Legislative Update - The Work that Remains

Dear Granite City Neighbors, 

We’re at a weird point in our legislative work right now. The regular 2022 legislative session was constitutionally required to adjourn on May 23, and it did so with more of a whimper than a bang. Several key pieces of legislation that would’ve made up a supplemental budget were unable to cross the finish line - despite many being largely finished.

I’ll cover what’s still at stake for our work, including the possibility of a special session, as well as the notable bipartisan accomplishments we were able to secure this year (I’m hopeful this is a list we’ll be able to add to). 

Here’s an update on my work.

Hero Pay Application Now Open  

Yesterday, the application system for the Frontline Worker Bonuses (otherwise known as Hero Pay) went live. This session, House Democrats successfully fought for a $500 million investment in these bonuses, which will go out to the Minnesotans who kept our state running during the darkest days of the pandemic. You can find more information here. The application period will be open through July 22, closing at 5pm. Itis not a first-come first-served basis.

After processing and verification of the applications, as well as a 15-day period for denied applicants to contest those decisions, the final list of eligible applicants will be determined. Each eligible applicant will be provided with an equal payment. All applications will move through the process at the same time and payments will be forwarded for processing together.

Free the Growler!

Liquor Bills are rarely seen at the Minnesota Legislature, but we were able to pass one this year by working across the aisle to support small businesses throughout the state. A focus of mine for the past few years has been to scale back the restrictive container laws many breweries face.

These breweries - one of the fastest-growing industries in the state - are community staples, serving as both neighborhood gathering points and tourist destinations. I wanted these businesses to live up to their full potential, but our state’s laws took away the option of selling growlers for growing breweries, and other smaller establishments didn’t have the option to sell six-packs or four-packs. I’m happy to say that’s going to change. 

Our 2022 Liquor Bill, which included my legislation to drastically raise the growler cap, has now been signed into law. The bill also allows breweries to sell six-packs, four-packs, and other small containers to the public; allows distilleries to have cocktail rooms; enables liquor stores to sell citrus fruit; and makes it so that bars can apply for licenses to serve alcohol in the middle of the night if for the purpose of watching a live World Cup game. 

It was an honor to join Governor Walz and Lt. Governor Flanagan for the signing of this bill, and of course I had to show up with some St. Cloud swag - shout out to Pantown and Beaver Island!

The Work that Remains

While the Liquor Bill and Frontline Worker Bonuses are a win for Minnesota, they are only a small portion of what the legislature could and should deliver on this year. With a historic budget surplus, we need to be lending a helping hand to the Minnesotans that have yet to experience the benefits of our state’s economic recovery, and we can do that by delivering more resources to working families, students, health care, public safety, infrastructure, and so much more.

A bipartisan agreement was reached in the final weeks of session for a broad framework for compromise bills, including $4 billion in tax cuts, $4 billion in investments, and $4 billion to be saved for the future. This was agreed to by leaders in both parties, and it’s important that we stick to that agreement - not only because it’s our word, but because it’s what Minnesotans deserve.

Legislative leaders will be discussing the possibility of a brief special session to complete our work this week, and my hope is that we can find a way to come together and quickly finalize these bills. It’s what Minnesotans expect of us.

Several key proposals of mine that I either authored or support are caught up in this unfinished business, including funding to close the special education cross subsidy, support for our libraries, revamp St. Cloud State’s Education Center, deliver resources to bolster public safety,  and eliminate the tax on Social Security, to name a few. We can’t afford to go into legislative hibernation when we’re on the cusp of getting so much crucial work done. 

Our Wins for Minnesotans

Though our supplemental budget didn’t make it over the finish line, many other bipartisan proposals I supported did. Notable wins from this session include:

• Replenishing funding for Minnesota’s Unemployment Insurance Program, keeping businesses’ unemployment insurance tax rates flat.
• Distributing unprecedented amounts of money to address the opioid crisis.
• Making the largest investment in high-speed broadband internet in state history.
• Funding public health infrastructure to keep people healthy and safe as the COVID-19 pandemic evolves. 
• Protecting and supporting veterans and Gold Star families.
• Reducing the cost of health insurance for those who use the individual market.   
• Funding nation-leading ALS research. 
• Providing relief to farmers impacted by the 2021 drought and delivering resources to control and contain the avian influenza outbreak. 
• Preventing Republicans from infringing on a woman’s right to make her own health care decisions. 

And my bill extending the COVID-19 worker’s comp presumption for first responders, including fire fighters, police officers, paramedics, and more. 

Again, my hope is that we can add to this list soon, and I’ll be sure to keep you updated on the potential of a special session. Now, I’m happy to be back in St. Cloud, and I look forward to seeing you around our community. 

If you have any questions or comments for me, always feel free to reach out at at rep.dan.wolgamott@house.mn, or give me a call at (651) 296-6612. If you haven’t already, you can also “like” and follow my official Facebook page, or subscribe to these updates if you haven’t already. Thank you for the incredible honor of representing our community, and I hope we can talk soon!

Sincerely,

Rep. Dan Wolgamott