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Dear Friends and Neighbors,
Late Sunday night we completed the regular 2020 Legislative session. I am grateful for the opportunity to serve our community, and humbled for your trusted in me.
These last few months have been unusual and work at the legislature has been very different, as have all of our jobs. But through it all, your input and feedback has been a great help to me.
I’m optimistic that we will be coming back for a special session to address the issues and needs during this difficult time. However, I didn’t want this session to end without saying ‘thank you’ for choosing me to represent our community in the legislature.
Thank you and as we head toward a likely special session in June, just know I’m grateful.
Gov Walz June 1 Reopening Plans
On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced plans effective June 1. Information on the reopening of businesses, churches, and more can be found here.
I join so many of you who have reached out, disappointed with the detail of these actions. Businesses who are ready to open safely, should be allowed to do so. Schools had plans to allow safe graduations, and should be allowed to do so. Youth sports have plans to operate safely, but the governor’s guidelines are not logical, and are problematic.
All of our surrounding states are more open than Minnesota and are seeing fewer issues. We need to focus more on plans to better protect the vulnerable, something the Star Tribune reports we are failing at, while allowing Minnesotans to get back to work.
The inconsistencies and arbitrary nature of what is “allowed” to be open is at the root of the frustration I am hearing from so many of you. Here are a few examples of the inconsistencies:
- Big Box stores have no capacity limits indoors, churches are restricted to 10 or fewer, salons and barber shops are limited to 25% capacity, and restaurants are still completely closed for indoor service.
- Restaurant patios are allowed to have 50 people, but outdoor church services are limited to 10.
- Campgrounds are forced to remain closed until June 1 — and there’s no explanation why they can’t be open for Memorial Day weekend but it will be OK on June 1.
Like many of you, I supported the governor’s early actions to stave off the prospects of our hospitals being overrun and issues with little PPE reserves. Our wonderful hospitals and health care systems now have the capability to deal with any surge and we have PPE reserves for them to tap into.
It’s time for us to allow businesses, churches, youth groups, and our communities to safely operate. The people of Minnesota trusted the governor—they stayed home and complied while those plans were made and PPE reserves built—now it is time for the governor to trust Minnesotans.
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