Dear Neighbors,

I hope you are enjoying your summer. This will be my final e-mail update until November because during an election time, legislators cannot send communications like these using state resources. Still, I hope you will feel free to reach out to me directly with your input, ideas, or if I can be of assistance. I look forward to hearing from you. Here’s an update from the Capitol.

Special Session

This past Monday, our second special legislative session this summer started. House DFLers are focused on protecting the health and wellbeing of Minnesotans. A great deal of unfinished business remains, including overdue police accountability and criminal justice reforms following the killing of George Floyd, measures to address the COVID-19 pandemic, and a strong bonding bill, the urgency of which only continues to grow as good-paying jobs are needed. We will only get through this difficult time together, and Minnesotans are counting on us to come together to make our state work better for everyone.

Masks Up, Duluth

Monday night, the Duluth City Council approved a new ordinance requiring folks to wear face coverings in most indoor public places. Masks help prevent the spread of droplets which can potentially carry infectious viruses like COVID-19 and new science from the CDC highlights how important it is for everyone to wear them around others. If all of us do our part, including continued social distancing and staying home when sick, we can reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep everyone in our community safe and healthy.

Assistance for Housing, Hunger, and Child Care

COVID-19 continues to challenge Minnesotans, putting many folks in difficult economic situations. With funding from the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, Governor Walz has been able to target funding to specific areas to help people weather the storm.

Last week, the governor announced a plan to deliver $56.6 million to support Minnesota child care providers who are facing enormous challenges during the pandemic, and many are fighting to keep their doors open. They’ve had to make a number of sacrifices including significant costs due to decreasing group sizes and the cleaning, staffing, and workflow changes needed to keep children healthy and safe.  The governor also announced $12 million to combat hunger in Minnesota, and the funding will support about 300 food shelves and all seven food banks across Minnesota. About 300,000 Minnesotans have visited food shelves each month since the pandemic began, representing approximately a 30 percent increase over typical visits.

We all count on a place to call home to stay safe and healthy. As rent and mortgage payments continue to come due, many Minnesotans are struggling to maintain secure housing. Tuesday, Governor Walz announced $100 million worth of investments in housing and homelessness prevention.

Census 2020

If you haven’t done so yet, please respond to the 2020 Census. It only takes a couple of minutes, and Census data determines how billions of dollars in federal funding is allocated toward priorities like health care, education, public safety, and roads & bridges. It also impacts representation at the local, state, and national levels. You can respond to the Census online here, by phone, or by mail. Please spread the word! Share this link with your family, friends, and neighbors. We all have to do our part to make sure everyone in our state gets counted.

Minnesotans care about one another, and want to see each other succeed. I hope we can all continue to look out for our friends, family, and neighbors and we will overcome these challenges together. Have a terrific summer.

Sincerely,

Liz Olson
State Representative