Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (DFL) has announced a coronavirus relief package that would provide direct relief to small businesses, families, and unemployed workers through tax credits, grants, and one-time payments.
The economic relief package includes a one-time $500 emergency payment to families struggling during the pandemic and would provide aid to businesses though the Business Assistance Program, according to a November 24 release.
The package would also provide a tax credit for businesses that donate food that would otherwise go bad or get tossed out, and would extend unemployment benefits for 13 more weeks. This expansion would help up to 100,000 workers, according to the release.
The relief package would also “establish a one-time grant to restaurants to provide food for healthcare workers, homeless shelters, and long-term care facilities.”
According to the release, Walz has already “invested $100 million dollars to support more than 8,000 Minnesota businesses” since the start of the pandemic.
“We’re looking and open to any of the ideas coming out,” Walz said during a November 24 news conference, adding that the goal is to provide relief as quickly as possible and reduce the “hoops to jump through.”
The package would also establish an eviction moratorium for small businesses that are struggling because of the pandemic, and “waive state and regulatory fees for bars, restaurants, event centers, craft breweries, and more,” according to the release.
Walz recently called on Congress to provide much-needed coronavirus relief. “As the virus surges and demands pauses on our economy, we need federal support to ensure Minnesotans can make ends meet. We need Congress to act immediately to help keep our businesses afloat, our workers paid, and our families with food on the table," he said November 19.