St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House approved a robust, bipartisan package of legislation aimed at addressing and anticipating the various needs of Minnesotans during the COVID-19 pandemic. State Representative Dan Wolgamott (DFL – St. Cloud) voted in favor of the legislation, but called for additional resources to be made available for Minnesota’s professionals on the frontlines of the pandemic.
“I voted today to send sorely-needed support to Minnesotans and businesses impacted by COVID-19 and the necessary preventative measures implemented in response to the virus,” said Rep. Wolgamott. “While this bill will be a welcomed relief to many, I’m ashamed that we’re continuing to ask our health care professionals, police officers, firefighters, and corrections officers to put their physical and financial health, and that of their families, on the line for us. We can and must do better in future efforts to deliver workers compensation and other benefits to our public safety and health care professionals in the event they are sickened or quarantined due to exposure to COVID-19.”
The legislation passed today includes $9 million to the Department of Human Services for food security, $26.5 million for the Emergency Service Grants program to provide shelter for Minnesota’s homeless population, $30 million in one time grants to child care providers, $10 million for small business loans, financial relief for Minnesota’s workers, and the necessary flexibility for state agencies to respond to the pandemic.
The language of the bill, HF 4531, can be found here. Additional information on the Minnesota House’s efforts to address COVID-19 can be found here.
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