Dakota Times

The Minnesota Senate passed legislation on June 12 that will appropriate over $60 million for supporting small businesses that are in crisis due to the COVID-19 pandemic and executive stay-at-home orders.

Eligible businesses may be able to receive grants of up to $10,000 in order to support payroll expenses, rent, mortgage payments, utility bills and other similar business expenses. In order to be eligible to receive funds, a business must have a brick-and-mortar location in Minnesota, is owned by a permanent resident, employs 50 or fewer full-time staff and can demonstrate financial hardship as a result of COVID-19.

“I get contacted just about every day from workers and small business owners who tell me heartbreaking stories about the situations they are in because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” Sen. Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) said in a Minnesota Senate Republican Caucus website release. “This bill will help provide important assistance to many small businesses throughout the state. For many of them, it can mean the difference between making it through this pandemic and closing their doors forever. I am very happy we were able to get this done so quickly for our local businesses.”

A minimum of at least $2.5 million of the grant will be reserved for operators of permanent indoor retail space and food markets with an ethnic cultural emphasis.