Dear Neighbors,
A new special session is underway. On Monday, the Minnesota House and Senate convened to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and wrap up unfinished business from last session. Safeguarding the health and economic wellbeing of Minnesotans, enacting meaningful police accountability and criminal justice reforms, and passing a strong Jobs and Local Projects or “bonding” bill are at the top of our list. I believe we can deliver results if we’re all willing to compromise on a bipartisan basis.
Support for Minnesotans
COVID-19 has put many Minnesotans in difficult economic situations through no fault of their own. With funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Governor Walz is delivering targeted relief to help people weather these difficult times.
Many child care providers are struggling to keep their doors open due to declining revenue and the cost of reducing group sizes and implementing cleaning, staffing, and workflow changes to keep children safe and healthy. Last week, Governor Walz announced that $56.6 million in federal funds will be used to support Minnesota child care providers. This will help providers stay open so parents can work and children can continue receiving the high-quality care and learning that they deserve. If you’re in need of child care, you can view a map of open providers here or call the Child Care Aware parent line at 1-888-291-9811.
Approximately 300,000 Minnesotans have visited food shelves each month since the pandemic began, representing about a 30 percent increase over typical visits. Food banks are also stepping up to meet increased needs. Last week, the governor unveiled a plan to combat hunger in Minnesota with $12 million worth of investments. This will support approximately 300 food shelves and seven food banks across Minnesota. Information about food assistance resources is available here.
While Governor Walz and the Legislature have taken steps to prevent evictions and create additional safe spaces for those experiencing homelessness, more action was needed to help Minnesotans maintain housing security. On Tuesday, Governor Walz announced that $100 million of federal funding will go towards housing assistance. Minnesotans will be able to apply for assistance with local administrators in August. You can find more details here.
Stay in Touch
This will be my last legislative update until after the election. Legislators cannot use state resources for unsolicited communications during an election period because it might create an unfair advantage. While I won’t be able to send these emails for awhile, I’ll continue sharing news and resources on my Facebook page which you can “like” or “follow” here. I’m still available to answer questions and discuss issues that are important to our community. Please don’t hesitate to email me at rep.steve.sandell@house.mn or give me a call at 651-296-1147.
I hope I’ll be able to talk with you through the summer. It’s an honor to serve as your state representative.
Sincerely,
Steve Sandell
State Representative