Dear Neighbors,

The House has now passed all of its major budget bills. The next step is for House/Senate conference committees to meet with the goal of reaching a bipartisan compromise. As difficult as the past year has been, it’s critically important for any final budget agreement to invest in workers, families, students, and small businesses so they can succeed in a post-COVID-19 Minnesota.

Health and Human Services Budget

On Monday, the House passed the Health and Human Services budget, our final major finance bill. Serving as the chair of the Human Services Committee this year, I was honored to play a role in crafting this important piece of legislation that will improve people’s lives in many different ways, making significant progress to improve the social determinants of health and addressing our vast racial and economic inequities.

The budget strengthens our public health systems (which we’ve greatly relied upon during COVID-19), addresses health inequities, makes prescription drugs more affordable, and expands coverage for low-income Minnesotans. The budget delivers new support for people with disabilities, funding to prevent homelessness, and assistance for those experiencing mental illness and substance abuse.

Minnesota currently has a workforce shortage among providers of behavioral health and mental health services, with a profound lack of cultural and ethnic diversity. The bill contains several strategies to address the shortage in the mental health workforce and the lack of diversity among providers. Finally, the legislation includes significant investments in affordable child care for Minnesota families.

The budget recognizes the challenges Minnesotans have faced over the last year, and will improve people’s health and wellbeing. A nonpartisan summary of all the helpful measures within the bill is available here.

Helping Renters and Preventing Evictions

Everyone deserves a place to call home, but the economic hardship resulting from COVID-19 meant many Minnesotans suddenly had difficulty paying rent almost overnight. Preventing housing displacement was a critical priority as the pandemic was growing, and our eviction moratorium helped ensure Minnesotans could keep their home. It wasn’t just good housing policy; it was good public health policy. Now that we’re approaching the end of the pandemic, we need to ensure Minnesota doesn’t experience a sudden wave of evictions.

Yesterday, the House passed a bill to provide a roadmap to transition off the current residential eviction moratorium by ensuring renters have enough time to access federal funding for rental assistance when the COVID-19 peacetime emergency ends. The eviction moratorium off-ramp will provide clarity to the process and procedures surrounding evictions during and immediately after the peacetime emergency ends. The bill also prohibits late fees and sudden, excessive rent increases, prohibits manufactured home repossession, and requires a pre-eviction notice.

If you’re a renter behind on payments or know someone who is, help is available. RentHelpMN can provide assistance for low- and moderate-income renters. Learn more and apply at renthelpmn.org.

Vaccine Opportunities

This coming Sunday, May 2, COVID-19 vaccines will be available at the DECC from noon-8 p.m. Schedule your shot and find more information here. Other opportunities are available through the Minnesota Vaccine Connector. With summer around the corner, ensuring as many people as possible get vaccinated is a big step toward the ability to participate in the activities we enjoy and safely spend time once again with family and friends.

Please continue to stay in touch with your viewpoints, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. Thank you for the honor to work as your public servant.

Sincerely,

Jen Schultz
State Representative