Hello Northlanders,
I hope summer has been treating you well and that you’ve had the opportunity to get out on the water, on the golf course, or by the campfire. At the Capitol, we’re still working to address the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and other important issues. Here’s an update.
DEED Grant for 22nd St. Business Park
Last week, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development announced a $349,011 grant for the 22nd Street Business Park in International Falls. The funding, from DEED’s Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure Grant Program (BDPI), will help with the construction of roadway and utilities for the 22nd Street Business Park to accommodate eight new lots that will include UPS, Six R’s Inc., a cold weather testing business, and L & L Constructors. The project is expected to retain 11 jobs and create 22 new jobs.
In total, four projects in greater Minnesota received funding, and you can read about them here.
New Laws
On July 1, several new laws took effect. Perhaps most notable among these was an initiative several years in the making: the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act. The bill will help ensure people with diabetes can access the insulin they need in an emergency situation, and create a long-term path to access affordable insulin. The bill is named after Alec Smith, a 26-year-old Minnesotan who tragically died when he was forced to ration his insulin because he couldn’t afford to refill his prescription. Just as the legislation was about to become effective, the pharmaceutical industry filed a lawsuit to halt it. Considering how rapidly insulin has skyrocketed in price, this was an incredibly disappointing move to see from the companies that have profited off the hardship of others.
Another law taking effect was the Prescription Drug Price Transparency Act. It requires drug makers to report the reasons for price increases and provide other detailed information about the cost of manufacturing, marketing, and distributing drugs. You can read more about the new laws here.
Support for Child Care and Food Security
Last week, Governor Walz announced a plan to deliver $56.6 million to support Minnesota child care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Child care providers are critical to our communities at all times while they face enormous challenges. During the pandemic they have stepped up to make even greater sacrifices, including significant costs due to decreasing group sizes and the cleaning, staffing, and workflow changes needed to keep children healthy and safe. Families seeking care can call the Child Care Aware parent line at 1.888.291.9811 or visit mn.gov/childcare for a map of open providers.
On Wednesday, the governor announced $12 million from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to combat hunger in Minnesota amid COVID-19. This funding will support approximately 300 food shelves and all seven food banks across Minnesota. About 300,000 Minnesotans have visited food shelves each month since the pandemic began, representing approximately a 30 percent increase over typical visits. Information about food assistance resources is available on the state’s food emergency webpage.
Special Session
Governor Walz has called lawmakers into special session today. There are a number of items on which we still need to reach bipartisan resolution, including a Jobs and Local Projects bill to invest in our public infrastructure, criminal justice and police accountability reforms, and further solutions to address the health and economic impacts of COVID-19. I know Minnesotans are counting on us to get this important work done, and I’m committed to working on a bipartisan basis to deliver results.
Please continue to contact me with your feedback and ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Rob Ecklund
State Representative