Dear Neighbors,
As efforts to protect the health and wellbeing of Minnesotans from COVID continue, we need to deliver the urgent economic assistance displaced workers and struggling small businesses are counting on right now. Monday night, during a special legislative session – likely our last in 2020 – the Minnesota House approved a new economic assistance package designed to help small businesses, workers, and other Minnesotans struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here are a few of the key pieces of the plan:
- A 13-week extension of unemployment benefits. Without this legislative action, over 100,000 Minnesota workers were on track to lose benefits on December 26 when funding under the federal CARES Act expires
- $88 million of financial aid to businesses experiencing economic harm due to the pandemic. Those eligible businesses include restaurants, bars, coffee shops, breweries, wineries and distilleries with taprooms or tasting rooms, caterers, bowling alleys, and some gyms and fitness centers.
- $14 million worth of grants to movie theaters and large convention centers.
- $114.8 million for county grants to other affected businesses, including hotels, museums, arcades and live theater venues
- Waiver or delay of a series of fees for the hospitality industry, including 2 a.m. liquor licenses for bars, caterers that serve alcohol, wastewater permitting fees for small breweries, and certain late payment penalties for food related businesses
- Extension of the deadline for families to apply for free and reduced-price lunch
Unfortunately, this bill doesn’t address all the needs Minnesotans are facing. Senate Republicans wouldn’t agree to advance a funding package to address housing insecurity during the pandemic, help for long-term care facilities, child care grants, and direct financial assistance to struggling families. We also need the federal government to fund a more comprehensive recovery package.
Still, we can see the light at the end of the tunnel with a vaccine being distributed now and through 2021, and this relief package will give many Minnesotans a better opportunity to recover from the economic consequences related to the pandemic.
The Minnesota Department of Revenue is finalizing details and will have information on the Small Business Relief Program shortly after the bill is signed into law later today. Additionally, the Department plans to directly reach out to eligible businesses in the next several days.
Please continue to stay in touch. My email is rep.jennifer.schultz@house.mn and phone number is 651-296-2228. It’s an honor to represent you.
Sincerely,
Jen Schultz
State Representative