Senator Osmek, Minnesota Senate pass legislation to allow businesses to safely resume operations

On Monday, the Minnesota Senate passed legislation that would allow many small businesses to safely resume operations. The bill, Senate File 4511, provides a framework for businesses to return to the workplace and safely resume operations if they follow the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines. The legislation would take effect the day following enactment and passed in the chamber with a bipartisan vote of 39-28.

“I am disappointed with the Governor’s decision to extend the blanket stay-at-home order across Minnesota,” said Senator David Osmek(R-Mound). “As we continue to shelter in place, our small businesses and many Minnesota families are doing all they can to do to stay afloat.  Compared to our big-box stores, our small businesses are facing a particularly tough time with no clear timeline on when they can expect to reopen. This continued indecisiveness is crippling our economy and permanently costing us businesses across the state. Contrary to some common belief Minnesota doesn’t need to choose between protecting our public health or restarting our economy; we can do both. Its time now to put some faith in our small businesses, as our neighbors to the east and west have, to trust them to come up with safe and responsible plans that allow our state to open back up.”

The legislation would allow businesses that are “closed to ingress, egress, use, and occupancy by members of the public” due to recent executive orders to resume operations if the business abides by workplace safety recommendations and guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). The bill would take effect the day following its enactment.

The legislation awaits a hearing in the Minnesota House of Representatives.

On Monday, the Senate also voted to approve extending the state’s COVID fund, which was set to expire on May 11. The Senate bill allows money in the COVID fund to be used until December 31, 2020. The fund’s current balance is $36.9 million as of Monday, May 11.