Looking at those hit hard by pandemic

In Minnesota, we value strong schools, strong families, strong communities, and strong local economies. The last year has been full of hardship and sacrifices, including tragedy for too many families. Despite the trials and tribulations, it’s clear Minnesotans are resilient, and we’re on the verge of putting the Covid-19 crisis in the rearview mirror. Now, it’s time for us to do our part at the Capitol to prioritize those who have experienced the greatest hardships over the last year.

Much of our work this session has been in House committees, identifying solutions to the past year’s numerous difficulties. There’s no blueprint on paper for how to build back following a pandemic, and we’ve thoughtfully listened to Minnesotans describe their struggles, concerns, and aspirations as we move forward to strengthen everyone’s health, economic security, and overall quality of life.

I’m perhaps most proud of the work we’ve done in the House Agriculture Committee, which I chair, to help farmers recover from Covid. Agriculture is one of Minnesota’s most significant economic drivers, and farmers play an integral role in ensuring Minnesota families have food to put on the table. We’ve tackled important issues such as sustainable crop production, soil health, financial hurdles in agriculture, and the unique mental health needs of farmers and people in Greater Minnesota. This committee is one of the most bipartisan in the entire Legislature and during a time of deep divisions in our politics, our work can serve as a model of collaboration.

Aside from urgent Covid-related work, our communities have other ongoing needs as well. I’ve authored legislation to strengthen our own region, including measures to fund a new Carlton County jail and new fire hall in Cloquet, investments in the water line from Lake Superior to Cloquet, and a local sales tax in Cloquet – if approved by voters – to pay for the proposed Pine Valley Regional Park project.

This session, lawmakers will assemble a new two-year state budget, and House DFLers have put forth a budget framework that comprehensively recognizes last year’s challenges. We’re working to strengthen investments in what students, families, workers, and small businesses need to not just get past this crisis, but to truly experience the success they deserve.

Students, educators, and families have done their best over the past year in an impossible situation, and not being in the classroom has had an undeniable effect on learning. Minnesota students deserve the opportunity to make up for that learning loss, and following declining enrollment, we must increase investments in school districts so they can continue providing education at a high level.

To protect people and communities, the livelihoods of small-business owners, management, and workers have been impacted. Lawmakers delivered a robust economic assistance package late last year, and the federal government recently enacted the American Rescue Plan. However, businesses and workers are still fighting an uphill battle. At the Capitol, we need to commit to taking bipartisan action to help them rebound.

The state is in a good financial position right now, with a projected positive budget balance. While working Minnesotans and small businesses have felt the greatest brunt of the pandemic’s impacts, the very wealthiest individuals and large corporations have done fairly well over the past year. By ensuring they pay their fair share, we’ll be able to count on sustainable revenue to fund the things we value, such as education, not just now but well into the future.

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic we’re reaching the end of the Covid-19 pandemic. Cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to Covid are all trending downward. Following an initially slow rollout due to limited supplies from the federal government, the increase in distribution of the Covid-19 vaccine has been remarkable. All Minnesotans are now eligible to get the vaccine, and we’re leading the nation in our effectiveness of getting shots into arms.

The weather is warming up. Baseball games are here. Community celebrations and everything else we love about spring and summer in Minnesota is around the corner. We’re about to end an extremely dark period for all of us, and as we move forward being hopeful, while also being careful, I’m confident everyone in our state can have a bright future.

Rep. Mike Sundin, a DFLer from Esko, serves the residents of Carlton, Pine, and St. Louis counties in the Minnesota House and chairs the House Agriculture Committee. Contact him via telephone at 651-296-4308, or email: [email protected].