Legislative Update - January 22, 2021

Dear Neighbors, 

I hope you and your loved ones had a safe and healthy week. This was an exciting week for our nation as we witnessed the inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. This new administration has incredible challenges to face, but it’s already refreshing to see that they’re approaching these issues in a way that’s grounded in truth, compassion, and inclusiveness.

I look forward to working with the Biden Administration and helping to build back better for our state and country.

The Status of COVID-19 Vaccines

Earlier this week, the Minnesota Department of Health launched a COVID-19 vaccine pilot program. The new program starts the process of administering vaccines to Minnesotans who are 65 or older, as well as school staff and child care workers. While that latter group of school staff and child care workers will receive notification of vaccine appointments through their employers, the 65 and older group can make their own appointments at locations across the state - the closest to our community being Brooklyn Center and Andover. 

The unfortunate reality is that we’re still dealing with an extremely limited supply of vaccines, and we’re not yet at the point where everyone in these new eligible groups will be able to get a vaccine right away. The limited available appointments for this week were almost immediately filled when they became available. 

The next round of appointments will become available on Tuesday, January 26, at noon. You’ll then be able book appointments online here, or by phone at 612-426-7230 or toll free at 833-431-2053. Many Minnesotans ran into issues last time due to the high volume of requests, and that may be the case again next week. The vaccines are coming, but the key right now is to remain patient and continue to practice the public health guidelines that have kept us healthy.

Early Detection of Alzheimer’s

This week, I joined Sen. Carla Nelson to introduce our bipartisan legislation aimed at promoting public awareness and early detection of Alzheimer’s disease, the progressive and irreversible brain disorder that affects more than 5.5 million Americans.

Alzheimer’s is a terrible disease that robs us of a precious commodity - time with our loved ones, and the data shows that our Black, Indigenous, and communities of color are being disproportionately impacted by its effects. Promoting early detection allows more families of all backgrounds the time they need to plan with their loved ones and take advantage of the growing number of resources for those impacted by this disease.

According to the National Institute on Aging’s Alzheimer’s Fact Sheet, recent estimates suggest that Alzheimer’s is the third leading cause of death in older Americans, behind only heart disease and cancer. You can follow the bill here.

The Economic Cost of Racism

Next week, during our Capital Investment hearings, we’ll be focusing on the economic impacts of racism in our communities, how capital investment projects have contributed to that, and how we can also use these projects to address this issue. 

As chair of the Capital Investment Committee, it’s my goal to look through the work of our legislation with a new lens. Investing in local projects that focus on equity was something we were able to do last year and I’m excited to build upon that work. Our hearings will be held on Tuesday and Thursday next week, starting both days at 8:30am. You can find more information on our committee here, and keep an eye out for the issue we’ll be focusing on the following week - capital investment and protecting our climate. 

Stay Connected

Always feel free to email me (rep.fue.lee@house.mn) or call me (651-296-4262) any time with your input or if I can ever be of assistance. It’s an honor to serve as your state representative.

Sincerely,

Fue Lee

State Representative