Chamberlain, Senate Republicans continue push to safely reopen Minnesota businesses and schools

Minnesota Senate Republicans today continued their effort to safely get workers back on the job and children back into classrooms, with separate committees giving approval to two of the top priorities for the 2021 session. 

The Jobs and Economic Growth Committee approved a bill allowing businesses to open as long as they submit a safety preparedness plan, while the committee on State Government approved a bill that removes a governor’s authority to close schools bill or alter school schedules via executive order. 

“Minnesotans have been taking Covid seriously from the beginning but now it’s time to begin the process of returning to some semblance of normalcy — while continuing to observe health and safety protocols,” said Sen. Roger Chamberlain (R-Lino Lakes). “Senate Republicans are committed to putting these decisions back in the hands of the folks on the ground, who know their communities the best. We can take the virus seriously, reopen schools, and get people back on the job all at the same time.”

ALLOWING BUSINESS TO REOPEN SAFELY

Businesses across the state have made incredible sacrifices to open safely. Senate File 1 says that businesses with safety plans already in place may open up with no restrictions from outside forces. Gov. Walz should not have the power to open and close small businesses at his will; it should only be exercised temporarily when a business is a proven source of spread. The Senate Republican bill is a tool to peel back the restrictions unilaterally placed on Minnesotans and hopefully bring our state back to the booming economy it was before the pandemic struck.

RESTORING OPENING AUTHORITY TO LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS

Senate File 2 says the governor may not use executive order authority to issue any order or to authorize the commissioner of education to alter school schedules, curtail school activities, or order schools closed. Gov. Walz’s executive orders closing schools have been among his most questioned and controversial orders of the outbreak.

There is mounting evidence, including research from the CDC, that schools pose minimal risk in spreading the coronavirus. A fall Reuters report that studied 191 countries also found no clear link between school reopenings and coronavirus surges. In addition, Axios looked at several studies and found schools are not Covid hotspots, and the Atlantic Magazine wrote that kids are not superspreaders and that it’s time to reopen schools. The New York Times reported on evidence that schools, especially elementary schools, are not “stoking community transmission.”

There is also agreement about the impact distance learning is having on students:

  • The American Association of Pediatrics has said, “The AAP strongly advocates that all policy considerations for the coming school year should start with the goal of having students physically present in school. The importance of in-person learning is well-documented, and there is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020.” 
  • UNICEF has warned of a ‘lost generation’ and found school closures are ineffective. “Even with the promise of a vaccine on the horizon, a new report by UNICEF, the United Nations agency for children, warned that “the future of an entire generation is at risk,” with the threat to children increasing. Studies cited in the report showed “no consistent association between school reopening status and COVID-19 infection rates.

CBS reported on a U.K. education watchdog that found kids have seriously regressed due to Covid-19.