MN Small Enterprise House owners Spotlight Items of Gov. Walz’s Funds | Native Information

Minnesota – On Monday, several Minnesota small business owners discussed the challenges they faced during the coronavirus pandemic and advocated some of the parts of Governor Tim Walz’s COVID-19 recovery budget that put small businesses and families first .

“Governor Walz’s budget is a huge step in helping Minnesota families and businesses rebuild from the coronavirus pandemic. His plan to support working families by expanding access to childcare is especially important to me, ”said Jason Rathe, owner of Field Outdoor Spaces Landscaping, Minneapolis. “I have found that when my employees fail, it is often due to the stress life puts on their family, and childcare is a big part of that, especially now. So I’m glad that Governor Walz’s budget supports working parents and families by expanding access to affordable, quality childcare. “

Minnesota’s childcare landscape has been heavily influenced by the pandemic. Childcare workers have faced increased costs, lost revenue, temporary closures and challenges for the workforce. Families have faced challenges in accessing childcare with distance or hybrid education children and have not been able to rely on family or friends who may no longer be able to help because of their age or an underlying health condition. Lack of access to affordable, quality childcare is a significant barrier to the participation of women, single parents, low-income parents and rural parents in the workforce.

“Because of the pandemic, so many of the small businesses I work with have had to go without their employees for weeks and that has only set them back further. It’s becoming increasingly clear that we need policies like paid family leave and medical leave that allow people to take time to quarantine or care for themselves and their loved ones and give time for companies to take care of themselves to regroup, ”said Shannon Berns, owner of Du Nord Consulting in Alexandria. “With the right support, I know small businesses can find out how to thrive now and in the future. As they work to get a budget approved, our lawmakers really need to listen to the small business owners, mom and pop stores, and Main Street businesses that are driving our economy and needing the most support. “

According to a study by researchers from Cornell University and the Swiss Economic Institute, states with new access to paid emergency leave saw 400 fewer cases per day during the pandemic, underscoring that paid leave is one of the best tools to slow the spread of the virus and fighting the pandemic. Unfortunately, only 13 percent of the country’s workforce have access to paid family vacations through their employers.

“Governor Walz has shown real leadership during this time and his budget proposal will help our businesses and families survive the remainder of the pandemic,” said Dan Swenson-Klatt, owner of Butter Bakery Cafe in Minneapolis. “I believe it is important that all of my employees take the time to care for themselves and their families. With a nationwide paid family and sick leave program, I could actually budget my staffing needs when employees have exhausted their earned paid time off or when they need longer vacation options that I pay out of my own pocket. Expanding access to affordable childcare would give some of my employees more flexibility in what hours they work. It’s good business acumen. “

Audio of the owners sharing their ideas can be heard by clicking the following audio link (BELOW):

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