This continues to be a very atypical legislative session. Gov. Tim Walz has instituted 10 percent pay cuts for the rest of the year for himself, his chief of staff and 24 Cabinet-level officials. It amounts to a savings of about $300,000 and, as Brian Bakst reports, it comes along with a hiring freeze and review of employee overtime costs.
The goal is to save money as a special budget projection comes out next month. Bakst reports the new budget will try calculating the drop in tax collections and estimate what federal assistance Minnesota could get.
Minnesota has one of the first programs in the U.S. to guarantee access to affordable insulin. Yet again, via Bakst: "Gov. Tim Walz signed a compromise measure Wednesday a day after the Legislature passed it by wide margins. After the law takes effect in July, people struggling to afford the medication will have access to 30-day supplies with a small co-pay. Those with deeper financial issues can tap into a long-term program. Drugmakers that don’t make affordable insulin available will face steep fines ."
Layoffs and furloughs have come for Minnesota schools. Elizabeth Shockman reports: "Hundreds of educators and other staff in several Minnesota districts have been laid off or furloughed as a result of statewide school closures that are intended to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Those affected worked in programs that were fee-based , such as community education, after-school care and activities such as swimming instruction. Revenue for the programs in which these staff were employed has dried up as families have stopped paying for programming."
Joe Biden has another big progressive endorsement. The latest comes from another former rival in the presidential race, Sen. Elizabeth Warren. "In this moment of crisis, it's more important than ever that the next president restores Americans' faith in good, effective government—and I've seen Joe Biden help our nation rebuild," Warren said on Twitter.
