The clock is ticking on legislators working to decide how to divvy up $250 million dollars to support pandemic frontline workers.
The bipartisan Frontline Worker Pay Working Group has yet to come to an agreement before its Sept. 6 deadline. Democrats proposed a maximum check of $1,500 per worker, but conceded that they’re likely to be much smaller based on the high number of expected applicants.
“We’re still having outbreaks which shows the risk is still very, very real for our essential workers that are showing up to do their work every single day,” DFL Rep. Cedrick Frazier said.
Republican co-chair Sen. Karin Housley has this suggestion, adding that expanding the net of essential workers under the DFL proposal could net a check of less than $200.
“Maybe a two-bucket proposal is something we should look at: those with really increased risk and another bucket not leaving anybody out that was truly essential and frontline,” she said.
Since first meeting more than one month ago, they’ve heard testimony from nurses, child care workers, food service workers, janitors and the list goes on. To illustrate how expansive the list is of jobs that were not able to work from home, they’re still hearing testimony from different sectors.
“When we patch a hole, I can’t patch that from home, I can’t plow the roads from home” Michael Linholdt representing MNDot workers said. “I had to get in the truck with workers in a six-pack truck with six workers or four workers and go out there and fix guardrails or patch holes or close the road. Without us, things would come to a halt. We wouldn’t be able to get supplies and things like that during the pandemic or food to restaurants. I think we’re considered a critical part of that team.”
The working group is meeting on Thursday and before adjourning vowed to come to an agreement instead of submitting competing proposals.
A special session is needed to finalize the bonus funding and start getting checks out to workers, but that is now in doubt. Gov. Tim Walz said this week he’s reconsidering after Republican Sen. Jim Abeler called for Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm to be removed last weekend at a rally opposing pandemic safety measures such as masks and vaccines.