Get your vaccine! Walz opens up the vaccine to 1.8 million Minnesotans, soon everyone will have access. Also, major turn of the dials starting Monday!

The Week at a Glance

  • COVID-19: Governor Walz will introduce updated COVID-19 restrictions today. Watch live here at 11:00 AM. 

    • Numbers: Seven-day rolling average is 851 cases per day. Positive test rate is 2.9%. Over 1.1 million Minnesotans have received at least one vaccine dose. 

    • Variants: South African COVID-19 variant confirmed in Minnesota.

    • Appointments: Lakeville City Councilmember Luke Hellier created a comprehensive document to help Minnesotans find vaccine appointments.

  • On Monday, jury selection began for the trial of former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin in the death of George Floyd. The trial will be broadcast live, but jury selection will be kept behind closed doors.

  • U.S. News ranks Minnesota the second-best state.

  • Former Senator Scott Jensen (GOP-Chaska) is running for Governor. Jensen, who served one term in the Minnesota Senate, is a physician known for posting controversial videos online.

  • The latest KSTP poll finds that 54% of Minnesotans approve of the way both Governor Walz and President Biden are handling the coronavirus.

  • Expanded vaccine eligibility means shots for all Minnesotans by May.

  • The American Rescue Plan will bring over $4 billion in federal money to Minnesota, and it will provide millions to the metro areas: $281 million for Minneapolis, $171 million for St. Paul, and $60 million for Duluth.

Last Weekend

  • Saturday, March 6: The Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled that the third-degree murder charge against Derek Chauvin, which had been dropped last year, should be reinstated. 

  • Sunday, March 7: The Center for the American Experiment is launching another negative ad campaign: this time, it’s targeting green energy.

Key Events, Court Rulings & Executive Branch Developments

  • Monday, March 8: The Minnesota Department of Health released vaccine data showing stark racial inequities in vaccine distribution.

  • Monday, March 8: Governor Walz will deliver the State of the State address from his former classroom at Mankato West High School at 6:00 PM on March 21.

  • Monday, March 8: via press release, “Governor Walz Announces COVID-19 Community Vaccination Site at Roy Wilkins Auditorium.”

  • Tuesday, March 9: The Minnesota Department of Health announces new coronavirus guidance and vaccine recommendations (see below).

MN-vaccine-schedule1.png
MN-vaccine-schedule.png

  • Tuesday, March 9: via Bill Salisbury of Pioneer Press, state officials are working behind the scenes to ensure that the eventual end of the eviction moratorium doesn’t result in mass evictions.

  • Wednesday, March 10: Department of Education Commissioner Mary Cathryn Ricker submitted her letter of resignation to Governor Walz on Monday. Governor Walz has appointed Deputy Commissioner Heather Mueller to fill the vacancy beginning on April 1. 

  • Wednesday, March 10: State Auditor Julie Blaha presents the 2021 State of Main Street address.

  • Wednesday, March 10: An audit finds that private COVID-19 testing companies failed to disclose 138 deaths and over 900 cases to the Department of Health. 

  • Thursday, March 11: via Riham Feshir, Jon Collins and Brandt Williams of MPR News, “The Minnesota Supreme Court has denied Derek Chauvin's petition to review an appeals court ruling on an additional murder charge against him in the killing of George Floyd.”

  • Thursday, March 11: 90% of Minnesota schools are back to at least part-time in-person learning, but a few of the state’s largest districts have yet to come back to the classroom. 

  • Friday, March 12: via Liz Navratil of Star Tribune, “The Minneapolis DFL filed inaccurate public disclosure forms and failed to keep adequate financial records in 2017 — the last time a municipal election was held — according to a state investigation.”

Update from the Minnesota Legislature

  • Monday, March 8: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee unanimously approved a bill that would legalize cannabis flower for medical use. 

  • Monday, March 8: The Senate passes the Law Enforcement Operations Account, also known as the GOP version of the SAFE Account.

  • Tuesday, March 9: via press release from Senate Republicans, “The Senate Education Finance and Policy Committee on Monday approved a groundbreaking bill to create Education Savings Accounts (ESA) in Minnesota, which will empower parents with more flexibility and control over their child’s education.”

  • Wednesday, March 10: via press release from Rep. Dan Wolgamott (DFL-St. Cloud): The House Labor, Industry, Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Committee passes “legislation to extend the workers’ compensation benefits afforded to public safety and health care workers who are either sickened or quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19.”

  • Thursday, March 11: The Future Fuels Act, a bipartisan bill authored by Senator Dave Senjem (R-Rochester) is heard in the House.

  • Friday, March 12: Governor Walz urges lawmakers to pass his $150 million summer school proposal to help schools and address opportunity gaps. 

  • Friday, March 12: With a divided legislature, meaningful bills are not reaching Governor Walz’s desk. 

  • Friday, March 12: The Senate passed SF 263, federal conformity for PPP loans, forgiving state taxes for business loans. 

    • “This is positive news for Minnesota businesses who have struggled to keep their doors open and people employed during the pandemic,” said the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce.

Congressional Delegation Update

  • Monday, March 8: via press release, “Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Michael Bennet (D-CO) introduced legislation to modernize and extend the small wind investment tax credit (ITC) to help farmers, ranchers, and small businesses offset the up-front costs of developing and owning small wind turbines that generate electricity.”

  • Monday, March 8: Senator Tina Smith and Senator Elizabeth Warren secured over $40B for childcare and early learning in the American Rescue Plan.

  • Monday, March 8: The Federal Communications Commission continues to investigate business dealings involving Congressman Jim Hagedorn. 

  • Tuesday, March 9: Congressman Tom Emmer, chair of the NRCC, wants Trump to stay out of GOP Congressional primaries.

  • Wednesday, March 10: The U.S. House passed the PRO Act, which strengthens protections for workers trying to organize a union. The Minnesota delegation voted down party lines. 

    • Congresswoman Angie Craig: “I was proud to cosponsor and vote for the PRO Act and I look forward to continuing to partner with Minnesota workers to protect collective bargaining rights and ensure folks have fair wages and safe working conditions while on the job.”

    • Congresswoman Michelle Fishbach: “monumental rewrite of federal labor law”

  • Wednesday, March 10: via press release from Congressman Jim Hagedorn, “Congressman Jim Hagedorn (MN-01) has been selected to serve on the House Agriculture Committee’s Subcommittees on Livestock and Foreign Agriculture, as well as Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research, for the 117th Congress.”

  • Thursday, March 11: Antitrust takes on new meaning with Senator Amy Klobuchar as Chair of Senate Judiciary Antitrust Committee.

  • Thursday, March 11: Congressman Dean Phillips gives virtual tour of Capitol, which has been closed to visitors due to coronavirus. Watch here.

  • Friday, March 12: Senator Amy Klobuchar proposes $94 billion broadband infrastructure investment project.

  • Friday, March 12: Congresswoman Ilhan Omar reintroduces the Rent and Mortgage Cancellation Act.

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