Legislative Update- January 22, 2021

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you’ve had a safe and enjoyable week. Committee work is underway and we’ve hit the ground running in the House.

Our primary focus continues to be working with the Senate on bipartisan COVID-19 support strategies for our families, workers, students, and businesses.

Last week, my House colleagues and I announced a legislative package to deliver additional assistance to Minnesotans now, so we’re able to bounce back quickly post-pandemic. Highlights of the plan include: additional investments to broadband infrastructure, so our businesses and schools have access to a stable and reliable internet connection; education support that aims to reverse learning loss for students who have been receiving their education via hybrid or distance learning; and partnering with the federal government to expedite the COVID-19 vaccine distribution and administration in Minnesota.

Click here to watch the announcement of our plan, or read more details from the nonpartisan office of House Public Information here.

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.

I continue to press both the state and federal Administrations to move as quickly as possible to get the vaccine out to our community. I am also focused on providing proper oversight of the vaccine program. With the stakes as high as they are, there is little room for error. Having said that, it is obvious that delivering a vaccine (and two doses of it!) is a massive logistical undertaking unlike anything the state has had to do in recent history. It is reasonable to expect hiccups and speed bumps.  It is important for us to keep this in mind in the days and weeks to come.

Completely Carbon-Free by 2040

This week, the House Climate Finance and Policy Committee, of which I’m a member, heard a bill to require that all of Minnesota’s utility’s electric power to come from carbon-free resources by 2040. It would encourage the location of new generating facilities in communities that are losing generating facilities that use fossil fuels. And it would allow the commission to require prevailing wage for workers constructing wind and solar facilities. You may recall I was a co-sponsor of the legislation in 2019 and am proud to co-sponsor it again this year.

Keep in Touch

Please continue to contact me anytime with questions, ideas, or input. I can be reached via email at rep.zack.stephenson@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-5513.

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Thank you for the honor of representing our Champlin and Coon Rapids families in the Minnesota House.

Sincerely,

Zack Stephenson

State Representative