First round will go to businesses hurt most by state-mandated closures.
Minnesota’s divided Legislature this week managed something that its national counterpart in Washington, D.C., has yet to do: strike a deal to send relief to businesses and workers hit hardest by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Now comes the hard part.
As soon as Gov. Tim Walz signs the bill, state and local officials must identify and dole out hundreds of millions of dollars to thousands of businesses across the state. They need to extend unemployment insurance to more than 100,000 Minnesotans whose benefits are set to expire after the holidays. And they need to do it as quickly as possible. Continue reading.