Dear Neighbors,

Yesterday, following a letter from Governor Walz requesting the President take action, the White House declared a major disaster in the State of Minnesota and ordered federal assistance to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result of this, our state will receive support for a variety of items like crisis counseling, supplemental nutrition programs, medical assistance, funeral assistance, legal services, and statewide hazard mitigation.

Today at 2 p.m., Governor Walz will address Minnesotans to inform us about the next steps in addressing the pandemic. You can watch live on his YouTube channel here.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Yesterday, the House and Senate passed legislation delivering workers’ compensation benefits to health care and public safety workers who contract COVID-19 in the line of duty. In particular, the bill provides a presumption that if these workers contract COVID-19, they did so during the course of their employment and are covered by workers’ comp.

Health care workers and first responders already have significant exposure to COVID-19, and they deserve to know if they become impacted by the disease, that we’re protecting them from financial uncertainty. If a frontline worker gets COVID-19, it will be extremely difficult for them to demonstrate exactly how they became afflicted. This legislation is an important step to show our commitment to caring for the dedicated workers in our communities who are caring for us.

This morning, Governor Walz signed the bill into law.

State of the State and COVID-19 Dashboard

Throughout this crisis, Governor Walz has been an assertive, rational, and optimistic leader for our state during this pandemic and he and his administration have done an admirable job guiding our state. Through an unprecedented public health crisis, he’s been a reassuring voice for Minnesotans during this challenge while relying on science and factual information to guide his administration through very difficult decisions to equip our response. If you missed his State of the State address on Sunday, you can watch the video here.

To help keep Minnesotans informed, the Governor has launched a new COVID-19 dashboard with up-to-date data on available ventilators, ICU beds, personal protective equipment (PPE), and testing. It also has helpful resources for Minnesotans, updates about executive and legislative actions, and FAQs. You can access the dashboard here.

Discrimination Helpline

Disrespect, hostility, and discrimination are unacceptable in our state. Unfortunately, we’ve seen an increase in bias-motivated incidents, largely targeting our Asian American neighbors. Viruses don’t discriminate and neither should Minnesotans.

Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Human Rights have launched a Discrimination Helpline to allows those who experience or witness bias and discrimination to report it. Minnesotans can call the Discrimination Helpline at 1-833-454-0148 (staffed Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.) or complete and submit this online form. 

Small Business Guide

Minnesota’s small business community is experiencing great financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. The state of Minnesota and federal government have a variety of resources available including disaster loans, a small business loan guarantee program, and the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program.

The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development has compiled a guide detailing all of these resources in one spot to help businesses determine which programs work best for them. You can access the guide here.

For comprehensive information about COVID-19 in our state, please visit the Governor’s COVID-19 Dashboard. In addition, the Minnesota House website has a COVID-19 section with information about legislative actions and links to helpful resources. If I can be of assistance in any way, please email me at rep.jennifer.schultz@house.mn or call me at 651-296-2228. I also frequently post updates to my Facebook page here.

Please continue to take care of yourselves, your family, and check in on those who may be vulnerable or at risk for isolation. We will only get through this crisis together.

Sincerely,

Jen Schultz
State Representative