Dear Neighbors,

On Monday, Governor Tim Walz, House Speaker Melissa Hortman, and Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka announced they came to a bipartisan agreement on the framework for a new two-year state budget. The work isn’t over, but our budget roadmap means we will be able to make historic investments in schools, strengthen health care for Minnesotans, and help protect economic security for workers, small businesses, and families following COVID-19. Minnesotans are expecting us to work together, and I’m hopeful we can enact a final budget that will enable all Minnesotans, no matter where they live or what they look like, to have a bright, successful future.

Investments in Summer Learning

Earlier this week, Governor Walz announced a $75 million investment in summer education programming to help Minnesota students catch up on both their learning and emotional wellbeing. Using funding from the American Rescue Plan, the package will target funding toward academic enrichment, mental health support, tutoring, preschool for four- and five-year-olds, and more.

Due to learning interruptions caused by COVID-19, students have made incredible sacrifices over the past year. Young people in Minnesota deserve the opportunity to bounce back from the pandemic, and this strong package of investments will benefit students, families, educators, communities, and schools.

Adult-Use Cannabis

Last week, the Minnesota House took the historic step of voting to legalize adult-use cannabis, while expunging records of those convicted of most nonviolent cannabis-related offenses. Minnesota’s current cannabis policy is doing more harm than good. After approaching this topic thoughtfully over several years, I was proud to support a bill that eliminates many of these harms – particularly our current cannabis policy’s racial disparities – to improve equity, create economic opportunity, and improve our criminal justice system. The bill passed with bipartisan support.

Due to the Senate’s ongoing resistance to legalization, we still have more work to do to enact the responsible cannabis policy most Minnesotans have asked for. However, we still made some progress on the issue this year, as the Health and Human Services Policy Bill – which we expect Governor Walz to sign in to law – will allow cannabis in dried plant form to be used in the state medical cannabis program. This action will significantly reduce cost, increasing access to the program for more Minnesotans with health conditions who rely on cannabis for their health and wellbeing.

Vaccination Opportunities

As you’re likely aware by now, after updated guidance from the CDC, Minnesota’s mask requirement has been removed for most situations. Further mitigation measures are set to expire later this month. As we continue our collective work to defeat COVID-19, this all highlights how important it is for Minnesotans to get vaccinated when they are eligible to get a shot.

It’s never been easier to get your COVID-19 vaccine. Many locations now offer walk-in vaccine availability without the need to make an appointment. Eligibility has been recently expanded to include 12-15-year-olds, a critical step to ensuring our schools and other places in our community can remain safe. Click here to find a location.

Please reach out to me with your input, ideas, or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent you.

Sincerely,

Liz Olson
State Representative