SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, Governor Tim Walz announced adjustments to Minnesota’s COVID-19 mitigation measures, including social gatherings, bars and restaurants, salons and barbershops, fitness centers and pools, entertainment venues, youth sports, and religious services.
Rep. Julie Sandstede (DFL – Hibbing) and Rep. Dave Lislegard (DFL – Aurora) issued the following joint statement:
“This legislative session, we’ve worked in a thoughtful, pragmatic fashion on solutions to help businesses open up and get more folks in the hospitality industry back to work, while also examining ways we can strengthen Minnesota’s emergency management. We've been driving the conversation with the administration, and voicing what we’ve been hearing from our constituents and our businesses. We’re pleased the governor is listening to us and finally taking these steps to help our local economies recover and move us back toward normalcy. Our small businesses, workers, and families have experienced unthinkable hardship due to no fault of their own and it’s time to give them a chance to truly recover.
“The leadership of Rep. Gene Pelowski has also been instrumental through his work chairing the House Subcommittee on Legislative Process Reform, giving us a venue to explore these important measures. It’s no secret we’ve been pushing the governor and his administration to take bolder steps over the past few months to help businesses out while taking a careful, science-based, data-driven approach. Today’s announcement validates our hard work.
“With the speed of vaccine distribution increasing by the day, and key COVID numbers like positive cases, hospitalizations, and deaths all continuing to drop, it’s clear we’re nearing the end of this pandemic. We’re excited for a spring and summer ahead with ball games, family celebrations, and the community gatherings we all cherish as Minnesotans.”