Senate Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Tax Relief
On Tuesday, SF263 (Bakk), a bill aimed to protect Minnesota business loan recipients, was expanded by the Senate Tax Committee to include a provision that would assist workers who received an extra $600 in unemployment aid during the pandemic; a provision that would carry a cost of $30 million to $50 million, according to Senate nonpartisan staff research. There is also discussion around adding a provision that would add money from federal aid to help school districts expand summer school for students who have fallen behind during the pandemic. This measure is a priority of Gov. Walz and House Majority DFLers; Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka has expressed openness to it, but did not commit to adding the provision. Under the current provisions of the bill:
Federal Payroll Protection Program loans would be state tax-free for up to 100,000 companies; businesses whose loans were converted into grants would have to prove they spent a majority of the money on keeping employees on the payroll during COVID-19 restrictions.
Not all of the taxes owed on pandemic-related unemployment aid would be eliminated. The current language would allow joint filers to subtract up to $3,000 of that income from their taxable income and $1,500 for individuals.
2021 Youth Skills Training Grants
Gov. Walz has announced the 2021 Youth Skills Training grants—a total of eleven partnerships across the state to develop and implement paid-learning opportunities for students 16 years of age and older. Grants will be awarded to the following eleven partnerships, which will split $1 million in funding. The partnerships represent over 30 school districts and more than 80 employer partners in advanced manufacturing, agriculture, automotive, health care, and information technology.
American Nursing and Technical Institute
Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Minnesota
Burnsville Public Schools
Eastern Carver County Schools
Elk River Area Schools
Hibbing Public Schools
Hutchinson Public Schools
Marvin and Warroad High School
Southeast Service Cooperative
White Bear Lake Area Schools
Winona Area Chamber of Commerce
Grants can be used to create programs, recruit students and employers, provide training, transport students, and pay for student certifications.
Dentists Authorized to Administer COVID-19 Vaccinations
SF475 has passed the Senate and been signed into law by Gov. Walz; it will allow a person licensed to practice dentistry to administer the coronavirus vaccination to patients 16 and older under the following conditions:
have immediate access to emergency response equipment, including but not limitedto oxygen administration equipment, epinephrine, and other allergic reaction responseequipment; and
are trained in or have successfully completed an educational program that is approved by the Minnesota Board of Dentistry, specifically for the administration of vaccines.
Dates to Remember
Key dates for the 2021 Legislative Session are:
March 12: First deadline. This is the deadline by which committees must act favorably on bills in the body where the bill originated.
March 19: Second deadline. This is the deadline by which committees in the opposite body must act favorably on bills or companions of bills.
March 26–April 5: Legislative Easter/Passover break.
April 9: Third deadline. This is the deadline by which committees must act favorably on major appropriation and finance bills.
May 17: End of regular session.
They Said It...
“Kids, workers and businesses. That's what this bill can become, what could be more tripartisan than that?” – Sen. Ann Rest, Taxes Committee Ranking Minority Leader, on Senate PPP Tax Relief Bill
