$216 million package to help survive Gov. Walz's latest shutdown
ST. PAUL — The Minnesota House on Monday approved a $216 million business relief package designed to help small businesses and workers impacted by Gov. Tim Walz’s latest restrictions on businesses.
With Senate approval secured earlier Monday, the bill now is in the hands of the governor for enactment. The move comes as business owners wait for the governor to announce whether he will extend current restrictions past their scheduled expiration this Friday.
“While this bill is not perfect, we did the best we can now to help our local businesses as we work to re-open our state,” said Rep. Bud Nornes, R-Fergus Falls. “Businesses are hurting and by no fault of their own, so this package at least helps buy some time until additional federal relief is received and vaccinations take hold.”
Rep.-elect Jordan Rasmusson, R-Fergus Falls, is Nornes’ successor, set to take office in January. He said the relief will help, but added the long-term solution relies on re-opening our state’s economy.
“This bill will help small businesses and workers negatively impacted by the governor’s recent orders, but it is no replacement for allowing businesses to safely re-open,” Rasmusson said. “I urge the governor to work with the Legislature on getting Minnesotans back to work in a safe manner.”
The business relief package includes direct grants to businesses, license and other fee relief, and a 13-week extension of unemployment insurance for workers.
The grants are broken into three categories aimed at prioritizing speed. The first category will be $88 million in grants administered automatically by the Department of Revenue to restaurants, bars, gyms, bowling alleys, and other businesses which have seen losses of more than 30 percent compared with last year.
The second category is approximately $14 million administered by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development for movie theaters and large convention centers, and the third is $112 million in grants that will be administered at the county level.
The county-based grants are intended to help additional businesses impacted by the recent closures that do not qualify for the first two grant categories, however businesses who receive grants from the DOR are not precluded from receiving county-based grants.
Nornes said he is waiting for confirmation of exact dollar amounts for grants plus administrative fees appropriated to counties throughout the state in the bill. He indicated preliminary estimates showed around $1.2 million for Otter Tail.
The bill passed the House 117-13. With Senate approval secured 62-4 earlier Monday, it now is in the hands of the governor for enactment.
House Republicans also made an effort to end the governor's emergency powers on Monday, one of several times they have done so. House Democrats once again blocked the move.
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