MN legislators to decide fate of $250 Million for frontline workers next week

(ABC 6 News) – Thursday, essential workers who have kept our state running throughout Covid shared their stories for the Frontline Worker Pay Working Group.

The group of legislators is tasked with deciding how to spend the $250 million set aside for essential workers by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the Minnesota legislature.

"This working group has the task of trying to say thank you to the people who did work that was above and beyond what anyone expected they would ever have to do," Rep. Ryan Winkler (DFL – Golden Valley) said.

The working group had their final scheduled public meeting Thursday but still has yet to make a decision on how to spend this money. Before their meeting, the group heard from a nurse, a grocery store worker and a child care worker among other essential workers.

"We frontline essential workers are deserving of hazard pay because we are choosing to work and expose ourselves, our family members and our coworkers daily," Jesslynn Phillips, a Lunds & Byerlys cashier, said.

The working group has until Monday to decide how to allocate the $250 million as bonus pay for essential workers.