We don't have much to add to the excellent coverage of the $330 million bill passed by the Minnesota legislature on Thursday.
In Minnesota lawmakers send $330M COVID bill to Walz, MPR's Brian Bakst reports:
The Minnesota Legislature worked to speed through a $330 million rescue plan Thursday that aims to head off some economic, health and spillover consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The proposal, which came together in private, is the second COVID-19 related bill to get swift action from lawmakers in the past two weeks. Together, the two packages shell out more than $500 million, with top legislators saying there will be more actions to come.
The House passed it on a 99-4 vote. The Senate vote was unanimous. Gov. Tim Walz will sign it soon. . . .
The bill is embedded in Bakst's report.
At the Star Tribune, Jessie van Berkel and Torey van Oot report in Minnesota House, Senate pass $330 million in COVID-19 aid:
Minnesota lawmakers taking extraordinary precautions to maintain social distancing voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve an additional $330 million to fight the coronavirus pandemic and help people and businesses struggling financially.
The emergency package followed earlier passage of two separate measures of $200 million and $21 million, bringing the state’s total response to more than $550 million to slow the spread of COVID-19. Legislative leaders said more may be in the offing . . . .
The final bill, which passed the House 99-4 and the Senate 67-0, now heads to Gov. Tim Walz’s desk for his signature. But even as lawmakers quickly approved the bill, they highlighted missing pieces and warned that more action will be needed to navigate the virus’ continuing spread.
“We have a large amount of work to do; we just don’t know what it is yet,” said House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, DFL-Golden Valley. “We don’t know what kind of recovery, economic and otherwise, we will need. We could anticipate another wave of the pandemic in the summer or fall. So we know very little about what the next 10 months look like.” . ..
At the Minnesota Reformer, Ricardo Lopez reports in Minnesota House votes 99-4 to advance COVID-19 emergency response package to Senate:
. . . Thursday’s legislative session was unlike any previously seen in modern history. The pandemic, which has now claimed two lives in Minnesota while another 346 Minnesotans have tested positive, has radically altered how Minnesota conducts the business of its democracy.*
Members were spread out throughout the chamber, in the alcoves, gallery and even in the Capitol Rotunda to remain at least six feet apart, as recommended by public health experts. Press also had limited access to the proceedings: Just six at a time could view from the gallery, and journalists were prohibited from on the House floor.
Legislative leaders had worked behind-the-scenes by teleconference to hammer out the details of the emergency package, which took top priority as all other previous legislative aims were jettisoned. . .
The St. Cloud Times carries Associated Press reporter Steve Karnowski's copy in Minnesota Legislature passes $330 million COVID-19 aid bill:
The Minnesota Legislature passed a $330 million financial aid package Thursday to help soften the economic impact and help public agencies and the state's health system kick into high gear to fight the coronavirus pandemic that has sickened more than 300 people and killed two in the state.
The Minnesota Department of Health said Thursday that the state's second COVID-19 death was a patient from Ramsey County who, like the first fatal case, was in their 80s. The state's count of confirmed cases jumped Thursday to 346, up 59 from a day earlier, with 44 patients hospitalized and 18 in intensive care. Their ages range from 5 months to 104 years,
The House passed the bill 99-4 and sent it to the Senate, which approved it 67-0 and sent it to Gov. Tim Walz for his signature. Among the bill's highlights are a $200 million fund that state agencies can tap for responding to the pandemic. It also would provide $30 million in grants to groups that provide child care for children of essential workers. And it also includes $40 million in emergency grants and loan guarantees for small businesses. . . .
The bill was assembled via private conference calls to keep lawmakers from risking catching the disease, and the various proposals were rolled into one big bill to limit the number of votes that must be taken. Makeshift House and Senate procedures to maintain social distancing mean that lawmakers had to take turns for getting on the floors to vote or speak and wait elsewhere in the Capitol complex until their turn comes up. Many had to shout their votes from the door to the House chamber, then leave without entering. . . .
KARE 11's John Croman shared a video illustrating that everything had changed, including the traditional new legislation press conference:
Traditional State Capitol steps press conference has a different look in the era of social distancing. Video by @JasonRantala pic.twitter.com/3ie6XfiSxE
— John Croman (@JohnCroman) March 26, 2020
We did watch both the House and Senate floor debates. Here's the House discussion via the Minnesota House's YouTube channel:
Here's the nonpartisan House Research Service summary of the bill:
HF4531 Bill Summary uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd
Screengrab: Minnesota House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler, DFL-St. Louis Park, and Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Zimmerman, speak to the bill on the House floor. Via MnHouse Information Service Twitter account.
If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the paypal subscription button.
Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email [email protected] as recipient.
Comments