The Latest on COVID-19

Dear Neighbors, 

These continue to be challenging and uncertain times, but I’ve been deeply moved by the ways our community and state have banded together during this pandemic. We’re working hard in the Minnesota Legislature to ensure our state stays strong during and after COVID-19, even if the way we work has been altered. 

At home, we’ve been trying to get outside daily for some fresh air and exercise on one of Eden Prairie’s many recreational trails, and I’ve had the chance to say hello to a number of neighbors at a six-foot distance. I hope you have the opportunity to do so as well.

The latest from Governor Walz includes new executive orders granting Emergency Authority to the Department of Human Services (DHS), regulations preventing price gouging, and opening MNsure for enrollment. 

• Preventing the spread of COVID-19 requires swift, decisive action, and granting Emergency Authority to DHS allows those decisions to be made. DHS will have the ability to waive or modify some state-level requirements, but will still need to report these to the Legislature. 
• Price gouging, drastically raising the price of essential products, is prevented by law in many states already. Governor Walz’s emergency powers allow him to implement these needed regulations. 
• A 30-day special enrollment period for MNsure will start Monday, the 23^rd. You can take advantage of this at MNsure.org.    
  
  You can read more on these and other executive order here. 

With things continuing to change rapidly, please be mindful of information sources, especially if it’s an email, phone call, or letter offering something that seems too good to be true. The Minnesota Department of Commerce has resources available for identifying and reporting scams, which you can find here. And here’s another useful compilation of numbers and links to help answer various pandemic-related questions.

I know many of us are working and parenting full-time at home right now, and I’m sure your children also have questions about what’s going on. There are many online resources being made available and I hope you’ve found them useful. I am exploring the idea of holding a virtual story-time/kid-friendly Q&A on my State Representative Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn Facebook Page. If that sounds interesting to you, feel free to reach out with topics you think should be covered or book recommendations. One that I’d love to share is called “Grace Goes to Washington” by Kelly DiPucchio.

As always, please feel free to contact me or my office at rep.carlie.kotyza-witthuhn@house.mn or at (651) 296-7449. I look forward to hearing from you.

Sincerely,

Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn

State Representative