Governor Walz Visits Maple Grove Business as Part of Listening Tour
On Thursday, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz dropped by Amazing Threads, a yarn and knitting supply store in Maple Grove. The visit was part of the governor’s statewide small business listening tour.
The purpose of the tour is to hear from business owners and workers on how COVID-19 has affected them. It also highlights the support the state has provided to businesses during the pandemic.
Roberta Kreb, owner of Amazing Threads, said she wouldn’t have survived without some state and federal relief funds.
“I think small businesses have been hard hit,” said Kreb. “Our customer population is teens through 90s that come. We just hope they’re going to come back.”
Governor Walz said he’s working on presenting a balanced budget to the legislature in January to figure out how to fix a multibillion dollar budget deficit. A May budget update showed the state faces a $2.4 billion deficit for the current budget cycle, which ends July 2021. The state is projecting a $4.7 billion deficit for the following biennium in 2022 and 2023.
How COVID-19 is impacting our community
Find all of our latest COVID-19 stories here
“We’re really advocating. I know that the business partnerships, chambers, others are advocating. We’re trying to have the federal government put a package together especially around small businesses,” said Walz.
The state’s 7-day average test positivity rate is 5.4% and the rate for community spread is at 40%, which Walz says could drive cases up. He said his administration is trying to find that sweet spot between being open and staying safe.
