Minnesota Stands with Ukraine

Dear Neighbors, 

This week, the Minnesota Senate joined the House in unanimously passing my legislation to impose sanctions on the Russian and Belarusian governments for their invasion of Ukraine. 

The bill carries the clear message that Minnesota firmly stands with the Ukrainian people and the 17,000 Ukrainian-Americans that call our state home, and against the tyranny and atrocities committed by the Russian government. We’re joining a united front of democracies from around the world in ensuring our dollars are not lining the pockets of oligarchs who sanction the murder of innocent civilians.

The legislation requires Minnesota, primarily the State Board of Investment (SBI), to divest of its direct holdings of Russian and Belarusian assets. As of March 11, the value of SBI’s publicly traded assets in Russia and Belarus was $14 million. Since that time, due to the current volatility of these assets, it’s estimated the values have dropped below $10 million. The bill also codifies Governor Walz’s Executive Order barring Minnesota from contracting with Russian companies

You can watch my closing comments on this bill during our House floor debate below. 

Minneapolis Redevelopment Grants

The Minneapolis Foundation is now accepting proposals for grants to support business recovery and economic development along the Minneapolis commercial corridors worst hit by the combined impact of COVID-19 and the destruction following the murder of George Floyd. Thanks to funding from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Main Street Economic Revitalization Program, $18 million will be distributed to projects in these corridors:

Lake Street, from the Mississippi River to the Uptown neighborhood.

38th Street, from Bloomington Avenue on the East to Nicollet Avenue on the West.

West Broadway in North Minneapolis, from I-94 on the East to Queen Avenue on the West.

You can learn more about these grants and apply here. 

Standing Up for Minnesota Workers

This week, I co-authored three important bills that we passed off the House floor, all with the focus of helping Minnesota’s workers. We passed legislation to implement Earned Sick & Safe Time for Minnesota workers, make our warehouses safer, and ratify the 2020-21 public employee labor contracts.

Earned Sick & Safe Time would ensure all Minnesotans are able to attend to the health of themselves or a loved one without risking a paycheck. Thousands of Minnesota workers, including two-thirds of workers in the lowest wage positions, lack access to this benefit. 

Our second bill would protect and empower Minnesota’s warehouse workers and address practices that have led to the high injury rates we’ve seen at Amazon facilities. No one should be at risk for injury in the workplace, and this bill holds large corporations accountable and impels them to create and maintain a safe environment for every worker.

Lastly, by ratifying the public employee labor contracts, we’re ensuring our dedicated state workers can build a better future for themselves and their families.

COVID-19 Tests

COVID-19 numbers in Minnesota have consistently been low in recent weeks, including test positivity and hospital admissions. Meanwhile, with fewer people feeling sick, demand for saliva testing has decreased significantly. As a result, Minnesota’s testing strategy will be shifting more to a focus on at-home rapid testing.

Minnesota households are now eligible to receive two test kits (for a total of four tests) per home at mn.gov/covid19. Minnesota has secured 500,000 test kits (for a total of 1 million at-home tests) and the program will be available until all the test kits are ordered.

Through the federal government, Minnesotans can order free rapid at-home tests at CovidTests.gov. Food banks, local public health agencies, community groups, and other community health organizations may also have free tests available. Due to actions taken by the Biden Administration, costs for over-the-counter at-home COVID-19 tests are now required to be covered by health insurance plans.

With the lessons we’ve learned over the last two years, Minnesota is well-positioned to respond effectively if case counts tick upward again. While we all hope to avoid another wave, testing continues to be important for preventing the spread of the virus. Getting a test is still recommended if you:

have symptoms of the virus.

have had close contact with someone who tested positive for COVID-19.

are returning from international or domestic travel.

attended a high-risk event.

work in a setting that has regular, close contact with many people.

If you have any questions about the resources available to our community, or our work in the Minnesota House, please feel free to reach out. You can contact me at rep.sydney.jordan@house.mn or 651-296-9676. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely, 

Sydney Jordan
State Representative