Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz proposed direct payments ranging from $175 and up to $350 that would be distributed to more than 2.7 million households in the region from the state under a spending plan that the official unveiled on Thursday.
The money would also be distributed to frontline workers and caregivers who were risking their lives in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Gov. Walz added that he wanted to repay the state's unemployment insurance debt.
Minnesota's Direct Payments
The decision to pay the unemployment date is a move that has received widespread bipartisan support and may be able to prevent a possible large jump in payroll taxes for employers. In a statement during a news conference at Minneapolis Community and Technical College, Walz said that Minnesota residents wanted to see results and not just words.
The official added that Minnesotans wanted to see things that made sense and wanted the surplus to come into their pockets which would help in making their lives easier and reduce their spending while giving them sufficient funds to invest moving forward. Walz highlighted the first of several pieces of a supplemental budget plan that he plans to announce over the next week, Star Tribune reported.
Walz's proposal aims to expand economic opportunity through the distribution of what he called "Walz Checks." Single tax filers who are earning up to $164,400 will be able to receive a payment of $175 while married couples filing jointly and are earning up to $273,470 will be able to get $350.
Under the governor's proposal, more than 2.7 million households in Minnesota will be able to receive the "Walz Checks." In a statement, Gov. Walz said that the plan will help build the region's economy by putting people, which he considered to be the state's strongest assets, at the center of the program.
Walz Checks
Walz added that, currently, Minnesota had a remarkable opportunity to give money back to middle-class residents, working families, and small businesses. In the governor's package, frontline workers with children who are earning up to $70,000 per year can get back roughly $2,000, KSTP reported.
Additionally, Gov. Walz said that the package he announced on Thursday was only going to be one of three packages that he will detail soon. The official said that the future programs will prioritize supporting children and families as well as protect the health and safety of all Minnesotans.
The Minnesota governor called the direct payments Walz Checks as a reference to "Jesse Checks" that were distributed to residents during the tenure of then-Gov. Jesse Ventura. Walz said that no one really cared about what the payments were called. He noted that as people wanted to get them as soon as they can, that was his administration's plan.
The Minnesota governor also proposed a $1 billion fund that will be focused on hero pay awards for frontline workers and other groups who have been disproportionately affected by the coronavirus pandemic. A separate fund that was about a quarter of the size was set aside when lawmakers approved the state budget last summer. However, a special panel deadlocked over who should qualify for the payments, MPR News reported.
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