As I write this, we are entering the final weekend of the 2020 Legislative Session, which I am sure will be referred to in the future as the COVID Session. There are still a few items left to negotiate with the governor, namely a bonding bill, a tax relief and economic recovery package, and legislative oversight of federal coronavirus aid, but we are making great progress and I am confident we will reach a fair compromise before we have to adjourn. In fact, these issues may even be wrapped up by the time you read this article.
The big news of the week, as by now you have surely heard, is that Gov. Walz is lifting the stay-home order. Retail and other businesses will be able to reopen as of May 19, and all other businesses will be allowed to reopen on June 1. Please, please, please support these local businesses when they do open their doors. They have been hit extremely hard these last couple of months, and they definitely need our strong support.
The virus will be with us for the foreseeable future in some form, but we are through the worst of it. Now we just have to continue social distancing and other common sense, safe practices so that we remain healthy. I trust Minnesotans to do the right thing.
This is terrific news that Senate Republicans have been recommending for a while now. We have working with the governor behind the scenes to persuade him that this is an important and necessary step to take, and I am glad he has finally done so. I wish it would have happened sooner, but at least now we can see the giant light at the end of this dark tunnel. It’s hard to overstate how important it is to get these businesses open; countless businesses who have been teetering on the edge of survival will be able to stay afloat now.
It also makes our effort to support small businesses that much more vital. Last week, we approved another round of grants for small businesses who have been struck hard by the virus – particularly businesses that may not be eligible for other programs, like the Paycheck Protection Program. It is a great bill that will help a lot of businesses make it through until they can reopen.
The governor may have lifted the stay-home order, but he did not end his emergency powers declaration. You may not know this, but the governor has the power to extend his emergency powers indefinitely every 30 days. This puts too much power in the executive branch and leads to a lack of transparency and accountability. At times during this crisis, the legislature has not been as involved as it should have been. The public deserves better.
We have an easy remedy. This week, the Senate approved my bill to reassert a fair balance of governing power between the legislative branch and the executive branch during future states of emergency. It’s simple: it requires the governor to obtain legislative approval to extend any emergency declaration beyond 30 days. When the governor and legislature work closely together, our democracy is healthier and stronger.
As always, if you have any questions about the state’s response to the coronavirus or any issues the legislature is working on, please reach out to me any time at sen.john.jasinski@senate.mn.