Daily Digest for November 20, 2020 Posted at 7:45 a.m. by Michael Olson |
Good morning.
Gov. Tim Walz’s decision to impose new four-week restrictions on bars, restaurants, gyms and other businesses amid sharply rising COVID-19 cases has prompted some state lawmakers to look for ways to help businesses and employees who face a new economic crisis.
Finding state money for COVID-19 relief may not be easy. Minnesota is already facing a projected $4.7 billion revenue shortfall because of the pandemic’s hit on the economy this year. That’s why Walz would prefer relief from the federal government — and he is growing impatient with inaction from Congress.
“States cannot run deficits, as everyone knows,” he said as he announced the new measures. “The federal government has grossly failed in their responsibility.”
Walz sent a letter to top congressional leaders this week urging them to pass another round of relief funding for states and to strengthen the unemployment Insurance safety net. He stressed that the need is critical amid the current virus surge.
“I would settle for a scaled-down package that targets small employers and workers, specifically around the closures in the hospitality industry, and that’s what I’m asking for,” Walz said.
State Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar, wants to move quickly to help businesses impacted by the latest restrictions. Baker, a former restaurant owner, says action should come next month when lawmakers return to St. Paul for another special session. He wants to use unspent federal funds that the state received earlier this year, delay sales tax payments and delay the repayment of state business loans.
More from MPR News reporter Tim Pugmire
The day after Christmas, millions of Americans will lose their jobless benefits, according to a new study. And that could spell financial ruin for many people, like 44-year-old Todd Anderson in the small town of Mackinaw City, Mich.
Anderson's a single dad with four kids — two of them 5-year-old twins. He lost his income after the pandemic hit in the spring. He did landscape design at resorts that host big weddings, and he says all that's been shut down.
His $362 a week in unemployment benefits is barely enough to live on. So he's been selling off his belongings to try to get by — some cabinets he had, a pair of hiking boots. "I sold tools, tools of my trade," he says. "I sold hoping that I can rebuy them as I get on my feet."
Millions of people all over the country are living similarly close to the edge.
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