March 11, 2020 ONE YEAR OF COVID-19

March 5, 2021 - I photographed my first shot of the COVID vaccine at a pharmacy in Alexandria on February 5. My friend, Lisa, told me the pharmacy was taking appointments but it would be a two hour drive to get it. I jumped at the chance to get my vaccinations and made my appointment on January 29. The only times I had been out was mostly to go to the grocery store, take walks and my monthly trips to the Capitol for special sessions. So the two four hour drives to Alexandria and back to get vaccinated were great. The following images are some of my record of the COVID-19 year.

March 13, 2020 - Governor Tim Walz declares a peacetime emergency in Minnesota and unveiled legislative proposals to prepare for the COVID-19 pandemic.

March 13, 2020 - Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm advises and urges Minnesota to follow a number of community strategies to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus. Stay home, wash your hands, social distance and wear a mask.

March 16, 2020 - Members sit at their chamber desks while maintaining social distancing from another member as recommended by the health department.

March 28, 2020 - A sign is posted to cancel any activities at playgrounds.

April 4, 2020 - A grocery shopper in Shoreview is taking the CDC’s recommendation that people wear cloth or fabric face coverings when entering a grocery stores, pharmacy and other public spaces to help prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

April 13, 2020 - Rep Lyndon Carlson Sr, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, holds a virtual committee hearing from his family room at his home in Crystal.

April 14, 2020 - Speaker Melissa Hortman recognizes Rep. Michael Howard to present the Conference Committee Report on HF3100 the Emergency Insulin bill.

April 14, 2020 - Rep. Michelle (Shelly) Christensen listens in her car for the final vote on Conference Committee Report HF3100 the Emergency Insulin Bill. Rep. Christensen cast her vote remotely from her car on the top level of State Office Building parking ramp. The House passed the bill 111-22.

April 30, 2020 - Gov. Tim Walz announces the stay-at-home order would be in affect until May 19. A variety of retail business can start curbside pickup of purchase while bars and restaurants will remain take-out only until May 18

April 30, 2020 - Mickey’s Diner closed.

April 30 2020 - MetroTransit bus driver wearing a mask on his route in Highland Park.

April 30, 2020 - People social distancing line up for their turn to grocery shop at a Trader Joe’s in St. Paul.

April 30, 2020 - Wearing a mask St. Paul resident heads home with bags of groceries.

May 8, 2020 - A health care worker in a booth takes a sample from a person to be tested for the COVID-19 virus. The biggest advantage of the booth is the savings of the use of PPE such as gowns, gloves, shields and face masks.

May 8, 2020 - A health care worker at the People’s Center Clinics and Services in Minneapolis takes a sample to be tested for the COViD-19 virus.

May 17, 2020 - House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler and Minority Leader Kurt Daudt confer on the last day of the legislative session as members debate the Omnibus Education Bill. Rep. Winkler later moved to table the bill over an attempt to add an amendment by the minority.

May 20, 2020 Nurses belonging to the Minnesota Nurses Association picket in front of United Hospital in St. Paul. The nurses are asking for a say in worker protections, increased PPE resources with higher safety standards, and an end to retaliation against workers who have tried to protect themselves from the COVID-19 virus.

June 1, 2020 - 2,500 National Guard airman and soldiers were deployed and a full authorization of 7,000 – 10,000 Nation Guard troops were available to protect people, property and restore order in Minneapolis and St. Paul in the wake of George Floyd’s death. This action is the largest deployment in the 164-year history of the Minnesota National Guard since World War II.

June 12, 2020 - Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and members of the Republican caucus holds a press conference and tells reporters that his caucus would vote to end Gov. Tim Walz’s peacetime emergency.

June 12, 2020 - A State Trooper watches the front of the Senate Chamber from the third floor of the Capitol.

June 19, 2020 - A volunteer adds a sign for racial justice to the fence in front of the Capitol on Juneteenth.

June 19, 2020 - Participants bring signs to the Juneteenth and Black Lives Matter rally in front of the Capitol.

July 13, 2020 - House Speaker Melissa Hortman, center, confers with House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, right, after recessing the opening day of the second special session.

July 20, 2020 - House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt announces during a morning rotunda press conference that his caucus will not provide any votes to pass a bonding bill and also any measure for police accountability. Deputy Minority Leader Anne Neu, left, also took part in the news conference.

August 12, 2020 - Gov. Tim Walz and Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan lead departing MMB Commissioner Myron Franson, newly appointed MMB Commissioner Jim Schowalter and Brigadier General Shawn Manke who will serve as Minnesota’s next Adjutant General to a news conference for the announcement of Gov. Walz’s new cabinet members.

August 29, 2020 Even though the State Fair was cancelled the Fine Arts Exhibition went on with limit reservation attendance. An exhibition attendee views the sculpture by J. Dan E. Maruska, “Tipping Points (Out of Circulation)”.

September 11, 2020 - House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler listens as minority members attempt to revoke Gov. Tim Walz’s emergency powers. The House voted suspend the rules 67-64 letting Gov. Walz to retain his emergency powers for another 30 days.

October 12, 2020 Speaker Melissa Hortman and Majority Leader Ryan Winkler hold a news conference to announce they have the votes to pass a bonding bill in the House.

October 15, 2020 - Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka gets a thumbs up fist bump from Sen. David Senjem, author of the bonding bill, after the Senate passed the bill 64-3.

November 3, 2020 - Voters social distance as they line up to cast their ballots at the Franconia Town Hall.

November 3, 2020 - A voter leaves Marine on St. Croix Village Hall after casting their ballot in the Presidential election between President DonaldTrump and Joseph Biden.

November 12, 2020 - Rep. Lyndon Carlson Sr. removes paperwork as he cleans out his chamber desk prior to the start of the sixth special session of 2020. He returned to his office in the State Office Building to participate in the special session when it convened at noon. Rep. Carlson is the longest serving member of the legislature in Minnesota history from 1973 – 2021 and never missed a legislative day in his 24 terms.

November 12, 2020 - Former President of the Senate Jeremy Miller, right, congratulates Sen. David Tomassoni after the Senate elected Sen. Tomassoni, an Independent, to replace him as President of the Senate. This is the first time in Minnesota history a minority member has been elected as President of the Senate.

December 14, 2020 - The Electoral College Meets In House Chamber where social distancing can be observed during the casting of electoral votes.

December 14, 2020 - Elector Roxanne Mindeman signs her ballots as she cast her Electoral College votes for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.

December 14, 2020 - President of the Senate David Tomassoni listens as Secretary of the Senate Cal Ludeman calls the role of members to open the seventh special session.

January 5, 2021 - Rep. Melissa Hortman is elected Speaker of the House and is sworn in by Associate Supreme Court Justice Paul Thissen.

anuary 19, 2021 - A National Guard armored vehicle blocks off a street on the south side of the Minnesota State Capitol. Security has been heightened after the riot at the U.S. Capitol January 6.

January 28, 2021 - People sign in to be vaccinated as part of the Sates’s first vaccine lottery.

January 28, 2021 - My wife, Janine, receives her first shot against the COVID-19 virus during the State’s first vaccine lottery.

March 3, 2021 - Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Jim Schowalter listens as Gov. Tim Walz answers question about the February budget and revenue forecast. The February forecast reversed a $1.27 billion budget shortfall to a $1.6 billion surplus for the next two-year budget period.

March 3, 2021 - Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer testifies during a hybrid hearing of the Senate Civil Law and Data Practices Policy Committee on her bill that would require the Sec of State to submit to political parties the personal information of election judges.

March 10, 2021 - Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm receives the single-dose Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine from Alina Clinic Practice Educator Rachel Slama at the Golden Valley COVID-19 vaccine site,.