It’s an honor to serve our community at the State Capitol. The legislative session began in January, and I am now reaching out for your feedback on the issues that we are discussing this year.
As your Representative, I am committed to ensuring that the State of Minnesota supports all residents as we recover and rebuild from COVID-19. I am focused on policies that will increase access to health care, ensure public safety, work for quality education, expand protections for working families, and create targeted job training and workforce development to ensure economic opportunity and security for all.
I invite you to complete the following survey and let me know what you hope to see at the legislature this session. Feel free to get in touch with me anytime. I appreciate hearing from you!
Spring has arrived in Minnesota! As the weather warms and the snow melts— you can feel hope in the air. This Spring signals the beginning of our pathway out of this pandemic. While more and more vaccines are being administered every week, I hope you and your loved ones are able to monitor eligibility and available appointments. If you are experiencing issues with access and are in a qualified group, please be sure to contact me at rep.heather.edelson@house.mn.
Currently, 1,129,967 of Minnesotans have received their first dose of the vaccine, and 642,701 individuals have completed the vaccine series. Each week we are making more progress on this front as we expand eligibility.
Minnesota Vaccine Distribution Update
We received great news earlier this week: Minnesota was able to expand vaccine eligibility on Wednesday, March 10 as the state reaches its goal of vaccinating 70% of Minnesotans 65 years of age and older. At our current pace, Minnesota is now several weeks ahead of schedule. More than 1.8 million Minnesotans are newly eligible to receive a vaccine .
Minnesota has made hard-fought progress to overcome COVID-19. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths are all trending downward, and our vaccination process is improving as the vaccine supply increases.
As of Tuesday, March 2nd, 948,127 Minnesotans have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and 500,188 have completed the series.
Minnesota is already a national leader in getting shots into arms. As of Wednesday, the Centers for Disease Control ranks Minnesota 3rd among states for the percentage of doses received that have been administered.
As of February 23, approximately 1,169,470 people have been vaccinated state-wide. While the increase in speed of distribution is heading in a hopeful direction, we need to continue to follow public health guidelines and hold out a little bit longer to ensure the safety of our neighbors. This week, I want to provide you with some answers about the COVID-19 vaccine distribution process in Minnesota, and connect you with some resources that may be helpful to you.
Right now, federal officials are sending states a very limited supply of vaccine. That is why we have to take a phased approach and give the first doses of vaccine to populations where we can have the greatest impact on health. Those priority populations were identified by the federal government. The graphic below breaks down the logistics of the process in a more visually digestive way.
According to data reported as of February 16th, the total vaccine doses administered in the state of Minnesota is 974,427. 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:
Edina Public School Students grades K-5 are now back to in-person learning and I am hearing reports things are going well (and that several teachers have been able to access their first vaccines)! Welcome back to our teachers and students!
COVID-19 trends in Minnesota are headed in the right direction, with case numbers and positivity rates heading downward. The vaccination process also continues to improve, with distribution efficiency increasing, and the federal government increasing the supply of doses.
It’s likely there will be changes in Minnesota and nationwide in the coming weeks and months to improve vaccine distribution.
I want to extend an invitation to you for a conversation in coordination with the League of Women Voters of Edina and LWV of Bloomington.
Join us for the first town hall of the 2021 Legislative Session in District 49. Please RSVP at the link here, and submit a question to be asked during the event. We will send out the Zoom link the day before. You can join on Zoom or watch it on my Facebook page live-streamed.
I am excited and looking forward to your engagement.
Select Committee on Racial Justice Final Report
This month, in honor of Black History Month, I want to invite you to read the final report released on Racial Justice.
Over the interim, the House Committee on Racial Justice examined how racism pervades Minnesota’s laws and institutions. This committee wrote a report of their findings to guide House members and me as we write bills.
In addition to taking measures to reform free and fair elections, the Minnesota House of Representative joined together and passed House Resolution 1, a resolution condemning violence and violent rhetoric directed at the United States Capitol and state capitols, and affirming support for democracy, rule of law, and the certified results of our election. The resolution passed on a vote of 111-8.
Now is the time to stand up to rhetoric that threatens the stability of our democracy and casts baseless doubt on the legitimacy of our free and fair elections.
Sober Homes And Consumer Protections
I had my first bill hearing this morning in the Behavioral Health Policy Committee to conduct a study of Sober Homes and add consumer protections. The bill is co-authered by Rep. Koegal and Rep. Hassan.
You can watch the full-clip of the Behavioral Health Policy Committee hearing here.
I want to extend an invitation to you for a conversation in coordination with the League of Women Voters of Edina and LWV of Bloomington.
Join us for the first town hall of the 2021 Legislative Session in District 49. Please RSVP at the link here, and submit a question to be asked during the event. We will send out the Zoom link the day before. You can join on Zoom or watch it on my Facebook page live-streamed.
I am excited and looking forward to your engagement
I want to extend an invitation to you for a conversation in coordination with the League of Women Voters of Edina and LWV of Bloomington.
Join us for the first town hall of the 2021 Legislative Session in District 49. Please RSVP at the link here, and submit a question to be asked during the event. We will send out the Zoom link the day before. You can join on Zoom or watch it on my Facebook page live-streamed.
I am excited and looking forward to your engagement.
First and foremost, I want to assure you of the precautions the Minnesota State Capital will be taking to ensure the safety of all lawmakers and staff in the midst of the political unrest both locally and nationally. My colleagues and I are committed to uphold democracy and continue our work to make sure we fulfill our oath of office and make Minnesota a better place for all.
Priorities for the 2021 Session
This week, my colleagues and I in the House, announced our first priorities for the session. We will work to introduce and implement legislation that will provide assistance to Minnesotans impacted by COVID-19, strengthen worker protections, better support people experiencing houselessness, support our education system, and ensure affordable child care is available to those who need it.
