Good morning. Happy Friday, and happy October. Is 2021 going fast, or is it just me?
A Republican proposal for distributing $250 million in pandemic worker pay would limit eligibility to select health workers, first responders and corrections officers. Three members of the Frontline Worker Pay Working Group staked out their position Thursday that would award $1,200 bonus checks to about 200,000 people. It’s a more limited pool than Democrats on the panel are pushing for, and it sparked an angry response from some workers left out. The limits have to do with levels of risk, said Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake. “There are those who went above and beyond the call of duty,” Kiffmeyer said.”They had sustained, extremely high risk that set them as a group in a very special recognition that is needed for them. But not only because what was done but what we need them to do.” Food service workers and custodians are among those who say they’d be unfairly excluded under the Republican plan. Troy Bowman is a Minneapolis janitor who said service workers like him were also exposed to the virus as they kept reporting for duty. He said smaller checks distributed among a broader pool is the way to go. “I feel like something would be better than nothing,” Bowman said. “And what they’re showing us and telling us is we get nothing. We did exactly what the nurses and them did. We suffered, we sacrificed, too.” Brian Bakst has the story.
A man who had been part of a far-right group that wants to foment a civil war admitted in federal court Thursday he traveled to Minneapolis from the San Antonio area to sow chaos after the police murder of George Floyd. Ivan Harrison Hunter, 24, of Boerne, Texas, pleaded guilty to a single count of rioting. The charge carries a maximum prison term of five years. Hunter admitted that he fired 13 rounds from an AK-47-style rifle into the 3rd precinct police station on May 28, 2020, as other rioters looted and set fire to the building after police evacuated. No one was struck by the gunfire. After shooting at the building, Hunter was recorded on video high-fiving another person and yelling "Justice for Floyd!" Investigators matched the skull mask Hunter was wearing in the video to a photo on his Facebook page. MPR News reporter Matt Sepic has more.
More than 300 Minnesota Republicans will meet in Hopkins tomorrow to choose a new state party chair. The candidates include former Minnesota Senate Minority Leader David Hann, business executive Jerry Dettinger, and some former Republican candidates: Leilani Holmstadt, Forest Hyatt and Phillip Parrish. Mark Miles is also running. Not running is Jennifer Carnahan, who stepped down in August after federal prosecutors charged party donor Anton Lazzaro with several counts related to sexual trafficking of minors. Hann says he believes he has the skills needed to move the party beyond its recent controversy and restore confidence. Dettinger is stressing his private sector leadership experience. Watch for more from MPR’s Tim Pugmire later today.
Minnesota is approaching the next phase of its eviction moratorium off-ramp. On Thursday state housing officials urged people behind on rent and utilities to apply for untapped assistance that would protect them from eviction. The program is based on income eligibility. Starting Oct. 12th, property owners can terminate leases or begin eviction proceedings without a two-week notice period, but not if an eligible person is receiving aid through RentHelpMN or has a pending application. “I think what’s important about Oct. 12th is it becomes very real for people who are eligible but haven’t applied that there are consequences of not applying,” said Minnesota Housing Finance Agency Commissioner Jennifer Ho. So far, Minnesota has sent out about $87 million in rental aid. Ho said she expects there to be enough from a federal allowance to last well into 2022. Renters and their landlords apply jointly for the help and can have up to 18 months of expenses covered.
From NPR: School boards across the country are looking for federal help to keep their members safe. Mobs are yelling obscenities and throwing objects. In one district, a protester brandished a flagpole against a school board official. Other cases have included a protester yelling a Nazi salute, arrests for aggravated battery and disorderly conduct, and numerous death threats against public officials. National School Boards Association sent a letter this week to President Joe Biden asking for help from federal law enforcement, saying: "These heinous actions could be the equivalent to a form of domestic terrorism and hate crimes.” Have a great weekend, but before I go, stop me if you’ve heard this one. So, Mick Jagger walked into a bar. | 