Dear Neighbors,

Yesterday, the Minnesota House and Senate both approved a COVID-19 aid package to help workers, small businesses, childcare providers, and other Minnesotans who are experiencing hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. I’m proud we came together in a bipartisan way to quickly enact these solutions which will help our state respond to the health and economic consequences of this pandemic.

The bill creates a new $200 million COVID-19 Fund in the state treasury to enable state agencies to respond to COVID-19 related challenges. It also included $9 million to the Department of Human Services for food security, $26.5 million for the Emergency Service Grants program to provide shelter for Minnesota’s homeless population, $30 million in one-time grants to child care providers, $10 million for small business loans, financial relief for displaced workers, $11 million for the state’s tribes, and the necessary flexibility for state agencies to respond to the pandemic.

Legislators will keep working with Governor Walz and public health officials to protect Minnesotans’ health and safety. This work includes measures to ensure first responders are able to access workers’ compensation benefits if they become afflicted with COVID-19, hourly school workers still receive pay, temporary changes requested by the judiciary branch, and economic security for all Minnesotans during the pandemic and well into the future.

A summary of the bill is available here.

Stay at Home

Tonight at 11:59 p.m., a “Stay at Home” order will take effect for a two-week period. Minnesotans are asked to not leave their homes except for essential travel, like trips to get food, medical appointments, or outdoor activities like fitness or walking a pet.

This was a difficult step for Governor Walz to take, but in making it he recognizes the severity of this situation and need to slow the spread of this illness. This action is necessary to ensure our health care system has the capacity to treat Minnesotans who may become afflicted, especially with a limited amount of ICU units and ventilators. Read the executive order here, and a list of Frequently Asked Questions is available here.

Minnesotans may leave their residences only to perform any of the following activities, and while doing so, they should practice social distancing:

• Health and safety activities, such as obtaining emergency services or medical supplies
• Outdoor activities, such as walking, hiking, running, biking, hunting, or fishing
• Necessary Supplies and Services, such as getting groceries, gasoline, or carry-out
• Essential and interstate travel, such as returning to a home from outside this state
• Care of others, such as caring for a family member, friend, or pet in another household
• Displacement, such as moving between emergency shelters if you are without a home
• Relocation to ensure safety, such as relocating to a different location if your home has been unsafe due to domestic violence, sanitation, or essential operations reasons
• Tribal activities and lands, such as activities by members within the boundaries of their tribal reservation

Today at 2pm, Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Health will give us another briefing on the pandemic, and you can listen live on Minnesota Public Radio. Please continue to contact me if I can be of assistance in any way. My email address is rep.mike.sundin@house.mn and phone number is 651-296-4308. It’s an honor to represent you.

Be safe, be healthy, and be well.

Sincerely,

Mike Sundin