• A general summary of the governor’s budget proposal can be found here.
• Fact sheets from the governor’s office on the budget proposal can be found here.
• Specific dollar figures on the budget proposal can be found here.

After the release of the governor’s budget proposal, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka (R-East Gull Lake) issued the following statement:

“I have been clear since day one of session: we are not balancing the budget with tax increases. A budget that increases taxes is not a Minnesota priority. People have suffered enough already. Employees, entrepreneurs, and many businesses have sacrificed for 11 months. The budget reserve can be used to protect people from hurtful tax increases that will further stretch their family budget and harm our economy. Senate Republicans will ask the government to tighten its own belt before we ever ask Minnesotans to tighten their belts even more.” 

Minnesota operates on a two-year state budget. The state is currently running on a $48.3 billion budget that began on July 1, 2019, and is set to conclude on June 30, 2021. The next budget will take effect July 1 of this year and run through June 30, 2023.

Federal Government to Increase Vaccine Supply to Minnesota

The Biden Administration Tuesday announced they will increase the supply of COVID-19 vaccine doses shipped to states by 16 percent over current levels for at least the next three weeks. Minnesota is expected to receive nearly 11,000 additional doses each week under the new allocation.

The announcement comes after requests from Governor Tim Walz and other Midwestern governors for more vaccine to be distributed by the federal government. This week, the Centers for Disease Control allocated less than 70,000 doses to Minnesota, an insufficient amount to vaccinate priority populations including healthcare workers, long-term care residents, and Minnesotans 65 years of age and older.

“It is refreshing and encouraging to have in place federal leadership that is quickly responding to state concerns, providing transparency on the vaccine allocation process, and crafting a cohesive, federal strategy for ending this pandemic,” Governor Tim Walz said. “We have seen extraordinary demand for the vaccine in Minnesota, and we are working with a variety of providers to create a strong network of choices for Minnesotans when it’s time to get their vaccine. Every dose Minnesota receives puts us one step closer to crushing COVID-19, which is why we need to move quickly.”

This week, Governor Walz announced a goal to have 90 percent of every dose arriving in the state administered within 72 hours, and 100 percent within one week. The state is standing up pilot vaccination clinics around Minnesota to test methods for getting more doses to people who need them. About 15,000 educators and childcare providers will get their vaccine at a pilot mass vaccination clinic this weekend in Saint Paul. And with these doses the state is continuing work with health systems, smaller clinics, and community pharmacies to help expand the ways Minnesotans will get vaccinated.

“For months, I have urged the CDC and the White House to get Minnesota more doses. It’s good news that they’re finally listening,” Governor Walz continued. “The fact is, we still need more doses. We’re working hard to get the shots we have on hand to the people of Minnesota. Now, the federal government needs to provide even more vaccine. Today’s announcement is a good first step, and I look forward to even larger shipments in the weeks ahead.”

Minnesota Department of Health Briefing

This afternoon, officials with the Minnesota Department of Health and other state departments conducted a media briefing with reporters to update the public on the spread of COVID-19 and discuss COVID-19 vaccination.

Commissioner Jan Malcolm, Department of Health

• Commissioner Malcolm reported 727 new cases of COVID-19. This is the lowest daily COVID-19 case count since September 29. The state has now had a total of 456,490 COVID-19 cases.
• Just under 11,000 COVID-19 tests were processed yesterday.
• The seven-day COVID-19 test positivity average is 5.1%
• Eight more Minnesotans have died due to COVID-19. This brings the total number of COVID-19 deaths in the state to 6,106.
• Currently, 496 patients are hospitalized for COVID-19 with 100 of those in the ICU.
• A total of 353,000 vaccine doses have been administered to Minnesotans (both first and second doses).

Dr. Ruth Lynfield, State Epidemiologist

• Dr. Lynfield reported that the state’s public health laboratory found the nation’s first known COVID-19 case associated with the Brazil variant (known as P.1). While the variant is believed to be more contagious, it is not clear at this point whether the variant causes more severe disease.
• The individual infected is a resident of the Twin Cities metro area and reported traveling to Brazil prior to becoming ill.
• The state’s public health lab also found two more cases of the B.1.1.7 variant – commonly known as the UK variant – through last week’s COVID-19 variant surveillance testing. Of the two new cases with the UK variant detected by MDH, both are Twin Cities metro area residents and both reported recent travel to California. 
• For passengers traveling to the United States from abroad, a negative test from within three days of travel or certificate of prior infection will be required to board, beginning January 26. Travelers are recommended to test for COVID-19 three to five days after arrival and quarantine for at least seven days. It is recommended that people consider getting tested one to three days prior to domestic travel, that they restrict their activities for at least seven days upon return, and that they get tested for COVID-19 three to five days after arrival.

Dr. Sara Vetter, Assistant Director, State Public Health Lab

• Dr. Vetter explained that viral variants are common. Every time a virus replicates, it changes and mutates over time.
• The main variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus are the UK variant, the Brazil variant, and the South African variant. Another variant has been identified in Southern California.
• Health officials are watching the variants with concerns as they appear to be more transmissible. However, the good news is that, thus far, the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines still have efficacy against the virus.
• The state will continue to look for variants of the virus with its strong public health lab surveillance system.

Commissioner Tarek Tomes, Minnesota IT Services

• Commissioner Tomes reported that 13,000 Minnesotans received doses of the COVID-19 vaccine last week as part of the state’s vaccine pilot program.
• The state’s pre-registration wait list opened today at 5:00 a.m. and will be open until 5:00 a.m. tomorrow. The call center will be open until 7:00 p.m. today.
• The random selection process will occur around 7:00 a.m. tomorrow. Those randomly selected will be proactively contacted starting on Wednesday.
• As of 1:00 p.m. today, over 180,000 individuals pre-registered and are now included on the wait list – including 11,000 who were on the wait list last week.
• Around 12,600 active users were online at 5:00 a.m. today to pre-register.

Deputy Commissioner Anne O’Connor, Department of Commerce

• Deputy Commissioner O’Connor reported that around 11,700 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are allotted for the pilot program this week, which is the same amount of doses allocated last week for the program.
• Around 15,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine are allocated to vaccine educators and childcare workers this week at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium at the Saint Paul River Centre.

Amos A. Briggs | Government Relations
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