This article was originally posted on 08-13-2021

Legislative Update - 8/13/2021

Dear Neighbors,

I hope you are all enjoying the last weeks of summer as we get a brief break from the heat and some much needed rain! Thanks to everyone who turned out for National Night Out / Night to Unite, it was a lovely evening and I enjoyed chatting with you.

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 14, 2021 is IndiaFest at the State Capitol Grounds in St. Paul from 11am to 8:30pm. IndiaFest is a joyful celebration of the rich culture, traditions and heritage of India. There will be a lot of fun activities for the whole family, so be sure to stop by if you can!

Back to School Preparation
As you get ready for the school year here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Many school supply purchases can qualify for K-12 tax benefits in your 2021 Minnesota tax return. Save receipts from these purchases, including distance learning needs, and claim the K-12 Education Credit or Subtraction. You can learn more about these tax returns here. Here are some expenses that qualify for refunds:
  
  • Paper and notebooks
  • Pens and pencils
  • Non-religious textbooks
  • Rental or purchases of educational equipment, including musical instruments
  • Computer hardware (including hotspots, modems, and routers) and educational software (up to $200 for the subtraction and $200 for the credit)
  • After-school tutoring and educational summer camps taught by a qualified instructor
• Now is time for children 12 and older to get the COVID-19 to ensure we have a safe return to in person classes. Here is a guidance document from MDH's website reflecting CDC's best practice recommendations for implementing layered prevention strategies to provide the best protection. Proactive COVID-19 prevention strategies remain critical to protect people - including students, teachers, and staff - who are not fully vaccinated or who have certain medical conditions, especially in areas of moderate-to-high community transmission levels. Here are some key guidance points:
  • All people ages 12 years and older should get vaccinated for COVID-19 before returning to in-person school, sports, or other activities to protect themselves and people around them who cannot get vaccinated. Talk to a health care provider or Find Vaccine Locations near you.
  • All students, teachers, staff, and visitors in school buildings should wear masks indoors regardless of vaccination status.
  • Schools should maintain at least 3 feet of physical distance between students within classrooms whenever possible. When it is not possible to maintain 3 feet of distance between students, it is especially important to layer other prevention strategies.
  • Students, teachers, and staff should stay home if they are feeling sick and should contact a health care provider for testing and care.
  • Students, teachers, and staff who have been fully vaccinated do not need to stay home even if they have had recent close contact with a confirmed case so long as they remain asymptomatic and do not test positive. Follow CDC testing guidance for anyone exposed to a confirmed case.
  • People who are not fully vaccinated and returning to in-person school, sports, or extracurricular activities (and their families) should get tested regularly for COVID-19 according to CDC guidance.
  • Schools should encourage ventilation, contact tracing in combination with isolation and quarantine, handwashing, respiratory etiquette, cleaning, and disinfection as important layers of prevention.

Vaccination Incentives
If you haven't gotten your vaccine yet you can now get $100 for getting vaccinated! Over 30,000 Minnesotans have gotten vaccinated in 5 days since this incentive became available. Learn more here.

Stay in Touch
Please feel free to reach out to me by email at rep.sandra.masin@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-3533. If you have a friend, neighbor, or relative who wants to receive updates about the Legislature, let them know they can subscribe to my email list here. You can also follow me on Facebook. It's an honor to represent our community. Please stay in touch.

Sincerely,

Sandra Masin
State Representative

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