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Dear Friends,
This week, I introduced several important bills.
We found out recently that the Minnesota Department of Health has mandated hospitals to share a huge amount of data, both COVID-19 related and not, on hospital patients. I introduced a bill requiring MDH to get patient consent and legislative approval before collecting patient health records from hospitals. I strongly believe that if anyone wants access to a Minnesotan's patient record, they should have to get consent from that patient. I also think that in this important issue, the legislature should be involved in setting the policy and put in place guardrails to safeguard patient data.
I also introduced a bill that would prohibit the mandatory tracking and tracing of persons by employers or the government for disease tracing. Privacy is incredibly important to Minnesotans, and I believe allowing the government to track everyone's movements for the purpose of disease tracing is a slippery slope.
My third bill this week prevents businesses who have stepped up to provide products in the fight against COVID-19 from being sued unless there is willful harm. We have a lot of fantastic businesses in communities across the state that have taken action to provide PPE and other products to our front line workers and others, and they should not have that action repaid with malicious lawsuits.
Also, as you may have heard, the governor announced that he is lifting the state's Stay at Home order effective this coming Monday, and laying out plans to allow the reopening of restaurants, churches, and other businesses in the next few weeks.
This is a step in the right direction, and I am glad many businesses will be allowed to safely open soon. However, many restaurants, churches, and gyms already have plans in place and could reopen sooner than June 1. Many won’t survive until then, and our community will be worse off for losing them. I hope the governor will reconsider and let those businesses that can safely open, do so as soon as they are ready.
Sincerely,
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