Rosen legislative update: The latest legislative news on COVID, unemployment benefits, and more

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Dear Neighbors,

My apologies for missing an Easter greeting to you all last week. I hope you had a wonderful celebration and were able to reflect on what this season represents.

Julie

COVID-19 Update

I want to thank you all for your efforts in flattening the curve. We can only do this when we unite from a distance and that is exactly what you’ve done. Keep up the good work and smiles – we will get through this together.

As I’m sure you’re all aware, Wednesday the Governor announced another round of Executive Orders. The Senate and House also passed SF4458 to help protect our front line workers. You can read more about these updates below.

On Friday the Governor extended his shelter in place order. While we need to do what is best for the health and well being of all of Minnesota, it is time to start examining what can be opened safely. I am urging the Governor to open Minnesota, starting with rural Minnesota. I’ve heard from many of you supporting the discussion of opening Minnesota back up and I really appreciate those emails.

Although the Capitol may be “closed”, my office is still open. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any legislative concerns or questions you may have. I and my staff are here to help. We are back to work in Committee Hearings and the COVID-19 Working Group via Zoom Conference calls. You can watch these committees live on Facebook.

SF4458

The Minnesota Senate took swift action on Wednesday to protect workers who contract COVID-19 while working on the front lines of the pandemic by making them eligible for workers’ compensation benefits without having to prove they were infected on the job. Under the legislation, workers in certain job classifications are presumed to have an occupational disease if they contract COVID-19, thereby automatically making them eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

I am glad to see this agreement get worked out so quickly. These men and women are putting their lives in jeopardy to keep us safe, and we have to make sure they are taken care of if they end up getting sick, God forbid. This is terrific news.

The legislation covers the following workers:

  • Licensed peace officers
  • Firefighters
  • Paramedics
  • Nurses
  • Healthcare workers
  • Corrections officers and security counselors employed by the state or a political subdivision at a corrections, detention, or secure treatment facility
  • Emergency medical technicians
  • Healthcare providers, nurses, and assistive employees in a health care, home care, or long-term care setting
  • Workers who are required to provide childcare to first responders and health care workers under the governor’s previous executive orders.

Broadband:

Everyday our world becomes more digital, so access to high-speed broadband and telehealth technology is essential for economic, educational and social vitality. More importantly now, the health of our citizens and communities depends on remote technology.

Access to the internet is no longer a luxury, it is a necessity for school assignments, healthcare, communicating with friends and family, finding a job or starting a business. I recently had my first doctor appointment via telecommunications and it worked out really well. I highly encourage all of you to utilize these services for routine check ups if your provider offers them over the phone.

It is essential to close the Digital Divide to empower and strengthen all our rural communities and that is why we appropriated $20 million to the Boarder-to-Boarder Broadband Development Grant Program in 2019. This program funds the expansion of broadband service to areas of Minnesota that are unserved or underserved.

Distance Learning

Distance learning using online platforms has been a feature of MN’s educational system for years.

Many districts offer numerous courses online. There are also charter schools that offer an entire educational program online. And state law specifically allows “E-Learning Days” for weather-related emergencies so that schools can continue even when students are at home.

The COVID-19 crisis has changed the mix of traditional and online education to overwhelmingly favor online learning now. A very good article on what is happening in Minnesota, the ups and downs, can be found here.

Last week I was able to Zoom with our school superintendents in District 23. This was a great call and we are planning another call in a couple of weeks. The superintendents and I discussed many challenges schools and students are facing today during this time, especially access to the internet. It is important we get rural areas connected for students to continue to learn from home. This will continue to be a top priority of mine.

Cable/Internet Providers

All Cable Association companies are taking action to help customers and have taken the Keep American’s Connected Pledge from the FCC (from the smallest to the largest providers). Several have gone above and beyond that pledge and offering free internet to low income households, remove data caps, etc. The FCC pledge includes that they will not terminate service or charge late fees because customers can’t pay their bills due to COVID and are opening Wi-Fi hotspots.

Updated UI Information

Several weeks ago, and as a result of the unprecedented number of new unemployment insurance applicants, the Minnesota Department of Employee and Economic Development (DEED) made the difficult decision to alter their phone schedule to prioritize application calls and password reset calls.
That meant that some people who needed to talk with the department had to wait.

Most people can get answers to their questions by visiting www.uimn.org; however, DEED is aware that some people really need to talk to them directly to resolve issues. This week, DEED resumed taking calls from a broader set of customers, including those who have questions about their account or
payment status.

Due to unprecedented call volumes, DEED also released a new call schedule to better serve Minnesotans. Below is the new schedule, and the numbers to call are 1-877-898-9090 or TTY – users: 1-866-814-1252.

If you need: Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday
help to complete
an application		 Not available Not available Not available Not available 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
to request a
payment		 Not available SSNs ending in:
1, 3 or 5 (6 a.m. to noon.)
7 or 9 (noon to 6 p.m.)		 SSNs ending in:
0, 2 or 4 (6 a.m. to noon)
6 or 8 (noon to 6 p.m.)		 SSNs ending in:
Any number
6 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.		 SSNs ending in:
Any number
6 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
help with your
password		 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
help with questions
about your account		 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. 8 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Not available

Executive Orders

The Governor signed three executive orders on Wednesday:

  • EO 20-31: This order lifts truck weight restrictions for trucks that pump septic systems
  • EO 20-32: This order broadly expands the powers of the department of health, allowing them to delay, modify, waive specific statutes
  • EO 20-33: This order extends the stay at home order through May 4, and adds some additional flexibility in which businesses can re-open. The Governor explicitly added landscapers to the groups allowed to be open, and created a process at DEED for officials to work with businesses on setting up safety plans on a case-by-case basis so they can re-open.

For more information and an up-to-date list of EOs, click here.

COVID-19 Working Group Update

We’ve held many COVID-19 working groups via Zoom. I am honored to be apart of this group. Senator Gazelka established this working group to focus on the Senate response to the current COVID 19 threat. Working group membership is comprised of 9 Senators and 2 additional Senators for each meeting. The Working Group hearings will be focused on different topics and this gives the Caucuses an opportunity to choose a Member more closely connected with the agenda of a particular hearing.

Past Hearings:

You can watch past hearings at www.facebook.com/MNSenate/.

April 2nd

  • Health Care System Response.

April 3

  • Economic Relief and Recovery.

April 6th

  • Minnesota Department of Management and Budget about state budgeting.

April 7th

  • Long-Term Care community.

April 8th

  • Transportation

April 13th

  • Health and Human Services, Judiciary, Transportation, and Local Government

All working group meetings are live streamed at www.facebook.com/MNSenate/.

Help for Veterans

Minnesota Veterans impacted by COVID-19 may be eligible for grants from the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA).

Starting Monday, April 6, MDVA is accepting applications from Minnesota Veterans who have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. MDVA will award one-time financial relief grants in the amount of $1,000. Funding is available for both Disaster Relief Grants and Special Needs Grants.

“We are grateful to Governor Walz and the Minnesota Legislature for their support of Minnesota Veterans in the recently enacted Emergency Response package,” said MDVA Commissioner Larry Herke. “Minnesota Veterans have served our country in many past conflicts, so it is only right that we support them now during this challenging time.”

Eligible applicants must be:

  • A Veteran or the surviving spouse of a deceased Veteran as defined by MN Statute 197.447
  • A Minnesota Resident, and,
  • Negatively financially impacted by
    COVID-19.

To apply for the Disaster Relief Grant:

  • Contact your local County Veterans Service Officer (CVSO) or MDVA Field Operations Representative at FO.MDVA@state.mn.us OR apply online at MinnesotaVeteran.org/COVIDRelief.

To apply for the Special Needs Grant:

  • Contact your local County Veterans Service Officer or MDVA Field Operations Representative. To identify or contact your local CVSO, visit MACVSO.org. For more information, visit MinnesotaVeteran.org/COVIDRelief.

The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs (MDVA) is a cabinet-level state agency dedicated to serving Minnesota Veterans and their families. In addition to overseeing the five State Veterans Homes, MDVA helps eligible Veterans and families secure state and federal benefits and provides programs and services relating to higher education, benefits, burial, claims, outreach, and Veterans employment. Veterans and their families are encouraged to visitwww.MinnesotaVeteran.org or call 1-(888)-LinkVet for more information about benefits.

COVID-19 Resources

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Watch the Minnesota Senate

On the Public Broadcast Minnesota Channel: The Senate and House will be programming the Minnesota Channel daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.   The coverage consists of live and recorded floor sessions, select committee hearings and press conferences, interview programs, and informational videos. Click here for local stations (scroll to the bottom of the page) and broadcast schedule.

On the Video Streaming Website: Click here see the upcoming scheduled events, select the events for viewing when underway, and view archived video of floor sessions and committee hearings.

On the continuous Senate Web stream: Click here to access the Senate video stream anytime to see what is scheduled or occurring on the Senate video stream.

Click here to view featured videos, including occasional featured live streams.

Click here for broadcast and webcast schedules, links to capitol report podcasts, and channel locations.