Dear Neighbors,
First of all, I’d like to thank everyone who attended our first District 44 town hall of the year! Rep. Klevorn, Sen. Johnson Stewart, and I appreciate hearing your questions and concerns. Please continue to reach out throughout the legislative session.
If you weren’t able to join us, you can watch a recording of the town hall here.
COVID-19 Business Relief Payments
The Minnesota Department of Revenue recently issued $67.3 million in COVID-19 Business Relief Payments to 3,981 restaurants, bars, gyms, and similar businesses across the state. These payments were part of the bipartisan assistance package that the Minnesota Legislature passed in December.
Businesses that don’t receive a payment but think they meet the program criteria can contact the Department of Revenue through an online inquiry process. The inquiry process will be open until Friday, February 5. An additional round of payments will be made after that date for businesses that qualify.
Defending and Strengthening Our Democracy
On Wednesday, as our new President and Vice President took the oath of office, I was reminded of how our democracy has been challenged over the last few months. Thankfully, it has held together despite a global pandemic, an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and the spread of harmful disinformation. However, these events showed that we cannot take our democracy for granted.
Yesterday, my House DFL colleagues introduced the Democracy for the People Act. This new bill would defend and strengthen our democracy by expanding voter registration and absentee voting, prohibiting harassment and intimidation of voters and election officials, reducing the influence of corporations and dark money, and creating more opportunities for Minnesotans to get involved. You can find more details here.
Minnesota’s Fight Against Climate Change
Yesterday, the House Energy and Climate Committee held a public hearing on a bill that would lead our state to achieve 100 percent clean energy by 2040! This bill, which has support from Governor Walz and House and Senate DFLers, is one of the most ambitious clean energy plans in the nation. It would reduce greenhouse gas emissions, create well-paying jobs, and help preserve our earth for future generations. I look forward to supporting this proposal and other bills to address the climate crisis this session.
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and input. You can contact me by email at rep.patty.acomb@house.mn or by phone at 651-296-9934.
Sincerely,
Patty Acomb
State Representative