Minnsights Blog

February is Black History Month throughout the country, a time to celebrate the accomplishments, achievements and vast contributions of African Americans throughout the nation's history. To commemorate Black History Month, the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal highlighted 200 Black leaders in the Twin Cities region. Many of the distinguished leaders are leaders in the business community and many are part of Minnesota Chamber of Commerce member organizations. Congratulations to these inspirational leaders for your contributions to the state and your businesses!

A proposal that would impact every employer is a 24-week paid leave proposal that would raise taxes on employers by $1 billion. The proposal, HF2 / SF2, passed another committee stop last week and could be voted on in the House or Senate soon. To fund the new paid leave mandate, the state would impose a 0.7% payroll tax on every employer in Minnesota, regardless of size or number of employees. Additionally, hiring replacement workers would be extraordinarily challenging given the state’s current tight labor market and workforce shortage. Click here for more facts about the bill. 

The Quarterly Economic Snapshot is an overview of key indicators measuring Minnesota’s current economic performance. Analysis is provided in partnership with Grow Minnesota! and the Minnesota Chamber Foundation.

Each year, the Minnesota Chamber's Session Priorities event unofficially kicks off the legislative session. While it's a key way for the Chamber to share the business community's priorities, it's also a chance for legislative leaders to share priorities of their own. KSTP's Tom Hauser hosted a series of lightning round questions for the four legislative leaders: Speaker Melissa Hortman, House Minority Leader Lisa Demuth, Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic and Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson. Here are their answers:

As a part of the 2021 American Rescue Act (ARPA) Minnesota was awarded up to $97 million through the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI). The SSBCI program is made up of six programs designed to fill financing gaps and operate in conjunction with private lenders. The Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) will receive the funds in three disbursements, with the first being approximately $29.5 million.