Hello from the State Capitol,
Earlier this week, the legislature voted unanimously in the House and Senate to approve $21 million in emergency funding for the Department of Health to continue their response to the COVID-19 outbreak. The bill included protections for taxpayers that would require money to be paid back to the general fund if it goes unspent. As a member of the Health and Human Services Finance Committee, I have spent a lot of time hearing from our department of health and health providers on our response preparedness. We are considering additional steps to ensure our state and health care system can respond as quickly and effectively as possible. Minnesotans can have confidence that legislators, the governor, and state agencies are working closely together on this issue and are basing our decisions on the expert recommendations of the Minnesota Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control.
As this situation unfolds, social media could be rife with misinformation so please continue to rely only on information from trusted sources. Your best sources for up-to-date information are the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) websites.
MDH: COVID-19 Home Page
MDH: Prepare and Prevent COVID-19
MDH: Situation Update for COVID-19
CDC: COVID-19 Home Page
CDC: COVID-19 FAQ
DISASTER FUNDING BILL APPROVED IN HOUSE
On Thursday, the Minnesota House approved legislation that would allocate $30 million to our state’s empty disaster relief fund. Minnesota’s Disaster Assistance Contingency Account was created to allocate funds to communities impacted by natural disasters and to avoid calling special sessions to authorize the appropriation of these funds.
As we saw last weekend, the winter melt has begun in earnest and the Mississippi River will begin to rise in the weeks ahead. It is prudent to have these disaster funds available before any potential flooding events happen this year.
STAYING IN TOUCH
As always, if you have questions or concerns regarding any issue, please contact me. You can reach me at rep.barb.haley@house.mn or 651-296-8635.
Sincerely,
