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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Todd Lippert (DFL)

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Legislative Update: COVID-19 Testing

Tuesday, June 30, 2020

Rep. Lippert

Dear Neighbors, 

Yesterday, Minnesota reached the milestone of over 500,000 COVID-19 tests. As we begin to see cases spike in parts of the country, it’s incredibly important that we continue following public safety guidelines. If you yourself feel like you need a COVID test, you can find the nearest available site here. For many, the closest ones in our community are the Northfield Clinic, the Parkview Medical Clinic, and the New Prague Mayo Clinic.

500,000 Tests

Assistance for Small Businesses

Our June Special Session was a mixed bag, with many key issues left unfinished when the Republican-led Senate adjourned before taking on the serious issue of police accountability reform. An early success was legislation, now law, that provides assistance to some of the smallest businesses in our community impacted by COVID-19. We created a $62.5 million fund with grants of up to $10,000. With a focus on businesses with 50 or fewer employees, these grants will provide businesses with the assistance they need to weather these difficult times. To be eligible, the business must meet the following requirements:

  1. Have a permanent physical location in Minnesota, 
  2. Be owned by a permanent resident of Minnesota, 
  3. Be in good standing with the Minnesota Secretary of State’s office and the Dept. of Revenue as of March 1, 2020, and 
  4. Demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unlike previous funds, these grants will be awarded by lottery. Applications are available now through Thursday, July 2. You can find more information and apply here. 

 

New Laws

On July 1, several new laws will go into effect, including the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act. Alec Smith was a young Minnesotan who died because he could not afford the insulin he needed to live. The price of this life-saving medicine has skyrocketed over the years, and Alec’s Law not only guarantees that Minnesota’s diabetics will be able to access an emergency supply of insulin, it also holds insulin manufacturers accountable by paying into this solution. There’s a lot of work left to do to make medication more affordable, and another new law coming on July 1, the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act, will help in that effort as well. 

 

An Age Friendly Minnesota

The AARP has put out a survey to inform the work of the Governor’s Council on an Age Friendly Minnesota, which is working to drive coordinated action across state agencies and move Minnesota toward being a more livable, age friendly state. The full survey can be taken by individual Minnesota residents, age 45+ through July 3, 2020. You can take the survey here. 

 

Stay Connected

Minnesota’s COVID-19 Dashboard remains the best source for accurate, updated information, and the Stay Safe webpage covers the resources available to the public as we work to reopen Minnesota safely. Great ways to stay in the loop include following my Representative Todd Lippert Facebook Page, and my official Twitter page.

For any questions you have on the resources available to our community or our work in the Minnesota House, feel free to contact me at (651) 296-0171 or rep.todd.lippert@house.mn. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Todd Lippert
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