Minnesota lawmakers will reconvene to bolster COVID-19 fight
The sun shines on the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, as Gov. Tim Walz and top legislative leaders continued their budget talks.[AP Photo/Steve Karnowski]
Minnesota lawmakers are preparing to return to the Capitol to beef up the state’s fight against COVID-19 and help residents cope with the economic disruptions.
Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and Republican Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka notified legislators late Tuesday that they will reconvene Thursday. The House will meet at noon while the Senate will gather at 2 p.m.
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"We are continuing to work closely with the Walz Administration on urgent COVID-19 matters to protect the health and well-being of Minnesotans," the leaders said in a joint statement. "We will publicly release details on specific legislation on the House and Senate websites as soon as we can."
The House and Senate have been in recess since March 17, when they voted unanimously to approve $200 million to help the state’s health care system respond to the pandemic. They’ve been meeting remotely since then in working groups that mirror the Legislature’s committee structure to develop spending and policy proposals to pass Thursday.
For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks. For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.