Dear Neighbors,

Today Governor Walz announced distance learning will continue through the remainder of the school year. For our high school seniors, this is difficult news for the students who won’t have the joy of milestones like graduations, athletic achievements, or one last musical or theatrical performance. Learning is also impacted, as many students lack access to the technology they count on to stay connected. As disappointing as this news is, it’s the best step to keep students, educators, and members of the public safe. Teachers, parents, and students alike all deserve a tremendous amount of credit for adapting the best they can to the new uncertain learning environment.

COVID-19 Testing Breakthrough

Yesterday, Governor Tim Walz announced a major breakthrough in our efforts to increase COVID-19 testing capacity. Along with Mayo Clinic, the University of Minnesota, and other health care providers, the Minnesota Department of Health will be able to test as many as 20,000 symptomatic Minnesotans per day. The House Health and Human Services Finance Division, of which I am a member, had the opportunity to learn more about the plan from Assistant Commissioner Dan Huff of the Minnesota Department of Health’s Protection Bureau.

The strategy will enable us to better identify outbreak “hotspots,” expand testing within vulnerable populations, and improve overall surveillance of the condition. You can watch video of the hearing here.

Pushing for Housing Assistance

In this unprecedented time, many Minnesotans are struggling with rent and mortgage payments as a result of tremendous economic hardship. While there’s currently a moratorium on evictions under an executive order from Governor Walz, more needs to be done to protect housing security.

This week, the House Housing Division approved a bill investing $100 million in aid for renters and homeowners. The funding, to be administered by the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency, will assist renters with their monthly payments, will be used to help Minnesotans pay utility bills and property taxes, and help homeowners pay their mortgages. The initiative is supported by the Homes for All Coalition, representing 250 Minnesota housing organizations, and the Minnesota Multi-Housing Association, which represents property management companies throughout the state.

The bill would also:

• prohibit landlords from charging late fees and terminating leases or failing to renew leases during the peacetime emergency, until Jan. 15, 2021;
• require landlords of residential units to provide notice before initiating eviction actions, after the peacetime emergency ends;
• allow defendants to request that any actions against them be dismissed if their landlord violates the provisions of the bill;
• prevent the initiation of a foreclosure during the peacetime emergency, until Jan. 15, 2021;
• make anyone who lies while attempting to claim relief under the bill guilty of public assistance fraud; and
• establish grant distribution and reporting requirements.

Unfortunately, so far the Senate Republican Majority has only committed to $30 million, a woefully inadequate amount to ensure Minnesotans economically impacted by the pandemic can keep a roof over their head. Hopefully they can join us soon to deliver this urgent relief at a much more meaningful level.

Next Steps

It’s clear Minnesotans’ social distancing efforts are working to slow the spread of COVID-19 and despite the difficulty for all of us, it’s saving lives. I know many Minnesotans are anxious to get back to normal as soon as possible, but it’s critically important that we proceed cautiously.

Governor Walz has announced that steps are underway to reopen some businesses in non-critical sectors. This will be a gradual process, starting with workers in non-customer facing industrial and office-based businesses who aren’t able to telework. More information about this process is available here. Workers, businesses, and public health experts will all have to be at the table as decisions are made to ensure Minnesotans can remain safe and healthy. The Department of Employment and Economic Development has created a template plan for employers to use if they wish as they implement procedures ensuring compliance with state and CDC guidelines.

It would be irresponsible to flip a switch and remove all guardrails which have been enacted so far to protect against further spread of the disease. Instead, an approach “gradually turning the dials” will be most effective in ensuring businesses can reopen, workers can get back on the job, and most importantly, Minnesotans can be safe.

Please visit the state COVID-19 Dashboard for all the latest in our effort to fight this pandemic. The Minnesota House website has links to resources and other helpful information as well. Also, continue to contact me directly if I can be of help. My email is rep.jennifer.schultz@house.mn and phone number is 651-296-2228. It’s an honor to represent you.

Sincerely,

Jen Schultz
State Representative