Dear Community,
Friday was our first day of special session and we’ve been busy ever since. We are still experiencing one of the worst pandemics in our nation's history, and though some places are allowed to open up safely, we need to remember that we aren’t out of the woods yet. We voted to allow Governor Walz to maintain his constitutionally-granted authority during this crisis and continue to support his management of our state.
Assistance for Small Business
We came into this special session with a sense of urgency and duty to pass the legislation our communities desperately need. The first bill we approved will create a $62.5 million fund for small business grants. Businesses with 50 or fewer employees can receive grants up to $10,000 each. This is a massively important bill that will provide our beloved local businesses with the assistance they need to continue on during these difficult times. Of the $62.5 million total, there are several carve-outs:
- $18 million for micro-businesses with six or fewer full-time employees,
- $10 million for minority-owned businesses,
- $2.5 million for women-owned businesses,
- $2.5 million for veteran-owned businesses, and
- $2.5 million for ethnic malls with at least 25 vendors (e.g. Hmong Village, Somali Karmel Mall). Individual grants can be up to $250,000 for each mall owner and must be used primarily for rent forgiveness for mall vendors.
MAP Caucus Leads Damage Survey
On Sunday, the Minnesota Asian Pacific (MAP) Caucus visited a diverse field of impacted businesses that are Asian owned, African American owned, and African immigrant owned. The visit and discussion will be led by Va Megn from AEDA (Asian Economic Development Association). We saw first hand the devastation faced by many of our community's cornerstone businesses. You can watch a report on our survey here.
House DFL PROMISE ACT
As a result of our visit this Sunday, similar visits throughout the metro, and community conversations, the House DFL has developed the PROMISE Act to provide immediate assistance in rebuilding in an equitable and community-led manner. We need to take action now and support our communities before it is too late. You can watch our press conference on this legislation here. The legislation would:
- Create a special panel to review cases and provide direct compensation to impacted individuals.
- Partner with cities and community organizations to create economic relief programs for impacted businesses and organizations.
- Give local units of government flexibility and tools to prevent gentrification.
- Direct the Minnesota Department of Commerce to assist business owners, and require insurance companies to notify the department of any rejected claims.
- Help with the rising cost of leases for eligible residential and commercial properties.
- Eliminate the sales tax on the purchase of construction materials used to rebuild damaged or destroyed properties.
- Provide property and sales tax cuts for eligible properties.
- Establish a “Metropolitan Area Redevelopment Corporation” to create a long-term plan for equity-driven redevelopment and transformation.
POCI Caucus Proposes Police Reform Package
In the days to come, we have a unique opportunity to take up the policing reform bills being developed by the People of Color and Indigenous (POCI) Caucus. Committees have already held meetings on these important proposals and we are hearing public testimony that is urging us to make these changes. The bills, as drafted include these provisions:
- Use of Force
- Reform of the keystone statute that defines when law enforcement is justified in using deadly force to prioritize sanctity of life. This measure is a recommendation from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety/Attorney General Working Group.
- Alternatives to Policing
- Creates new models of ensuring public safety by: 1) Creating a new office within DPS to administer grants to community-based violence-intervenors and problem solvers to intercept violence and reduce interactions with law enforcement, and 2) Providing funding for a co-responder form of policing that pairs officers with social worker when responding to crisis calls and welfare checks. This measure is a recommendation from the MN Department of Public Safety/Attorney General Working Group. ?
- Police Oversight Reform?
- Creates a robust framework of accountability of the law enforcement profession through: 1) Expansion of the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) board and creation of a Police-Community Relations Council at the POST Board, 2) Reforming how arbitrations of the termination of law enforcement officers are handled, and 3) Requiring robust, real-time data collection and analysis of complaint, discipline and use of force data and use it to inform reforms at the POST Board, particularly as it relates to licensure decisions.
- Voting Restoration
- Ends the disenfranchisement of over 50,000 Minnesotans. Those who are not serving a sentence in a prison facility – who are in their communities and contributing to their families and rebuilding their lives – must be provided their right to vote, regardless of supervision status. ?
- Community Healing
- Creates a grant program to fund professional community healers trained to respond to systemic oppression-induced historic and present-day trauma through supportive services. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
- Independent Prosecution and Investigation Reform
- Provides the AG with independent jurisdiction for the prosecution of police-involved deaths and creates an independent investigation unit within the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension for police-involved cases. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
- Training Expansion
- Expands training in de-escalation and mental health crisis intervention. This measure is a recommendation from the DPS/AG Working Group.
- Warrior Training and Choke Holds Prohibited
- Prohibits the use of all restraints or holds by law enforcement that purposely restrict a person’s airways or blood flow and ends the use of warrior-style training.
Representative Samantha Vang (DFL – Brooklyn Park) is chair of the MAP Caucus. She can be reached at rep.samantha.vang@house.mn or 651-296-3709. The other MAP Caucus members include Assistant Majority Leader Fue Lee (DFL - Minneapolis), Rep. Kaohly Her (DFL- St. Paul), Rep. Tou Xiong (DFL - Maplewood), Rep. Jay Xiong (DFL- St. Paul), and Sen. Foung Hawj (DFL - St. Paul).