Ewald at the Capitol/April 10

Stay at Home Order Extended

Gov. Walz has extended the orders for shelter in place and closure of restaurants, bars and other places of public accommodations through May 4. Take-out, delivery and curbside pickup services are still allowed as they were before. In addition, Walz has said he is willing to allow some industries currently prohibited to operate to begin business again if his staff can develop a framework for this to occur safely based on health guidance.

“What we are doing is working, Minnesota. We are taking this seriously, and we are staying home. While Minnesota is showing lower rates of infections than our peers across the country, now is not the time to let up or allow that trajectory to change,” said Walz.

Budget Issues

Minnesota’s $1.5 billion budget surplus projection is old news. Although difficult to precisely predict, our state economist says that the state will not get all the money we expected. According to the Minnesota Office of Management and Budget (MMB), if the severity of the recession caused by COVID-19 is half that of the Great Recession, the state could lose $1.5 billion in revenue from now through summer 2021. If the severity is equal to that of the Great Recession, the state could lose $3 billion in revenue.

“It’s almost like waiting for a reverse tsunami… waiting for a tsunami of revenues not to show up,” said State Economist Laura Kalambokidis.

As for money that we do have, the state will receive $1.87 billion from the federal stimulus bill, and Hennepin and Ramsey counties will receive an additional $317 million. Minnesota’s budget reserve, or “rainy day fund”, currently holds $2.4 billion. Even in MMB’s current worst-case scenario, the budget reserve will be in the green with about $547 million remaining.

“The good news is we are in solid financial shape, we’re able to pay our bills but we will certainly have to balance our budget when we come out of this and there will certainly be a lack of revenues because of the shutdown,” said Gov. Walz.

Workers' Compensation Bill

In floor sessions marked by virtual votes and face masks, this week the House and Senate passed HF4537. Gov. Walz signed the bill into law immediately. The bill allows health care workers, emergency first responders, correctional officers, security counselors working in detention or secure treatment facilities and those who are required to provide child care during this time to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits if they contract COVID-19 on the job. These workers will not have to prove an exact exposure scenario as proof they were infected during work hours, but instead must only test positive for COVID-19 in order to receive benefits.

It is notable that grocery store workers and public transit employees were left out of the bill. It is even more notable that the bill was adopted without any hearings, only available to the public less than an hour before being heard on the floor, and adopted without knowing the cost of the bill or the ultimate funding source(s), which will be determined later.

“Through the negotiations, they didn’t make it into this bill. But that’s really important to me,” said Rep. Dan Wolgamott, author of the bill and husband of a grocery store employee.

The bill passed almost unanimously in both bodies, with only four members voting no.

Executive Orders Update

Besides the extended stay at home order, the governor’s latest Executive Orders are:

20-26 keeps the medical cannabis program running. Patient enrollments that were set to expire beginning March 31, 2020, through seven days after the end of the peacetime emergency are extended to August 1, 2020 expiration instead. Health care practitioners are allowed to qualify a patient for the program through videoconference, phone, or other remote means with no in-person visit required during this time.
20-27 provides emergency relief from some regulations to motor carriers and drivers transporting livestock feed and fertilizer used for spring crop planting.
20-28 allows out-of-state mental health care providers to provide telehealth services to Minnesotans. It also allows some licensing boards to provide license and registration relief.
20-29 expedites state unemployment insurance benefits.
20-30 provides National Guard Assistance for spring flood response.
20-31 provides emergency relief from some regulations to motor carriers and drivers that pump or transport sewage from septic systems.
20-32 allows the Commissioner of Health to temporarily delay, waive or modify certain provisions and rules so that health care providers can respond quickly and safely during the peacetime emergency. The Commissioner may also establish temporary alternative health care facilities.