MN Dems Seek Aid For Businesses Destroyed In Minneapolis Unrest

TWIN CITIES, MN — Democrats in the Minnesota House of Representatives Monday proposed a $300 million plan to help businesses rebuild and recover following the unrest in Minneapolis related to the death of George Floyd.

"We must take immediate action to support and rebuild our wounded communities,"Hodan Hassan, a DFL representative from Minneapolis, said in a statement. "These commercial hubs are the lifeblood of our minority and immigrant communities. By rebuilding with an intentional focus on equity we can avoid the devastating effects of gentrification."

Democrats hope to pass the PROMISE Act during the ongoing special legislative session.

The legislation would eliminate the sales tax on the purchase of construction materials used to rebuild damaged properties, provide property and sales tax cuts, and assist in the "rising cost of leases" for some properties.

"Our communities and these businesses, many of them minority-owned and already struggling due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, need resources to rebuild," stated House Speaker Melissa Hortman.

"Today, we’re putting forward a comprehensive plan to help those impacted, that puts equity at the center of our recovery efforts. The Legislature must move quickly to help these communities recover."

According to analysis from the Star Tribune, more than 1,500 buildings were damaged or destroyed in the Twin Cities in the days following the death of George Floyd.

House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler said the "extensive property damage and loss in these communities requires us to take urgent action and deliver results."

Sen. Eric Pratt, a Republican from Prior Lake, has introduced his own bill that would allow for $200 million in general fund money to go to destroyed businesses. Pratt says his bill would avoid creating bureaucracy.