Legislative Update - Daylight Saving Time, Boosters, and November's Town Hall

Dear Neighbors, 

I hope you’re all adjusting well to the recent time change. The early sunsets at this time of year can be more than just an annoyance, impacting things like a healthy sleep schedule or even traffic safety. Earlier this year, I was the chief House author on legislation that would end the clock changes by moving us to permanent Daylight Saving Time once authorized by Congress. This bill received bipartisan support to pass both chambers of the Minnesota Legislature - but it still requires Congressional approval, along with the 18 other states that have passed similar legislation. 

I was invited to speak on this issue several times last week, with the topic at the forefront of our minds with Sunday’s time change. You can listen to my comments on NPR’s coverage of “The Daylight Saving Debate” here.

Vaccine Boosters & Eligibility Updates

There have been some important updates for the COVID-19 vaccine with Pfizer, Moderna, and Johnson & Johnson being offered for boosters in Minnesota, and children as young as 5 years old now being able to get their first dose. 

Johnson & Johnson Booster Info:

All Minnesotans age 18 and older who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster shot at least 2 months after their first dose.

Pfizer or Moderna Booster Info:

For Minnesotans who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, health officials recommend you should get a booster shot at least 6 months after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine if you:

• Are 65 years of age or older.
• Live in a long-term care facility (refer to CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots: Long-term care setting residents aged 18 years and older ).
• Are 50-64 years old with certain underlying medical conditions (refer to CDC: People with Certain Medical Conditions ).

Additionally, Minnesotans who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine may get a booster shot at least 6 months after the second dose of COVID-19 vaccine if you are:

• 18-49 years old and at high risk for severe COVID-19 disease because of certain underlying medical conditions (refer to CDC: People with Certain Medical Conditions ).
• 18-64 years and at increased risk for getting COVID-19 disease because of where they live or work (refer to CDC: COVID-19 Vaccine Booster Shots: People who work or live in high-risk settings ages 18–64 years ).

Officials also authorized "mixing and matching" COVID-19 vaccine boosters, meaning anybody who is eligible to get a booster shot can get any of the three currently authorized or approved vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, Johnson & Johnson) – regardless of what dose they received for their primary series. You can find more information on boosters here.

Children as young as 5 years old are now eligible to get vaccinated for COVID-19. After extensive clinical trials, the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved a Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for use in children last week.   

Minnesotans who’d like to vaccinate their child can visit mn.gov/vaxforkids to view a list of local providers or contact their pediatrician, family medicine clinic, or pharmacy. Vaccines will also be available at school- and community-based sites across the state. Before you go, make sure the provider offers the pediatric version of the Pfizer vaccine.

To encourage those aged 12-17 to get vaccinated, the “Kids Deserve a Shot” incentive program offers a $200 Visa gift card for 12-17-year-olds who start and complete their vaccine series between October 18 and November 30. Additionally, there will be five drawings for $100,000 Minnesota college scholarships for any 12-17-year-olds in Minnesota with a complete vaccine series, and you can learn more here.

Capital Investment Tours

For those of you that follow me on social media, you may have seen some of my recent posts sharing pictures of our stops on the Capital Investment Committee’s state-wide tour. As a member of the committee, I’ve been taking part in these regional tours to see first-hand the sites and projects being put forward by communities for state investment. These include all sorts of stops like water treatment plants, community centers, fire stations, state colleges, and more. Seeing these proposals and hearing directly from communities will help guide our efforts to put together what is commonly referred to as a “bonding bill” next session.

On the Duluth Lift Bridge, one of many sites needing state investment

The committee will be done with our tours next week, where our final stops will take place in the metro region. The bonding bill is an inherently bipartisan bill, needing a super majority of votes in both the House and Senate. Our work next session will consist of reflecting on this fall’s stops and prioritizing the infrastructure projects for inclusion in the bill.

The exact impact remains to be seen, but the recent passage of the historical infrastructure bill by Congress last week should go a long way in also helping many of the crucial projects we visited. 

Stay Connected - November Town Hall

The 2022 Legislative Session is coming up in January, and as we prepare for our return to work, I want to hear from you. Mark your calendars for Saturday, November 20, from 10-11:30am for our latest District 45 Town Hall. I’ll be joined by Sen. Rest and Rep. Frazier at Crystal Community Center, and I hope to see you there.

Regardless of whether you can attend on the 20th, you can always contact me at rep.mike.freiberg@house.mn with any questions you may have. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely, 

Mike Freiberg