Legislative Update
This week, the legislature overwhelmingly passed a bill to help Minnesotans deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Since the pandemic began, legislators have been working together on a bipartisan basis to respond to it. With all the partisanship we've seen in Washington D.C., it is a nice reminder that here in Minnesota, legislators can put party differences aside and work for the good of all Minnesotans.
Many legislators worked around the clock for days to draft language that everyone could agree to. I am proud of the bipartisan work we did, and the overwhelming support it earned in the final vote of 99-4.
This bill helps every Minnesotan in some way, and provides assistance in particular to small businesses and their employees, farmers, childcare providers, veterans, and many others. If you would like to see everything that is included in the bill, you can see it here.
“Stay at Home” Order
Earlier this week, Governor Walz issued a “Stay at Home” order to go into effect Friday night at 11:59pm. It will continue until April 10th. The effect of this order is that movement outside of the home is limited to essential trips, like grocery shopping, picking up medicine, caring for others, or relocation to ensure safety. This is not a comprehensive list. You can see all the details in the executive order here.
Workers who provide critical services are exempt for the purposes of traveling to their jobs. This list includes: Healthcare and public health; law enforcement, public safety, and first responders; child care, food, and agriculture, news media, energy, water and wastewater, critical manufacturing. This is not a comprehensive list, and Minnesotans should visit the DEED website for additional guidance. There is also a state email address that businesses can contact if they have questions: criticalsectors@state.mn.us.
If your business is currently considered non-essential and you would like to request an exemption from the "Stay at Home" order, please submit a request to the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development here.
I’ve received a lot of questions about what this means for your business and day-to-day lives. The Governor's full order explains all the details and provides answers to many of the questions you probably have. You can also email me and I will work to get answers to you as quickly as possible.
Emergency Child Care Grant Program
This week the Minnesota Initiative Foundations launched the Emergency Child Care Grant Program to provide immediate support to providers in Greater Minnesota who serve the children (birth to age five) of first responders, health care workers, or other workers deemed essential during the COVID-19 peacetime emergency. Grants of $500 to $3000 will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. You can apply using this online application. For more information, contact your local Minnesota Initiative Foundation.
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