Dear Neighbors,
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to challenge Minnesotans. This is an unprecedented, complex situation impacting our health and our economy. Today, Governor Walz took a bold, but necessary step in issuing a “Stay at Home” order for a two-week period beginning this Friday. 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. While data shows that Minnesotans have been largely practicing physical distancing guidelines, this step 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.
Friday: Virtual Town Hall
Our current physical distancing guidelines, which prohibit large gatherings, make an in-person town hall meeting impossible at this time. Nevertheless, I remain committed to being accessible to Duluth community members. I invite you to join me for a Virtual Town Hall Meeting this coming Friday, March 27 at noon. We will gather on Zoom, a free video-conferencing app. I hope you can join us to discuss recent developments and our efforts to combat COVID-19. If you have any questions you’d like addressed, please email them to me at rep.jennifer.schultz@house.mn.
WHAT: Virtual Town Hall Meeting
WHEN: Friday, March 27, 2020; noon
WHO: Rep. Jen Schultz, Duluth neighbors
WHERE: Zoom, Meeting ID 180-758-449
Tomorrow: Lawmakers Return to the Capitol
In recent days, legislators have been working at home, away from the Capitol to reach consensus on solutions to protect Minnesotans’ health and safety during this pandemic. Tomorrow, the House and Senate will both be in session in Saint Paul to consider a bipartisan package of legislation to address our health and economic wellbeing. We will address a number of COVID-19 related measures including pay for hourly school workers, forgiveness for those with expired drivers licenses or tabs, paid time off for workers who must miss work due to illness, assistance to tribes, housing and food security, and an emergency fund to address health care and public safety costs that may arise during this emergency.
A preview of tomorrow’s agenda is available here. Members of the public can watch live video of the House floor session online here, and along with Senate coverage on public TV’s Minnesota Channel.
Recent Executive Actions
The Governor has issued a series of executive orders as part of our state’s response action to COVID-19, some of which mirror our legislative efforts. Last Friday, he issued a pair of them (20-11 and 20-12) to ensure critical services for some of the state’s most vulnerable residents can continue by giving the Department of Human Services some flexibility from certain requirements. This will help ensure that services for people with disabilities, mental health support, childcare, food support, housing, and other critical public health programs and services can continue.
Also Friday he signed an executive order prohibiting price gouging during a peacetime emergency. We have heard reports of extreme price hikes for food and household goods. Minnesotans can report instances of price gouging by calling the Attorney General’s office at 651-296-3353 or 800-657-3787. Complaints can be made online as well.
Overcoming an illness like COVID-19 is made exponentially more difficult for someone without a place to live. With the economic struggles many folks are facing right now, we recognize that some people may experience difficulty paying rent. On Monday, Governor Walz issued an executive order placing a moratorium on evictions during this peacetime emergency.
Governor Walz and MNsure are also launching a 30-day special enrollment period for qualified individuals who are currently without insurance in response to the potential growth of COVID-19 cases. This special enrollment period began Monday, March 23 and runs through April 21, giving uninsured individuals 30 days to enroll in health insurance coverage through MNsure.org.
Finally, to align with the federal government’s timeline, taxpayers filing their individual income tax returns for tax year 2019 now have until Wednesday, July 15, 2020 to file, without any penalties or interest. For more information, please visit the Department of Revenue’s website or call them at 651-296-3781
A complete list of the Governor’s executive orders is available here.
Assistance for Small Businesses
To assist small businesses experiencing difficulty due to COVID-19 impacts, the U.S. Small Business Administration has launched a Disaster Loan assistance program. This program provides small businesses and private nonprofits loans of up to $2 million to provide vital economic support to help small businesses overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing. For more information, call the SBA's disaster assistance customer service center at 1-800-659-2955 or visit the COVID-19 section of their website.
Additionally, following an executive order, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has established a Small Business Emergency Loan program which can help bridge the gap for businesses until their federal loans are approved, offering immediate assistance. Learn more here.
If you’re a worker who has been displaced from your job as a result of COVID-19, Unemployment Insurance is available. Get more information and apply online at uimn.org.
The Minnesota Department of Health remains the best resource for accurate, up-to-date information regarding this pandemic. Please visit their website for informative resources. You can also call their hotline, staffed by public health professionals from 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. daily, at 651-201-3920.
Please take care of yourself, your family. Now is a good time to call, send an email, or send a text to check in with neighbors, family and friends who may be elderly, isolated or ill. This is an uncertain time, unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. We don’t have many answers on what the coming days, weeks, and months look like. We will get through this crisis together, as Minnesotans, by following directions from Governor Walz, state health officials, and the CDC to slow down the spread of this condition.
If I can be of assistance in any way, contact me via email at rep.jennifer.schultz@house.mn or call 651-296-2228. I also publish updates to my Facebook page here. It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Jen Schultz
State Representative