Legislative leaders have a deal to break the long-standing deadlock over COVID front-line worker bonuses and avoid business tax increases at the end of the month. House Democrats get 500 million dollars — half of what they wanted — for COVID hero bonuses, meaning about 667-thousand front line workers could each apply for a 750-dollar check. Republican Senator Karin (CAR-in) Housley says, “Really, really excited that we got this deal done, and that those Minnesotans that stepped up during COVID, those front-line workers, will finally be able to get those ‘thank you’ bonus checks.”
Senate Republicans get 2.7 billion dollars to fully replenish the COVID-depleted Unemployment Insurance Fund, avoiding April 30th business tax increases. For those that already paid the higher taxes, Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller says there are discussions “to figure out how many businesses have paid, and then what is the process to un-line that or refund or credit the businesses.”
Miller says they also could potentially extend the deadline for businesses that have *not* yet paid the taxes.