MetroIBA worked closely with legislators on the Next Generation Main Street Act and other initiatives to support small businesses in Minnesota. Four of our components passed the Legislature. Three were in the supplemental budget bill, HF2749 and were signed into law by Governor Dayton:
– $300,000 to expand business assistance services including start-up, expansion, location or relocation, finance, regulatory and permitting assistance, plus $50,000 to enhance outreach and public awareness of Bureau of Small Business activities.
– $2.5 million for grants to the Minnesota Initiative Foundations to provide financing for business startups, expansions, and for business ownership transition and succession.
– $400,000 for Small Business Development Centers for consulting and technical services for entrepreneurs and small businesses.
The bill that would have required Federal tax conformity for 2015 was included in the omnibus Tax bill, HF848, which was pocket vetoed by the Governor. It applied to 2015 only and did not include an automatic federal tax conformity for future years that was originally in the bill. It still could be included if a revised Tax bill is taken up in a special session.
Special thanks to Rep. Paul Thissen for his initiative in creating the NGMSA, guiding them through the legislature and actively engaging MetroIBA in lobbying for these bills.
Additionally, a separate bill that will help alleviate law suits on potential ADA violations, HF 2955, was passed and signed into law. This was a key initiative of MetroIBA under the guidance of Michael Frasier and will require adequate notice and opportunity to remedy before a suit could be filed. Many of our members have been faced with these lawsuits, facing high out of court settlements, rather than having the opportunity to invest those dollars in resolving the barriers to people with disabilities.
Posted in Advocacy, Newsletter
