Legislative Update: Workers' Comp, Elections and more

Minnesota House GOP sent this bulletin at 04/10/2020 09:00 AM CDT

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April 10, 2020

Friends,

On Wednesday, Governor Walz announced he was extending his stay-at-home executive order until May 4. The governor has also extended his order for bar, restaurant, and other public area closure will also continue until May 4.

Under the extended order, Minnesotans can continue leaving their homes for medical attention, getting groceries and take-out food, filling their gas tanks, and taking part in outdoor activities. In other words, what we have been doing for nearly two weeks will now continue until May 4.

There will be some further exemptions with this new extension, including many activities that can be done outside such as landscaping companies will be allowed to operate while remaining socially distant.

The legislature will continue to push the administration on a daily basis asking for exemptions, flexibility, and common sense. If there are businesses that can protect the safety of employees and customers, we should allow them to do so.

Remember the best thing we can do to limit the spread of this virus is to stay home and follow the CDC guidelines. We will get through this together, Minnesotans are doing a great job and we will be poised to bounce back quicker and stronger if we keep being smart and responsible.

Please reach out if there is anything I can do for you. I will continue to share live streams of updates from the governor and President Trump on my Facebook Page as well as pass along summaries of the most recent information. I'll also pass along videos grabbing take out from some of our great local small businesses!

Workers' Compensation Bill for Front-Line Workers

On Tuesday, we passed a bill to address workers' compensation and show our front-line workers that we have their back during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Our front-line workers need to know that we have their back as they work to care for the sick and keep our communities safe. This bill is an important step to provide peace of mind and recognize the critical role these workers play in combating the COVID-19 crisis.

HF 4537 represents a compromise agreement reached by legislators from all four caucuses, as well as business and labor groups on the Workers Compensation Advisory Council (WCAC). The bill provides presumptive workers compensation insurance to front line workers who contract COVID-19.

Thank you to ALL of our front-line workers for the work you are doing to care for the sick and keep our communities safe.

Elections in wake of COVID-19

COVID-19 has been seen by some to be an opportunity to make a number of changes to state law, and unfortunately, some want to use it to overhaul our election system.

While it may be clear we need to make some changes to avoid what Wisconsin just experienced, we can do it in a non-partisan way — the way we've always made changes to election laws in Minnesota. As the House Republican Elections Lead, I will continue to insist this is the way we move forward when considering any changes to our election laws.

Ballot harvesting and allowing so-called "community organizations" to assist voters in the completion, collection, and delivery of ballots is a non-starter and would make our voting system ripe for fraud. The DFL Chair of the Elections Committee admitted that a similar proposal put forward by the Secretary of State would make electioneering easier.

Minnesota has a proud tradition of only proceeding with changes to election law that enjoy broad bipartisan consensus and support. Partisan organizations need to recognize the proud tradition of non partisan election solutions and only come forward with solutions which fit that criteria.

Secretary of State Simon should work with the GOP and DFL Election leads to craft legislation that protects the integrity of our election system while ensuring that ensures every Minnesotan can safely exercise their right to vote.

Resources for Farmers

The Legislature expanded the use of the Disaster Recovery Loan program to help farmers who have lost revenue due to COVID-19.

Disaster Relief Grants for Veterans, Surviving Spouses

As part of the COVID-19 relief package, the Minnesota Legislature voted to fund an appropriation specifically dedicated to veterans and surviving spouses who are dealing with the economic effects of the pandemic. The grants are distributed on a first come, first serve basis. Thank you for your service!

To apply online: MinnesotaVeteran.org/COVIDRelief

Please Contact Me

Please feel free to reach out to my office if there is any way I can be of assistance. My phone number is 651-296-4282, I am here to serve you!

Stay safe,

Jim

/RepJimNash

349 State Office Building
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
Saint Paul, MN 55155
ph: 651.296.4282

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