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Dear neighbors,
Last week, the House passed a bill that would have delivered $841 million in federal funding to Minnesota’s cities, counties, and towns. The legislation didn’t gain support in the Senate, but Governor Walz unveiled a plan to distribute these funds yesterday. The funding – which will be allocated based on the formula we developed during the special session – will help local governments across the state respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, support small businesses, and continue providing critical services that Minnesotans count on.
Governor Walz’s plan also includes $12 million to help food shelves and food banks combat hunger. It doesn’t include the additional funding that the House approved to increase wages for personal care assistants who take care of vulnerable Minnesotans, prevent veteran suicides and homelessness, and more. I’ll continue advocating for these important investments.
Assistance for Small Businesses
At the beginning of the special session, I supported a bill to assist small businesses impacted by COVID-19. The legislation, which Governor Walz recently signed into law, created a $62.5 million fund that will provide grants of up to $10,000 to Minnesota businesses with 50 or fewer employees. The grants will be awarded by lottery. Applications are available now through Thursday, July 2. You can find more information and apply here.
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) is hosting several webinars to help small business owners apply for these grants. You can view the schedule and register for a webinar here.
Support for Minnesota Students
During the special session, we passed a bill to help Minnesota’s students and young learners. In addition to providing mental health training for teachers and vaping prevention instruction, this legislation expands access to alternative academic and behavioral support services. It also includes a notable provision that limits the circumstances under which schools can suspend or expel preschool children. This is important because preschoolers are three times more likely to be suspended than K-12 students, and these dismissals disproportionately impact children of color and students with disabilities. Limiting suspension and expulsions will help address these disparities and keep kids in school and learning. Governor Walz signed this bill into law earlier this week.
Legislating during COVID-19
The Council of State Governments Midwestern Legislative Conference is holding a series of online events called “Looking Beyond the Pandemic: Midwestern Legislatures Address New Challenges” to examine the successes and challenges of holding legislative sessions and committee hearings remotely. Yesterday, I moderated a webinar about legislative oversight of executive actions in times of emergency. If you’re interested, you can watch the webinar here.
Please continue to contact me if you have any questions or feedback about the special session or the work that remains. You can reach me at rep.rick.hansen@house.mn or 651-296-6828.
Sincerely,
Rick Hansen
State Representative
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