'Walz Checks': Governor Proposes Direct Payments To Minnesotans
MINNESOTA — Gov. Tim Walz Thursday unveiled his plan to provide $700 million in direct payments to Minnesotans that would be known as "Walz Checks." More than 2.7 million Minnesota households would receive a Walz Check under the proposal, according to the governor's office.
Walz said the plan is funded by Minnesota's "historic" budget surplus.
"To continue growing Minnesota’s economy, we must invest in the people who made it strong in the first place," Walz said in a news release.
"By investing in workforce development, cutting taxes for the middle class and working families, lowering costs, and expanding access to resources like technical education and high-speed broadband, we will improve economic prosperity across the state and grow the workforce we need to compete."
Here's how much money you could receive under the Walz Checks plan:
Single tax filers earning up to $164,400 would receive a payment of $175
A married couple filing jointly earning up to $273,470 would receive a payment of $350
Walz's plan would also provide $1 billion in payments to Minnesota's frontline workers.
“In this budget, if you are a frontline worker with children, earning up to $70,000 per year, you will get about $2,000 back in your pocket," Walz said.
Walz's plan would need to pass the Minnesota legislature before becoming law.
"During the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen economic inequities exposed and exacerbated – for frontline workers, for young people, for immigrants and BIPOC communities, and for small, family-owned businesses. Our plan to expand economic opportunity will help ensure we are meeting the needs of all Minnesotans in a 21st century economy," said Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
"When we pursue strategic and equitable investments in our economic future, we aren’t just recovering from the pandemic – we’re coming back stronger than ever."
This article originally appeared on the Southwest Minneapolis Patch
