Neighbors,
Late last week, Gov. Walz signed into law the compromise bill to deliver bonus checks to our frontline workers and fully replenish the unemployment insurance fund. If you are a frontline worker, you may be eligible for a $750 bonus. The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry has set up a website for updates. Sign up here to receive information on the application process.
Approving Measures to Reduces Costs
The legislative session will adjourn on May 23rd and this week we completed passing our remaining supplemental budget bills. Legislation for new tax credits and rebates to reduce costs and legislation supporting Minnesota’s workers and small businesses were both approved this week.
We also approved the Health & Human Services bill to address the high health care costs Minnesotans are facing, along with solutions to attract, recruit, and retain dedicated professionals in fields such as direct care, long-term care, and behavioral health.
Included in these measures was funding to help ease childcare costs for families.
Going forward, the House and Senate versions of each of our bills will be negotiated in conference committees. The panels will work hard over the next two weeks to reach compromises on these measures.
Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls Awareness Day
Yesterday, I walked in remembrance of missing Native women and girls who continue to be targeted for violence, murder, exploitation, and abduction in Minnesota’s urban, rural, and reservation populations, disappearing at alarming rates with very little public visibility and justice. Minnesota is committed to spreading awareness of this issue so that it receives the proper attention it deserves, and steps can be taken to stop the epidemic.
Avian Influenza Update
Cases of the Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI/H5N1) continue to show up in more Minnesota locations. The Raptor Center in St. Paul recommends removing bird feeders for now and keep backyard birds enclosed and separated from wildlife. Place mesh or tarps on the outside of the coop. Call the new HPAI hotline at 1-833-454-0156 for questions and learn more from the Minnesota Department of Agriculture or the Board of Animal Health.
COVID-19 Update
The FDA has authorized a second booster shot for Americans over 50 and for those 12 years and older who are immunocompromised. You can read more from the U of M Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP) recommendations here. If you have symptoms, have been in close contact with someone who has tested positive, after traveling, or if you’ve attended a high-risk event, please get tested to slow the spread of COVID-19. You can order free rapid at-home tests from the federal government at CovidTests.gov and from the state at mn.gov/covid19.
_____________
Stay connected with the legislature
The Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offers nonpartisan recaps of high-profile bills, committee hearings, and floor sessions with their Session Daily publication. Subscribe to receive these here. To track bills of interest through the legislative process, I encourage you to utilize the MyBills feature on the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website here.
Please continue to reach out with any input, ideas, or feedback about the issues important to you. I value hearing from you, so please don’t hesitate to call or email me any time. You can also connect with me on Facebook here. It’s an honor to represent you at the State Capitol.
Sincerely,
Laurie Pryor
State Representative