Special Session Ends, Issues Remain
On June 12, we began a special session as mandated by the Constitution when the Governor extended his emergency powers yet again. Once we convened, the special session that was meant to give the Legislature a check on the Governor's emergency powers was soon loaded up with other issues, including demands for more spending by the Governor, even though we have a multi-billion dollar deficit.
The four caucuses agreed to distribute $841 million in federal CARES Act funding to local governments. The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bipartisan compromise bill last Tuesday on a vote of 62-4. Unfortunately, the governor then insisted on adding over $150 million in unrelated spending to the bill, even though we have a deficit in our state budget.
Governor Walz announced today that he will now release the funding, but this should have been done over a week ago. While I am glad he decided to stop holding up this funding for our communities, I am extremely disappointed that House Democrats and Governor Walz prioritized increasing state spending over ensuring local governments receive the funding they need as soon as possible.
Small Business Relief Grants Program
The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) has announced that the Minnesota Small Business Relief Grants Program has begun accepting applications. The application period runs from Tuesday, June 23, until Thursday, July 2 at 5pm. Eligibility requirements and application information can be found on DEED’s Small Business Relief Grants page.
Small businesses in our community have been struggling for months because of shutdowns mandated by the governor. I believe that this grant program will give many of our local businesses the helping hand they need to make ends meet as they navigate this new economy. I am hopeful that businesses will be able to use this program to keep their doors open and continue to provide the jobs that are so critical to our community.
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