Senator Rosen update: The latest news on COVID-19

Friends and neighbors,

By now you have certainly read about Gov. Walz’s executive order asking Minnesotans to stay at home as much as possible for the next two weeks as part of the effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. I know the order has caused even more uncertainty about what is and is not allowed, so I wanted to help clarify things.

So far, Minnesota is doing well at containing the virus, and we have not yet seen an explosion of cases like other areas have. But that does not mean it’s time to return to normal; one of the reasons for our success is the measures that have been put in place over the last few weeks.

But we also recognize the economic hardship many are facing due to this pandemic, and I will work with the governor and legislative leadership to look for the first opportunity to safely re-open our economy and get everyone back to work, while minimizing the danger to public health.

As always, if you have any questions or feedback, or if you need any help navigating this confusion, please email me or my Legislative Assistant, Ruth, any time and we will assist you as fast as possible!

Julie

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THE BASICS

First, the governor’s office put together a comprehensive FAQ about the executive order. It will likely answer most of the questions you have.

The order asks Minnesotans to stay at home as much as from Friday, March 27 at 11:59pm through April 10 at 5:00pm, and only leave their residence for essential needs. It sounds scary, but in practice this is not a significant change from what we are currently doing.

There are still a number of reasons that you can, and should, leave your home:

  • Health and safety activities, such as obtaining emergency services or medical supplies
  • Outdoor activities, such as walking pets, hiking, running, biking, hunting, or fishing
  • Necessary Supplies and Services, such as getting groceries, gasoline, or carry-out
  • Essential and interstate travel, such as returning to home from outside this state
  • Care of others, such as caring for a family member, friend, or pet in another household
  • Displacement, such as moving between emergency or homeless shelters if you are without a home
  • Relocation to ensure safety, such as relocating to a different location if your home has been unsafe due to domestic violence, sanitation, or essential operations reasons
  • Tribal Activities & Lands, such as activities by members within the boundaries of their tribal reservations

WHAT BUSINESSES REMAIN OPEN

The order asks most businesses to close, and most Minnesotans not to go to work unless they are performing an essential service. Officials believe that 78% of Minnesota workers will be considered “essential” but we don’t have a lot of specifics yet. In addition, most businesses were already closed under a previous executive order.

Critical services will remain open. This includes:

  • Hospitals, Clinics
  • Food markets and grocery stores
  • Food shelves
  • Pharmacies
  • Convenience stores
  • Liquor stores
  • Child Care facilities
  • News organizations
  • Funeral Homes
  • Banks
  • Hardware stores
  • Post office

That is by no means an exhaustive list. If you are wondering whether or not your business is essential, you can use this resource from the North American Industry Classification System. Make sure you know what your industry code is, because the answer is not always clear-cut.

If your business is considered non-essential, you can request an exemption from the governor’s order by filling out an application here: https://mn.gov/deed/newscenter/covid/business-exemptions/.

The administration has also set up an email address where workers and business owners can find out if their business is considered essential under the executive order. That address is criticalsectors@state.mn.us.

Passage of HF4531

On Thursday the Minnesota Senate passed a sweeping coronavirus relief package, the third in a series of bills aimed at protecting Minnesotans and securing critical programs throughout the ongoing pandemic.

The legislation includes loans for farmers and businesses with less than 250 employees, relief for individuals seeking unemployment benefits, childcare assistance, help for low income Minnesotans and veterans, stability for college students, and more.

The bill also creates a COVID-19 Minnesota Fund that will be responsible for COVID-19-related expenditures. This account will include legislative oversight to guarantee coronavirus funding is used with accountability and integrity.

I know there are so many Minnesotan out there who are worried about this virus – not just about catching it, but about the potential economic consequences. I understand the anxiety, and I am thrilled we were able to pass this bill to make sure workers, farmers, small business owners, and all other Minnesotans are able to make it through this crisis as unscathed as possible. It is a challenging time for all of us, but knowing how resilient Minnesotans are, I am certain we will make it through.

Notable provisions included in the bill:

COVID-19 MINNESOTA FUND: The bill creates a COVID-19 Minnesota Fund in the state treasury to pay expenditures related to the peacetime emergency, with legislative oversight for accountability and integrity of the funding.

UNEMPLOYMENT RELIEF: Similar to a recent executive order by Gov. Walz, the legislation makes it easier for workers hurt by the coronavirus to get unemployment, by removing barriers like waiting periods and job-search requirements.

PROTECTING SMALL BUSINESSES: The bill provides emergency loans for small businesses and loan guarantees for businesses with fewer than 250 employees through the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

FAMILIES WITH YOUNG CHILDREN: The bill provides emergency grants to protect childcare access and affordability during the coronavirus peacetime emergency.

FARMERS: The bill modifies the Rural Finance Authority’s Disaster Recovery Loan program to include infectious diseases, so farmers will have easier access to emergency loans if they are hurt by the coronavirus.

COLLEGE STUDENTS: The bill protects college students from financial instability by granting the commissioner of higher education authority to guarantee the security of Work Study, SELF loan programs, the State Grant program, and other state grants, aid, and scholarship programs.

LOW INCOME FAMILIES: The legislation provides additional funding for food shelves to help families affected by the virus get food, toilet paper, diapers, and other critical supplies.

VETERANS: the bill allocates funding to help veterans and their surviving spouses with lack of childcare, medical bills, loss of work, and numerous other issues due to the coronavirus.

In addition, the bill eases proof of residency requirements for individuals attempting to get a REAL ID, and it extends driver’s license expiration dates for two months after the peacetime emergency period is declared over.

Governor’s Executive Orders:

For a full list of Executive Orders from Governor Walz, click here.

COVID-19 Resources: