Legislative Update - Vaccine Boosters and Rent Help

Dear Neighbors, 

Colder weather is here, but it was a beautiful day last week as our community welcomed the House Capital Investment Committee to Richfield’s Wood Lake Nature Center. 50 years ago, Richfield leaders had the foresight to preserve 150-acres of natural space in the heart of the Twin Cities, making it the most accessible nature preserve in the region. It is time to protect and enhance this gem for another generation of students and families, and I’ll be advocating for this project to be included in the Capital Investment “Bonding” Bill next year.

Special Thanks to Chair Lee for making the stop in Richfield.

A great turnout from our community to highlight the importance of the nature center.

Eviction Moratorium Ends

This month marked the end of the eviction moratorium off-ramp, which we fought for last session to ensure that our pandemic wasn’t replaced with an evictions crisis. While evictions are now able to take place, renters who are behind on their rent will remain protected from eviction if they have an open rental assistance application at RentHelpMN.org.

Renters that have an open rental assistance application maintain protection from eviction for nonpayment while the application is pending. There is no deadline to apply, but renters should apply as soon as you fall behind on rent.

Boosters and Youth Vaccine Incentives

Providers can now offer booster shots to Minnesotans who previously received any of the authorized or approved COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer, Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson).

All Minnesotans age 18 and older who got the Johnson & Johnson vaccine should get a booster shot at least 2 months after their first dose.

Minnesotans who got the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine can get a booster shot at least 6 months after their second dose of vaccine if they are:

• Are 65 years old or older,
• Reside in a long-term care setting,
• Have an underlying health condition categorized as high-risk by the CDC, and/or
• Work in a high-risk setting.

Visit the Minnesota Vaccine Locator for a location to receive either your booster or initial vaccine series.

Also, the Governor announced the launch of “Kids Deserve a Shot” last week, a vaccine incentive program encouraging 12-17-year-olds in Minnesota to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The program consists of two sets of rewards: a $200 Visa gift card for 12-17-year-olds who start and complete their vaccine series between October 18 and November 30, and five drawings of $100,000 Minnesota college scholarships for any 12-17-year-olds in Minnesota with a complete vaccine series.

Currently, only 50% of Minnesotans 12-15 and less than 60% of Minnesotans 16-17 are fully vaccinated, the lowest vaccination rates of all eligible age groups. Full program details and rules and online registration are available here.

Stay Connected, Share Your Thoughts

We’re gearing up for the 2022 Legislative Session in January, and my colleagues and I in the DFL want to hear from you. Our work in St. Paul is at its best when its responsive to the needs and values of Minnesotans, so if you’re willing to share your thoughts, please take this short Minnesota Values Project survey.

In addition to this survey, if you have any questions about our work, or ideas on how we can improve our community and state, please feel free to reach out to me at rep.michael.howard@house.mn or (651) 296-7158. You can also follow along on my Facebook page. I look forward to hearing from you!

In partnership,  

Michael Howard