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Take Action: Support ALL Minnesotans During Covid-19 Crisis

Posted on May 01 2020

URGENT! The regular session of the Minnesota legislature ends on Monday, May 18. CALL TODAY!

In Minnesota, we want to support ALL of our community members. Senator Melisa Franzen and Representative Aisha Gomez have introduced SF 4540/HF 4611, a bill to establish an emergency community relief grant program to support Minnesotans who fall through the gaps of federal stimulus grants, unemployment insurance, and other relief programs.

The House bill, HF 4611, has passed two House committees—thank you all for your phone calls, emails, testimony, and support!

We need to get every possible message to Minnesota State Senate leadership, to individual state senators, and to Governor Walz, telling them how vitally important this emergency community relief is to all of our communities. We need to call or email BEFORE the legislature adjourns.

Please call or email TODAY! We have talking points and a sample email text below, but it’s better to use your own words and especially to talk about examples of people you know who are in need right now.

• Contact your Minnesota state senator  and ask them to support SF 4540. You can find your legislators and their contact information here.
• Contact the chair of the Senate Jobs and Economic Growth Finance and Policy Committee—Republican Senator Eric R. Pratt. You can reach him at 651-296-4123 or sen.eric.pratt@senate.mn.
• Call Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka at 651-296-4875.
• Call Senate Minority Leader Susan Kent at 651-296-4166.
• Call Governor Tim Walz at 651-201-3400.

Talking Points:

Hi, my name is … and I am calling to ask you to support passage of SF 4540, a bill to establish an emergency community relief grant program to support Minnesotans who fall through the gaps of other COVID-19 relief programs.

• Many of our community members have been left out of these programs.
• For example, many high school and college students do not qualify either as individuals or as children living in their parents’ households.
• U.S. citizen spouses and children of immigrants who do not have Social Security numbers are also excluded from federal relief programs.
• Some elderly and disabled individuals are excluded as well.
• Please support SF 4540 to include all Minnesotans in emergency circumstances because of COVID-19.

Example of Email to Legislator

Dear [Senator NAME]:

Thank you for your support of the legislature’s efforts to help the people of Minnesota get through this pandemic crisis. I am writing today to ask your support for SF 4540, a bill introduced by Senator Melisa Franzen to establish an emergency community relief grant program to support Minnesotans who fall through the gaps of federal stimulus grants, unemployment insurance, and other relief programs.

Some individuals, in Minnesota and across the country, do not fit neatly into the categories for relief. For example, students who are over the age of 17 were not eligible for $500 stimulus grants as dependents or for $1200 stimulus grants as adults. At the other end of the age spectrum, elderly and disabled individuals not receiving Social Security are ineligible for many relief programs. Unemployment insurance benefits do not cover tipped employees at a rate commensurate to their real earnings.

Emergency community relief grants under this bill would be available to Minnesotans who are suffering financial hardship because of Covid-19 and are unable to access other assistance. The grants would be limited to $1500 and would be specifically targeted to pay for food, emergency household items, rent support, utility bills, and other similar expenses. They would be administered through local organization, associations, foundations, and financial institutions, keeping decision-making local throughout the state.

People across the state and in all age groups need and will benefit from this targeted relief. This legislation is essential to patch some of the holes in the safety net for the most vulnerable Minnesotans. Please support SF 4540.

Thank you.

Sincerely,