Wolgamott Weekly Update - Our Budget Proposal

Dear Granite City Neighbors, 

Last night, I was a guest on the PBS program Your Legislators, which brings lawmakers from both sides of the aisle together to discuss the issues facing our state. We discussed a range of issues as we enter the final weeks of the legislative session. You’ll be able watch the show here. 

Our Budget Proposal

We’ve spent the past few weeks passing the components of our House DFL Budget proposal, which aims to help Minnesotans not only recover from this pandemic, but thrive after it ends. You can read about the individual components of our budget below: 

• State Government, Elections, and Veterans
• Transportation
• Housing
• Labor, Industry, Workforce, and Business Development
• Legacy Amendment
• Early Learning and K-12 Education
• Higher Education
• Energy and Commerce
• Environment and Natural Resources 
• Taxes
• Agriculture
• Public Safety, Judiciary, and Civil Law
• Health and Human Services

I’ve been working with my colleagues on all of these bills, and I’m incredibly proud of the standard we’ve put forward. Now, in the remaining weeks of session, our attention turns to negotiating with our counterparts in the Republican-controlled Senate. I’ll be doing my part to ensure that the final product is one that looks out for the needs of St. Cloud while making Minnesota a better state for all. 

Rent Assistance Now Available

For renters and housing providers continuing to struggle during these challenging economic times, new funds are now available to provide assistance. RentHelpMN has opened for applications, making it possible for low- and moderate-income renters to get caught up on overdue rent and utilities dating back to March 13, 2020. It also makes provisions for those at risk of falling behind on rent payments due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You can find more information at https://www.renthelpmn.org/

Workers’ Comp for Frontline Heroes

We’re not out of the woods yet with COVID-19, and until we can definitively close this chapter for all Minnesotans, we need to continue to have the backs of the heroes that always have ours. That’s why I’m happy to share Governor Walz has signed legislation into law extending the workers’ compensation benefits I chief authored last session. 

This law will go a long way in granting our firefighters, police officers, nurses, childcare providers and other first responders the financial peace of mind they deserve as they continue to serve our communities on the front lines of this pandemic.

I’m thankful this was able to pass as a standalone bill, as much of the energy in our final weeks will be spent on the larger budget bills. If you have any questions or comments on our work between now and the end of session, please feel free to reach out to me. You can email me at rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn, or give me a call at (651) 296-6612. You can also follow along with my work on my member page, “like” my official facebook page, and subscribe to and share these legislative updates. I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,

Rep. Dan Wolgamott