Dear Neighbors,

Today, Governor Tim Walz announced a plan to distribute $841 million in funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to Minnesota’s cities, counties, and towns. The governor stuck to the per-capita formula that the House passed last week, which will result in St. Louis county receiving $24.5 million and the city of Duluth receiving $6.5 million. Local government budgets have been harshly impacted by COVID-19, and this critical funding will help ensure Minnesotans can receive the quality public services they count on every single day.

Last week, lawmakers met in a special session to tackle important issues like criminal justice reform, funding to help businesses and communities grappling with COVID-19, and other matters unresolved from the regular session. While we made progress on some key items like funding for small businesses and increased investments in child care, early Saturday morning the Senate Republican Majority chose to adjourn the session. Their choice to walk away from efforts to reach a compromise when Minnesotans are counting on solutions – especially enhanced police accountability following the killing of George Floyd – was deeply disappointing. This is a pivotal time for our whole state, and this special session was a missed opportunity to seize the moment to help Minnesotans succeed and thrive.

Here’s an update about what we accomplished, and what remains on the table, as we work to help Minnesotans navigate challenges.

Police Reform and Accountability

Following George Floyd’s horrific murder, Minnesotans have been demanding changes to reform criminal justice in our state and enact stronger police accountability measures. Members of the legislature’s People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus developed the Minnesota Police Accountability Act of 2020, and the House approved this strong package of reforms last Thursday. The bill had three distinct goals: reclaim community oversight, reform accountability, and reimagine public safety. You can read a fact sheet about this transformative piece of legislation here. This contrasted with the Senate’s criminal justice legislation which, while recognizing there are significant issues to solve, didn’t contain the real reforms and increased accountability our current reality needs.

Unfortunately, rather than doing the hard work to come to a compromise, the Senate Republican Majority adjourned the special session Saturday morning, in effect walking away from the table. This is a critical time in our state, and the world has been watching us to see if we’d step up in this moment. The problems Minnesotans – especially from communities of color – too often experience in their interactions with law enforcement aren’t going to disappear on their own. They will require a bold commitment on everyone’s part – Democrats and Republicans alike – to ensure everyone can be safe in their community, no exceptions.

Assistance for Small Businesses

Many of my colleagues and I have heard about how difficult COVID-19 assistance has been to obtain from the federal government. Shortly after we convened the special session, we approved legislation to assist our state’s smallest businesses. The bill created a $62.5 million fund for small business grants, with a focus on businesses with 50 or fewer employees. Applications are now available until July 2, with funding to be distributed via lottery. More information is available from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

Other Successes

There were a couple of other victories during the special session. Lawmakers approved – and Governor Walz signed into law – the Education Policy bill, which included a number of important provisions for Minnesota students, such as a requirement for all teachers to receive mental health training, a prohibition on the suspension of children in pre-K programs, a requirement for vaping prevention instruction, and more. Another bright spot was a bill to increase child care assistance program rates – the first in many years – which will help childcare providers during this difficult time.

I remain committed to protecting the health, safety, and economic wellbeing of Minnesotans, and we will keep working to build a Minnesota that works better for all of us. I’m hopeful we can make headway on important issues like criminal justice reform and a Jobs and Local Projects bill yet this summer.

Please stay in touch with your feedback about these topics, or if I can be of assistance. It’s an honor to represent our community.

Sincerely,

Liz Olson
State Representative