear bills, the Governor unveiled his budget proposal, and conversations about what will (or won’t) get done this year are beginning to take shape. We know that significant challenges lie ahead, but I am committed to representing your voice and our shared values in St. Paul.
Legislative Work Continues
The committees that I serve on (Health and Human Services Finance & Policy, Human Services Reform Finance & Policy, and Technology & Reform) are meeting regularly, and have heard some bills, as well. Human Services Reform recently heard S.F. 119, authored by Sen. Bobby Joe Champion of Minneapolis, which would remove barriers for reformed offenders seeking employment. Health and Human Services also discussed S.F. 193, authored by Senator Michelle Benson of Ham Lake, which would add Minnesota to the Psychology Interjurisdictional Compact, and provide greater access to licensed psychologists across state lines. We also heard presentations on the Governor’s proposed budget.
Committee deadlines for the legislature were also announced:
