Dear Friends,

These continue to be unprecedented days for all of us as we continue to deal with the COVID crisis.

I have heard incredible stories of people helping and loving their neighbors and supporting their local businesses. I have also heard heartbreaking stories from individuals, families, organizations and businesses who are being impacted in so many different ways.

It is comforting to me to know that not even a pandemic can stop the changing of the seasons. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and nature is bursting forth with life after a long winter.

To our Jewish friends, I want to send my warmest wishes and say Chag Pesach Sameach, or Happy Passover Holiday! The powerful themes of Passover, which include strength, hope and triumph over adversity, are inspiring at this time for all of us.

For Christians, the spring season holds special significance as we commemorate the passion of Christ, and celebrate His resurrection and victory over death. As new life springs around us, we are reminded of the message of Easter: Hope.

We are facing challenging circumstances right now, but this too shall pass. Just as winter has turned to spring, and spring soon to summer, we will get through this and our “new normal” life will be upon us.

Please take a few minutes to read a few updates and highlights from the past week.

Workers’ Compensation Protections

After much deliberation, Minnesota labor and business groups and the Workers’ Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC) reached an agreement to update workers’ compensation insurance presumptions for certain workers who contract COVID-19. Workers on the front lines during this pandemic including health care personnel, police officers, paramedics, corrections officers, and others, will be eligible for expedited workers’ compensation benefits for health issues that may arise due to the coronavirus. The update passed the Legislature unanimously and the bill was signed into law by the Governor on Tuesday.

While our first responders, health care workers, corrections officers, and everyone else at the forefront of this fight are hard at work, they deserve to know they will have access to coverage and care if they contract COVID-19. They all have our full support and appreciation for their sacrifices and dedication during this time.

Current law requires employees to prove that their illness was contracted while at work. The new legislation reduces the responsibility of the employee to prove they were infected as a result of their occupational duties. This expedites their eligibility for workers’ compensation. The responsibility will instead be on the employer to rebut the employee’s claim if they wish to deny liability.

Individuals with confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 will be presumed to have the disease as a result of their occupation, thereby making them eligible for workers’ compensation benefits under state law. Most licensed peace officers, firefighters, paramedics, nurses, health care workers, correction officers, workers at secure state facilities, workers at long-term care facilities, and childcare providers are among the classes of workers included in the bill. This improves protections and provides extra safeguards for essential workers who are at greater risk of contracting COVID-19.

Over the past week, Governor Walz has signed a series of new Executive Orders to address the COVID-19 crisis.

On Wednesday, Governor Walz signed Executive Order 20-33 to extend the Stay at Home Order until May 4. Bars, restaurants, and other businesses deemed non-essential will remain closed until that time.

Based on the modeling and data available, the Administration believes extending the Stay at Home Order will push the peak of the virus out to July, giving the health care system time to build up capacity.

The order included some modifications which provide additional exemptions for certain businesses and workers. Among those additional exemptions are lawncare and landscaping workers, garden centers and stores, and workers supporting minimum basic operations in all businesses. A summary of the critical sector modifications can be found here.

Other Executive Orders signed the past week include the following:

Executive Order 20-32 (April 8, 2020)
Ensuring that Healthcare Providers Can Respond Quickly and Safely During the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency

Executive Order 20-31 (April 8, 2020)
Providing for Relief from Regulations to Certain Motor Carriers and Drivers Operating in Minnesota

Executive Order 20-30 (April 8, 2020)
Providing National Guard Assistance for Spring Flood Response and Protection

Executive Order 20-29 (April 6, 2020)
Amending Executive Order 20-05 to Expedite State Unemployment Insurance Benefits During the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency

Executive Order 20-28 (April 6, 2020)
Allowing Out-of-State Mental Health Providers to Render Tele-health Aid and Permitting Certain Licensing Boards to Provide License and Registration Relief During the COVID-19 Peacetime Emergency

Executive Order 20-27 (April 4, 2020)
Providing for Emergency Relief from Regulations to Motor Carriers and Drivers Operating in Minnesota

A full list of the Governor’s executive orders relating to the COVID-19 crisis can be found here.

Give Blood

Following the conclusion of my self-quarantine last week with no symptoms, I was able to stop by this week and donate blood at Memorial Blood Centers in Plymouth. There is concern about blood shortages in the future due to social distancing and stay at home orders in the wake of COVID-19.

It is still safe to go out and give blood. Donation centers are taking precautions to maintain social distancing as much as possible, and there is no evidence that the virus can be spread via blood transfusion.

If you are healthy and able to do so, please, give blood and help save a life.

For more ways to help donate blood, you can visit the Red Cross Blood Services, here.

• NAMI Minnesota has a list of resources on their website dedicated to providing information and guidance on mental health related issues in light of COVID-19. That can be accessed here.
• The Legislature has allocated funding for the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs to issue relief grants to veterans impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Information on that program can be found here.
• MNsure is offering a special enrollment period (SEP) for qualified individuals who are currently without insurance in response to the potential growth of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases. This SEP runs Monday, March 23 through Tuesday, April 21.

  Guidelines and information can be found here.

• Over the past few weeks, several state and federal programs have been built to assist small businesses struggling during the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Different programs make sense for different businesses, so MN DEED is providing this summary guide to help small businesses quickly see which programs might be right for their situation. You can find this summary, here: “A Guide for Minnesota Small Businesses Who Need Help”.

• Many Minnesotans are experiencing layoffs or furloughs from their jobs. Updates on unemployment benefits and the application can be found: here.

Thanks for reading this week’s update.

Please continue to follow Governor Walz’s stay at home order. A stay at home order directs Minnesotans to limit movements outside of their homes beyond essential needs. By limiting social interactions, we decrease the chance of transmission of COVID-19 and help our health care sector prepare for increased demands.

Please know that we are here for you. My staff and I will continue to do what we can at the legislature to chart a new path forward for Minnesota to come out of this even stronger than before.

As always, please reach out to my office if we can be of service.

My staff and I continue to work remotely, but you can reach me with your concerns and questions at 651-296-9261 or reach me by email at sen.paul.anderson@senate.mn.

I wish you all a blessed Holiday.

Sincerely,

Paul T. Anderson
State Senator