May 7, 2021
COVID Precautions Begin to Wind Down
On Thursday, May 6th, Governor Walz held a press conference announcing the timeline to end COVID-19 restrictions in Minnesota. This includes ending nearly all state restrictions by May 28th, and ending the statewide mask mandate by July 1st, or when we reach the 70% vaccination threshold for those 16 and older.
This is great news! Hugs, handshakes, and regular human interaction are all on the horizon! I’m excited to see many of you in person again. You can watch my weekly video on this subject by clicking HERE.
A gradual reopening has already begun. I recently had the opportunity to visit the Minnetonka Library with my grandson Elliott. It’s so great to see him safely engaging in this wonderful activity again.
Minnesota as a National Leader in Civic Participation
This past week, the Senate majority passed a Voter ID bill, which would require all Minnesotans to vote with valid photo identification. I voted against this bill, because it would deprive too many citizens of their constitutional right to vote. Seniors in congregate care with expired IDs and Minnesotans who don’t need a driver’s license still deserve the freedom to exercise that right. I myself did not have an ID when I voted in my first Minnesota election, and would have been disenfranchised if Voter ID had been law.
We need to be expanding ballot access, not restricting it. We hit 79.96% turnout in the 2020 general election, and that is a clear sign that Minnesotans trust our elections. Depriving our fellow citizens of the freedom to vote runs contrary to our values. You can view my floor speech on this by clicking HERE.
I also spoke last Friday about Minnesota’s civic participation, and how we can allow more citizens to exercise their right to vote. You can view that speech by clicking HERE.
In-Person Activism Returns to the Capitol as Session Nears its End
With session wrapping up and conference committees in full swing, there has been a substantial amount of activity happening around the Capitol lately. More and more citizens are making their voices heard as well, as the capitol gets opened up.
Wednesday, May 5th was Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW) Awareness Day. Hundreds of red dresses were arrayed across the Capitol lawn. Each red dress signifies an Indigenous woman who has been murdered or gone missing. It was the type of message you can’t look away from, and that’s what bringing your voice to the capitol is all about.
There weren’t a lot of zoom meetings this week, but I did hear from many of you over the phone and via email. Some of the big subjects were:
- Education
- Environmental protection
- Police reform
- Elections and Voter ID
Thank you to everyone who exercised your civic duty this week.