LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Reliving the Stresses of a Half Century Ago Kevin Walli
Protests in the streets! Tremendous loss of life! Heated Presidential campaign! No, it’s not 1968, but we’re hearing echoes of that infamous year as we get halfway through 2020. As much as we would like to put this year behind us as quickly as possible, I expect we will feel the repercussions for years to come. The double impact of the coronavirus pandemic and the in-broad-daylight killing of George Floyd while in police custody have created numerous challenges for our economy and for our society. The State of Minnesota saw a $1.5 billion projected budget surplus turn into a $2.4 billion projected revenue shortfall in a matter of weeks. Businesses of every type and of every size are teetering financially. In addition to the state, our cities and counties are facing dramatic budget deficits which compromise their ability to respond to some of the basic services that we may take for granted. The work of filling these gaps is still underway at AASP-MN Lobbyist
the state Capitol. As we prepare this article, we are in the midst of a special session of the legislature, called by Governor Walz, to make decisions about the state’s response to the pandemic and policies governing police action. As the Walz Administration and legislative leaders come to terms on how to address our many challenges, we will report back to members. The most directly impactful action of the legislature for AASP-MN members relates to the administration of loans and grants to small businesses. As decisions are made about how funds are allocated across the state, we will strive to share information with the association so that repair shops can participate in programs which may keep them financially stable or put them back on their feet financially. Please don’t hesitate to contact the association office if you have questions about particular state programs. We will always dig deeper to share information with members.
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6 | July 2020
AASP-MN News
