Friends and neighbors,

Last week Gov. Tim Walz announced his decision on school reopening for the state of Minnesota. We have encouraged the Governor to allow local districts to decide the best way to safely educate students this school year, and not issue statewide mandates or decisions. The announcement from Walz rolled out a complex set of guidelines for school reopening. 

This decision should be left in the hands of local leaders, school boards and teachers. We trust them to care for our kids every day, and we should entrust them now to safely determine how to open schools for our children. Gov. Walz’s announcement today does not improve clarity or direction. School districts are still left with uncertainty as the Governor’s plan leaves room for confusion as COVID-19 cases fluctuate.

He has put unworkable caveats in place such as including prison COVID-19 cases to determine whether or not schools have to close. Combining those numbers with the rest of Sherburne County residents really skews the numbers. Prisoners are not out amongst our residents and should not be counted as if they are.

I have written to Gov. Walz to ask him to change that method. I hope he sees the common sense of the change. I will let you know as this progresses.

Supporting Day Service Providers

COVID-19 has had a devastating impact on our day service providers like Options.

Over the last several months, due to the Governor’s sweeping closures, many of them have had little to no income, and may have to shut down for good. In regular session, and both special sessions, I have worked to pass $30.4 million in retention grants for disability day/employment services to help them stay open through this pandemic. The funding has passed the Senate unanimously, but the DFL-led House and the Governor’s administration refuse to acknowledge how important it is to appropriate support to these centers, and instead using the funding as a bargaining chip, and effectively leaving them without the funding they need to carry on.

These providers make such a difference for so many people in our communities. Their closure would remove a huge portion of services for those who deserve the excellent quality of life they offer. I will continue to advocate strongly on their behalf. We appreciate all they do and will work to ensure they receive the recognition and funding they need to survive the pandemic, ready to safely reopen.

Please continue to contact me with your questions and concerns at sen.mary.kiffmeyer@senate.mn and 651-296-5655. I look forward to hearing from you.