St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed new COVID-19 assistance legislation for Minnesota workers and businesses. The legislation includes a 13-week extension of unemployment benefits for workers and assistance for businesses most impacted by the pandemic. Rep. Dan Wolgamott (DFL - St. Cloud), who previously held an emergency virtual town hall on the legislation as it was being crafted, cites the community’s responses as being instrumental in negotiating the final bill.
“I want to thank the business leaders and workers of St. Cloud who shared their stories and worked with me to help pass this COVID economic assistance package,” said Rep. Wolgamott. “I’ve spent the past two weeks taking what I heard from our emergency town hall and applying it directly to the negotiations on this bill, and I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together. This legislation will act as a bridge as we wait for Congress to pass federal aid, helping workers and businesses make ends meet while public health guidelines are in place to keep Minnesotans safe.”
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of workers in Minnesota and millions across the country exhausted their regular unemployment benefits in the summer and fall and remain unable to find a job. The federal CARES Act provides these workers with another 13 weeks of benefits, but that extension will expire on December 26. This bill is designed to fill this gap if federal leadership is unable to reach an agreement on a federal extension. Under this bill, workers could collect up to 13 weeks in additional unemployment insurance if they exhaust all their unemployment any time between December 19, 2020 and April 10, 2021.
In addition to the 13-week extension of unemployment benefits for more than 100,000 Minnesotans, the new assistance package directs the Department of Revenue to send checks directly to restaurants, bars, and other businesses impacted by the latest public health guidelines, with no need for businesses to fill out an application. The Department of Revenue estimates that 5,800 small businesses will receive $82-88 million beginning before the end of the year. Another $114.5 million will be distributed to counties to provide grants to impacted businesses, and movie theaters and convention centers will receive $14 million.
The assistance package also contains provisions that would waive and delay certain fees for the hospitality industry. Among the fees waived include 2 a.m. liquor licenses for bars, caterers that serve alcohol, wastewater permitting fees for small breweries, and certain late payment penalties from the Dept. of Agriculture for food manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers. Another provision would give an extension to school districts during the current pandemic to collect forms from families eligible for free and reduced lunch. The legislation extends the current deadline of December 15 to January 4, 2021.
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