Dear Neighbor,
Here are some quick notes to pass along as we head into the Independence Day holiday! This weekend may provide us with a good opportunity to take a step back and think about how blessed we are to live in this great nation. We have encountered tumultuous times in the past. Once again, the American spirit will not only endure challenges we face today, but leave us in a better place for the future.
On a related note, it might be time to revisit our state regulations regarding fireworks. We are losing millions of dollars in state revenue each year to bordering states. It would be nice to keep local dollars here, in our local economy, instead of sending them across the border each summer. Not to mention it would be one more stream of revenue for the state to help us weather times like this when we face a budget shortfall.
In other news:
Deadline to apply for small biz grants is Thursday
The deadline small businesses to apply for COVID-19 relief grants is 5 p.m. Thursday. This program will make available $10,000 grants to Minnesota owned and operated businesses that can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Businesses with 50 or fewer full-time employees may be eligible. A total of $60.3 million is available for grant awards which will be selected through a computer-generated, randomized selection process. Click here for more.
New laws in effect
A handful of new laws take effect today, including tractor safety and part of the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act. This information can be accessed here. Summaries of all laws passed by the 2020 Legislature are available online from nonpartisan House Public Information Services here.
Awaiting word on another special session
There has been no official word from the governor regarding a special session that may take place in the next couple of weeks, in part, for the governor to extend his emergency powers yet again. His latest 30-day extension ends July 12 and he would need to call a special session to push us out to five full months under unilateral rule. I would rather see his emergency declaration expire so we can restore the balance of power at the Capitol and return to our representative system of government instead of the governor cutting the Legislature out of the decision-making process.
Until next time, have a good holiday weekend as we celebrate our nation’s Declaration of Independence this week. Please be safe and stay hydrated in the high temps we have in the forecast.
Sincerely,
Chris