Anoka Times

After both the Minnesota House and Senate recently passed $330 million of COVID-19 response legislation, House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) hailed the nonpartisan cooperation and contrasted it to the lack of similar cooperation at the federal level.

The most recent spending package passed the state House 99-4 and the state Senate 67-0.

As of March 31, Minnesota had 629 cumulative COVID-19 cases reported since Jan. 20, with 288 no longer requiring isolation and 12 deaths.

The most recent spending package includes $200 million for state agencies responding to the pandemic, $30 million in grants for childcare targeting organizations that serve essential workers and $40 million to assist small businesses with emergency grants and loan guarantees.

"Minnesotans always come together in times of crisis to support each other, and over the past several days legislators have been working around the clock to respond to the COVID-19 crisis without the partisan bickering we've seen in Washington D.C.," Daudt said.

He said this bill will help every Minnesotan in some way shape or form, and provides needed flexibility and assistance to small businesses and their employees, childcare providers, farmers, veterans and countless others.

A statement from the state House noted that Republicans in the legislature ensured the bills included sunset provisions to prevent spending from continuing past the crisis without a new vote, reporting requirements and accountability provisions.

The Legislature also passed $221 million in funding for coronavirus preparation and response earlier in March.

Passing the legislation was not without its own COVID-19 hurdles to overcome. Work on the legislation was done over conference calls, and legislative procedures had to be adjusted to permit discussion and voting to take place while maintaining social distancing rules.

Yet, despite the restrictions on proceedings, House Speaker Melissa Hortman (D-Brooklyn Park) said she was impressed with the level of input that came from residents all over Minnesota.

“There’s been more public input into this legislation than anything I’ve worked on in my entire career in the Legislature,” she said.