Businesses Begin Reopening
Earlier today, Governor Walz signed an executive order to expand the list of businesses that can reopen. They are:
- Bait shops for live bait
- Outdoor shooting ranges and game farms
- Public and private parks and trails
- Golf courses and driving ranges
- Boating and off-highway vehicle services, including:
- Marina services
- Dock installation and other lake services
- Boat and off-highway vehicle sales and repair, by appointment only
This will help us all get outdoors and enjoy the weather as it gets warmer, and will allow many Minnesotans to return to work. Staying home helps protect the physical health of others, and this expansion of outdoor activities will help improve our mental health as well.
Thank You For Saving Lives
With the Stay Home order being continued until May 4th, I wanted to thank each and every one of you who who is either an essential worker putting yourself at risk or is staying home and enduring financial hardship. Our success so far in limiting the spread of the disease would not have been possible without you doing your part.
We have bought significant time to ramp up our healthcare capacity, supply of personal protective equipment, and how rapidly we can get people tested. We are on the right track and need persevere.
Many of you have reached out with your issues accessing unemployment insurance benefits or asking how you can help, and I have been fortunate to be able to assist many of you. My office is here to serve you, and I will do whatever I can to help get us all through this crisis.
Eden Prairie Graduate Wins Jeopardy
In exciting news, University of Minnesota sophomore and Eden Prairie High School graduate has won the Jeopardy College Championship. The competition was tough and he performed superbly.
Ensuring Insulin Access
After more than a year of hard work and negotiation, the Minnesota Legislature passed the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act this week to create an emergency insulin access program and ongoing support programs. Governor Walz signed the bill into law shortly after. Many insulin-dependent Minnesotans will no longer have to decide between rationing or doing without this life-saving medication.
I am incredibly thankful for the work of advocates across the state who worked tirelessly on this issue to make sure no one dies from a lack of access to affordable insulin. This bill is named after Alec Smith, who died in 2017 at age 26 after being forced to ration his insulin due to the extremely high costs. Alec’s story sparked a surge of political efficacy in Minnesota and I am proud of the work we did together.
Legislative Work Continues
Some of you have been interested in how the legislature is functioning during this pandemic. I’ve mentioned before how historic these times are, so I wanted to share some more info.
Only a handful of senators are allowed on the floor at a given time. Some are assigned to their desks, while others like myself are spaced throughout the capitol and watch proceedings remotely. I am currently assigned to the retiring room behind the chamber. When it is time to vote, each room takes turns so as to observe social distancing. If a senator not assigned to the floor would like to speak or offer an amendment, other senators leave to make room for us.
Video conference calls have become the new normal here as well. Committees are starting to be held using this method, including the Education Committee, which I sit on. On Wednesday we discussed an emergency education bill, and I am continuing to fight for compensating our hourly workers and funding our community ed programs, which are currently in charging of keeping many children fed while schools are closed.
Question of the Week
Going forward during this pandemic, I will try to share with you some of the most thought-provoking questions I have been asked by residents of District 48.
We at the legislature recently passed legislation to cover COVID-19 under worker’s comp. This week, a constituent was curious whether or not volunteer firefighters would also qualify for worker’s comp if they got sick, since they aren’t technically an employee.
For those of you who are also curious, volunteer firefighters are covered under worker’s compensation. Their daily wage for the purpose of calculating compensation is the usual going wage paid for similar services provided by paid employees.
Please continue to reach out with your questions, comments, and concerns. I am more than happy to help in whatever way I can.