Andrea Peyla-Cossette returned home to Wabasha in February optimistic about the results of her first-ever advocacy trip to the State Capitol.
She had made the case to extend an exemption in the state's adult foster care rules. It would mean her two sisters with special needs could move closer to their family and continue living together, as they had for more than 30 years.
Then the coronavirus hit.
From social advocacy to corporate lobbying, the work of influencing lawmakers in person has been largely put on hold as the pandemic demands the Legislature's full attention and forces people to temporarily abandon the Capitol. While COVID-19 has forced a surge in online advocacy, the struggle to contain the virus has taken precedence over the anticipated legislative battles over guns, insulin, legal marijuana, building projects and other controversies that dominated the early days of the session.
The focus, instead, turned to Gov. Tim Walz's emergency orders temporarily closing schools and most public places, including many businesses that sought exemptions from the "stay-at-home" directive.
But the old needs have not disappeared.
Lawmakers passed a $330 million spending bill two weeks ago to respond to the outbreak and gathered again Tuesday to approve another COVID-19 related bill. Nearly every item on the agenda for those days was related to coronavirus.
Advocates and lobbyists expect lawmakers to act on noncoronavirus measures when the emergency passes, though nobody knows when that will be. Some are pushing for a special session after the regular adjournment of May 18. But House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said she still anticipates passing policy measures unrelated to the virus during the current session.