Dear Friends,

Despite an April snowfall earlier today, I hope everyone is holding up well despite our lives being disrupted by the COVID-19 outbreak. Like many of you, I spent much of the week on conference calls and in virtual meetings and discussions.

The Legislature continues to operate by alternative means, but our work continues. I am staying in close contact with our local, state and federal government partners, as well as our school districts, our community leaders and many business owners and leaders. The legislature will continue to operate alternatively until at least April 14.

Please take a few minutes to read some updates from the past week.

This past Tuesday, Senate Republicans announced the formation of a COVID-19 Response Working Group. The working group’s purpose is to review and discuss the state’s response to COVID-19, and to vet requests by the Governor and proposals by the legislature to address COVID-19 needs and resources. The working group will also review the previously passed funding and bills and provide oversight over the spending.

The first two meetings of the COVID-19 Working Group occurred over the past two days. Yesterday, the focus was on healthcare with testimony from the Minnesota Hospital Association and the Minnesota Department of Health and others.

Today, the focus of the meeting was on economic relief and recovery and the rapid rise in unemployment across our state. Commissioner of DEED, Steve Grove, participated along with the President of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Neel Kashkari, along with other business leaders and employers.

Public may view livestream coverage on the Minnesota Senate Media’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MNSenate/

Earlier today, Governor Tim Walz and his Administration launched a public dashboard to provide Minnesotans with the data that drives the state’s response to COVID-19.

You can see the dashboard, and find data for our state, at the following website: www.mn.gov/covid19

On March 13, Governor Walz signed an Executive Order declaring a peacetime emergency and coordinating Minnesota’s strategy to protect Minnesotans from COVID-19. Once he signed that initial executive order, the decisions to sign additional executive orders and to close down much of commerce and other industries, have been done with his executive authority.

On Tuesday, the Governor signed two new executive orders in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

• EO 20-25 authorizes peace officers, firefighters, and security-related licensing boards to modify requirements during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency.
• EO 20-26 ensures the continuing operations of the Medical Cannabis Program during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency.

A full list of the Governor’s executive orders relating to the COVID-19 crisis can be found here.

Last Thursday I joined a webinar hosted by the TwinWest Chamber of Commerce to discuss resources and provide information for businesses impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic.

Legislators are working at the state and federal level to provide aid to business during this difficult time. I strongly encourage impacted business owners to share their stories with their representatives. It’s critical for legislators to understand what both employees and employers are feeling and experiencing right now. Working together through these challenges, we will come out of this stronger.

TwinWest is a great example of one of many organizations stepping up to provide resources and information to the business community to help deal with the COVID-19 situation. Many of these resources are being made available free to nonmembers as well. Visit TwinWest’s website for more information: https://www.twinwest.com/

• The coronavirus pandemic has created uncertainty and stress for many American small businesses. Part of the government’s response to assist businesses during this time is the recent passage of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). There are a number of provisions that impact small businesses and a guide that can help you with what you need to know about the CARES Act can be found,here.
• MNsure is offering a special enrollment period (SEP) for qualified individuals who are currently without insurance in response to the potential growth of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. This SEP will allow uninsured individuals 30 days to enroll in health insurance coverage through MNsure. This SEP runs Monday, March 23 through Tuesday, April 21. Guidelines and information can be found here.
• Over the past few weeks, several state and federal programs have been built to assist small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  Different programs make sense for different businesses, so MN DEED is providing this summary guide to help small businesses quickly see which programs might be right for their situation.
  You can find this summary, here: “A Guide for Minnesota Small Businesses Who Need Help”.
• Many Minnesotans are experiencing layoffs or furloughs from their jobs. Updates on unemployment benefits and the application can be found here.
• The latest on the federal economic impact payments can be found here. For most people, no action is needed. The IRS expects to start processing payments in the next couple weeks.

Thanks for reading this week’s update.

Please continue to follow the order of Governor Tim Walz’s stay at home order. A stay at home order directs Minnesotans to limit movements outside of their homes beyond essential needs. By limiting social interactions, we decrease the chance of transmission of COVID-19 and help our health care sector prepare for increased demands.

These are challenging times for everyone, but I am confident we will get through this.

As always, please reach out to my office if we can be of service.

My staff and I continue to work remotely, but you can reach me with your concerns and questions at 651-296-9261 or reach me by email at sen.paul.anderson@senate.mn.

#StayHomeMN and stay safe.

Sincerely,

Paul T. Anderson
State Senator