In today’s newsletter I will share some legislative updates from the last week of session, recap some important COVID-19 developments in Minnesota (including the Governor’s most recent Executive Orders), and answer some frequently asked questions my office has been receiving regarding topics such as property tax deadlines and restrictions on the hospitality industry.
Legislative Updates
As the legislature is again holding committee hearings and floor sessions, I have received many questions about why Senate Republicans are not voting for a lift of the Stay-at-Home order which I wish to address. Here is a quick run-down of the legislative process in a peacetime emergency according to MN statute:
- The Governor can call a peacetime emergency and has five days to present it to the Executive Council for approval.
- The Executive Council consists of the Governor, Lieutenant Governor Flanagan, Secretary of State Steve Simon, State Auditor Julie Blaha, and Attorney General Keith Ellison. No one on this council is likely to oppose the Governor.
- There is a 30-day window on the peacetime emergency authority, at which point the legislature can bring it up for a vote at any time.
- HOWEVER: There must be a majority vote in both the House and the Senate to nullify the emergency authority. The House majority Democrats are in agreement with the Governor and are also unlikely to oppose him.
Unless there is a change of opinion in the House majority, the legislature will not be in charge of COVID-19 actions. The Senate is still pushing to open Minnesota, and we are seeing success, as yesterday Governor Walz passed Executive Order 20-40 which will allow some non-essential workers to return to working starting April 27th. More information on this can be found below.
We are fully aware that this still doesn’t reopen a lot of our small businesses including bars, restaurants, and retail stores. On Thursday, Senate Republicans introduced a bill to fix that. SF 4511 would authorize the re-opening of businesses as long as they operate in adherence to COVID-19 workplace safety standards set in place by the MDH and CDC. I signed on as a co-author to this bill because Minnesotans should be able to open their businesses as soon as possible without having to go through any form of unwarranted application process.
Steps to Re-Open MN
As we work to re-open Minnesota, there are two things the Governor has stated we need: supplies of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) for our hospitals, clinics, nursing homes, and essential workers to be able to handle a surge in COVID-19 cases and increased testing. This week numbers were released on the large supply of PPE Minnesota has received from the Trump Administration and FEMA. On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced a partnership between the University of Minnesota, Mayo, and the MN Dept of Health to increase testing capability in the state to 20,000 samples per day, which would be the highest availability in the nation.
Yesterday, Governor Walz ordered EO 20-40 which allows non-critical workers to return to jobs at industrial, manufacturing, and office-based businesses, unless they can as easily continue to work from home. However, before these workers can return to the workplace, businesses must prepare a COVID-19 Preparedness Plan meeting OSHA, MDH, and CDC guidelines. This order could return up to 100,000 Minnesotans to their work starting Monday. For clarifications on who exactly this applies to, visit MN DEED’s Guidance on EO 20-40 page. MN DEED has posted a series of different guidelines for employees and employers who will be returning to work, more information can be found at the end of this newsletter under the “Resources” section. Governor Walz also announced EO 20-41 yesterday, which extends the closure of schools through the end of the school year and creates another period of distance learning planning for teachers.
District 2: Where We Stand
As many of you are aware, there has been broad support across counties and towns in District 2 to re-open the state. Hubbard, Becker, and Clearwater Counties along with the city of Park Rapids have recently passed resolutions calling for Governor Walz to re-open the state.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Tourism Update: As the season opener approaches, we want to provide you with some clarifications on the status of resorts, RV resorts, and campgrounds that came from the Governor’s office this past week. Below is a highlight of some of these clarifications:
-Resorts: The hotel portion of resorts is allowed to be open (including cabins) but the communal amenities may not be open for use. Resort restaurants can be open for take-out, just no dining-in.
-RV Resorts: Those who rely on their RV site or campsite for permanent or seasonal residence can continue to utilize RV Resorts. In addition, critical workers or those in need of shelter to social distance can utilize these sites. All public and private campgrounds are closed to recreational camping at this time but can be still used for the reasons provided above.
Finally, to recap, the recreational activities that are allowed at the current time include fishing, hiking, biking, golfing, walking, and visiting outdoor shooting ranges, dirt bike tracks, etc. For more clarification on recreation guidelines, what state land is open, and how to renew boat registration or purchase fishing licenses, visit the DNR’s COVID-19 Information page.
Property Tax:
I have received lots of requests to delay the property tax deadline set for May 15th and wanted to provide some clarification and resources to help those with questions about property tax deadlines. Residential property tax penalty fees and interest are determined at the county level. Counties do not have the power to push the May 15th deadline back, but can cancel or delay penalties and late fees. This also applies to the portion of business Property Tax that is due at the county level. For more information, visit the COVID-19 Property Tax FAQs.
Resources
Governor Walz’s Executive Orders
Safely Returning to Work Overview