Dear Neighbors,

With 2020 winding down, I want to wish everyone in our community a safe, healthy, and prosperous new year. This past year has been one of the most difficult times we’ve ever experienced with too much tragedy, injustice, and hardship. I’m hoping we can turn the corner to defeat the COVID-19 pandemic and build back better in 2021.

Economic Assistance

The first doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine have now been administered, hopefully representing the beginning of the end for this pandemic. Still, many businesses, workers, and families have experienced tremendous economic hardship as a result of the pandemic and our efforts to contain the virus. They urgently need our help.

Monday night, the Minnesota House passed a new package of COVID-19 Economic Assistance which will serve as a bridge until the federal government steps up to deliver more significant aid. Here are highlights from the package:

• 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 certain fees for hospitality businesses including 2 a.m. liquor licenses, caterers that serve alcohol, wastewater permitting 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.

The Minnesota Department of Revenue will reach out to eligible businesses directly in the coming days to facilitate payment. More information about this process is available on its website. This assistance will help, but many of our local businesses will continue to have a rough go of it. Let’s continue to support our favorite restaurants by ordering takeout meals and purchasing gift cards as we are able.

Legacy Award

Earlier this week I was honored to receive the Legacy Award from the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities. Throughout my time in Saint Paul – informed by my prior service on the Mankato City Council – I’ve worked to ensure our regional centers and rural communities have the opportunity to thrive. Minnesotans across the state all deserve quality transportation infrastructure, access to economic development opportunities, clean water, and critical public services like public safety. I thank the Coalition for its recognition.

December 26

Each year on December 26, we gather at Reconciliation Park in Mankato to remember one of the darkest days in the history of our state: the mass execution of 38 Dakota people on that day in 1862. Here is a photo from last year’s event.

We may not have an in-person memorial this year, and while we will never fully heal from this dark day, I hope we all take some time to remember this chapter and continue to learn from it.

Farewell from the Capitol

This will likely be my final e-mail update as I prepare to leave office in January. I want to again take this opportunity to thank my Mankato and Eagle Lake constituents for the opportunity to serve at the State Capitol the past six years.

Representative-elect Luke Frederick will be sworn-in when the House convenes January 5. He will take over my phone number (651-296-3248) and his email will be rep.luke.frederick@house.mn. Please join me in wishing him all the best, and be sure to contact him with your feedback or if you ever need assistance with a matter involving state government.

Continue to take care of yourself, your family members, and your neighbors. We can only emerge from this crisis together, and I’m confident we will emerge from it stronger.

Merry Christmas.

Sincerely,

Jack Considine
State Representative