Legislative Update - June 10, 2020

Dear Neighbors,

Though the regular legislative session has been adjourned for almost a month, my colleagues and I are now preparing for our likely return for a special session at the end of this week. Though the principal reason for the special session is to address the continuing COVID-19 global pandemic, I’ll also be pushing for measures to deliver economic relief, jobs and local projects, and public safety and criminal justice reforms.

As we prepare for our special session, the killing of George Floyd and the following unrest has put racial equity at the forefront of many of our minds, mine included. This evening, I’ll be joining Rep. Jack Considine, Sen. Nick Frentz, and other state and community leaders for a virtual town hall on this issue. You can join us live at 6:00 PM on my Facebook page, and you can also submit questions ahead of time by emailing justin.emmerich@senate.mn. This is an incredibly important conversation, and I hope you can join us.

‘Adjusting the Dials’ on COVID-19

Last week, in tandem with guidance from our state’s public health officials, Governor Walz announced that more lifted restrictions are coming for our community’s businesses and public venues. This “Phase 3” of reopenings and lifted restrictions will begin today, June 10, and includes the following:

• Restaurants can begin offering indoor dining while maintaining social distancing, requiring reservations, and seating no more than 50 percent occupancy.
• Indoor social gatherings can take place with 10 people or less; outdoor social gatherings can take place with 25 people or less.
• Gyms, personal fitness and yoga studios, and martial arts may open at 25 percent capacity.
• Indoor entertainment venues, such as theaters and concert halls, can open at 25 percent capacity.
• Recreational indoor entertainment venues, such as bowling alleys, arcades, and museums may open at 25 percent capacity.
• Personal services, such as salons, tattoo parlors, and barbershops, may increase occupancy rates to 50 percent while requiring reservations.
• Outdoor entertainment venues, such as sporting events, concerts, and theaters may open at 25 percent capacity. 
• Places of worship can increase occupancy rates to 50 percent.

I hope you’ll join me in patronizing our local businesses in a safe and responsible manner. While these measures are certainly welcome, the pandemic continues, and it’s only with continued public health guidelines that we can keep ourselves - and our neighbors - healthy and safe. You can watch Governor Walz’s announcement of these measures here.

Stay Connected

Minnesota’s COVID-19 Dashboard remains the best source for accurate, updated information. You can also follow along with our work on my Facebook page, here. Regardless of whether you can join us tonight, please feel free to reach out. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me at rep.jeff.brand@house.mn or (651) 296-8634. It’s an honor to represent you in the Minnesota House, and I appreciate your input. 

Your Partner in St. Paul, 

Jeff Brand

State Representative, District 19A