Today Mn Retailers IMPACT announced the endorsement of these candidates running for the State Legislature:

Minnesota House

1B - Deb Kiel
6B - Josh Heintzeman
9A - Jeff Backer
10B - Isaac Schultz
12A - Paul Anderson
12B - Mary Franson
13B - Tim O'Driscoll
15A - Chris Swedzinski
16A - Dean Urdahl
16B - Dave Baker
21A - Joe Schomacker
23B - Patricia Mueller
24A - Duane Quam
26A - Gene Pelowski Jr.
26B - Greg Davids
27B - Kurt Daudt
28B - Anne Neu Brindley
29B - Marion O'Neill
30B - Paul Novotny
31B - Peggy Scott
32B - Donald Raleigh
33A - Patti Anderson
37A - Kristin Robbins
44B - Leon Lillie
46B - Cheryl Youakim
48A - Jim Nash
48B - Greg Boe
50A - Heather Edelson
50B - Steve Elkins
57A - Jon Koznick
57B - Jeff Witte
58B - Patrick Garofalo
66B - Athena Hollins

Minnesota Senate

5 - Paul Utke
9 - Jordan Rasmusson
11 - Jason Rarick
12 - Torrey Westrom
13 - Jeff Howe
14 - Tama Theis
15 - Gary Dahms
18 - Nick Frentz
19 - John Jasinski
22 - Rich Draheim
24 - Carla Nelson
26 - Jeremy Miller
27 - Andrew Mathews
28 - Mark Koran
33 - Karin Housley
34 - John Hoffman
35 - Jim Abeler
36 - Roger Chamberlain
37 - Warren Limmer
43 - Ann Rest
48 - Julia Coleman
54 - Eric Pratt
57 - Zach Duckworth
60 - Kari Dziedzic
61 - Scott Dibble

“These candidates have demonstrated an appreciation for what the retail industry offers Minnesota’s economy as the industry supports 750,000 jobs across the State. Each endorsed candidate is a champion for Minnesota consumers, retailers, and our communities,” said Mn Retailers IMPACT treasurer Bruce Nustad.

Mn Retailers IMPACT is funded through personal contributions used to support candidates who appreciate retailer contributions to Minnesota communities.

Below is the full text of the letter to the Frontline Workers Pay Working Group:

August 30, 2021

Frontline Worker Pay Working Group Members:

We have been watching the Frontline Worker Pay Working Group with deep interest, and we appreciate the discovery and thoughtfulness that has been evident during your meetings and testimony.

As consumers each of you have seen first-hand how retailers have stepped up early and throughout the pandemic, working hard on extra cleaning and new ways of retailing to provide a safe shopping experience and work environment. We are proud of how the industry answered the State’s call to donate masks and other PPE when such supplies were desperately needed. In addition, you saw retailers quickly shift operations to offer or enhance curbside pickup, home delivery, online options, and safe in-store shopping based on state, federal and local public health guidance.

From the front of the store serving customers directly, to the vital work in distribution and shipping centers, retail workers have answered the call each day to ensure the needs of families, communities, and all Minnesotans have been met. We truly have seen the customer-serving spirit and work ethic of Minnesota’s retail workers shine!

As you get closer to consensus on program qualifications, we offer these perspectives based on what we have heard from retailers and their workers across the state.

• Please consider Minnesota’s retail pharmacy workers as healthcare workers. Workers in retail pharmacies have reported for work each day of the pandemic to ensure Minnesotans have access to over-the-counter medications, prescriptions, personal hygiene supplies, and accessible COVID vaccines and testing. Retail pharmacies and their workers have played a recognizable role in the health of all Minnesotans and have proved to be a vital part of the health response to the pandemic, including being frontline partners with the State on vaccination. We ask that you not exclude these workers from your healthcare qualifications.
  
  
• Please consider Minnesota’s convenience store workers as grocery workers. Thousands of convenience store workers clock in every day to ensure there is access to essential products such as gasoline and electric charging as well as grocery items. In some communities and for some Minnesotans convenience stores serve as the most accessible store for fresh, packaged and prepared foods. We ask that you not forget these convenience store workers as you consider grocery worker qualifications.
  
  
• As you continue to discuss program funding, including the potential to leverage other available funding beyond the $250 million, please consider the work of Minnesota’s frontline retail workers who show up every day to meet the needs of our citizens. One estimate brought before the workgroup suggested there are approximately 153,000 workers who make sure we have access to household and personal essentials, clothing and shoes, home office and education technology, home maintenance goods, as well as other physical and mental health/safety items needed across the state. As you continue to learn more about workers who have important roles throughout the pandemic, please consider frontline retail workers who have been serving Minnesotans via in-person shopping, curbside delivery, online servicing, and back-end processing and logistics.

We commend the workgroup for its process and willingness to dig deep and understand Minnesotans and how they were and are impacted by the pandemic. We know the decisions ahead of you are difficult but are also confident your spirit of cooperation will result in a meaningful program for frontline workers.

Thank you for your consideration of retail pharmacy, convenience, and frontline retail workers as you make your decisions.

Bruce Nustad, president
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Sunday's loss of life in Brooklyn Center can only be described as devastating and heartbreaking. MnRA prays for the family of Daunte Wright and the community as it deals with this tragic officer-involved death. We support the right of Minnesotans to peacefully protest for change.

Over the course of the day we fielded calls from retailers in disbelief of what happened on Sunday afternoon. While we don't have all the answers, we join Minnesotans in recognizing change is needed.

Out of caution and concern for employees and customers, MnRA provides the following updates for retailers concerned about the potential for unlawful activities not connected to peaceful protests:

• CURFEWS 7:00 PM TO 6:00 AM: Some local governments are instituting curfews for tonight from 7:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m., including Minneapolis and St. Paul. In addition, the Governor instituted the same curfew for all of Ramsey, Dakota, Hennepin and Anoka counties. Please check with your local government for times and updates on how curfews impact employee travel to and from work. Curfews are likely to be enforced as prevention. Also, we recommend you adjust your closing time to allow your employees time to get home before 7:00 p.m. in impacted areas.

• LAW ENFORCEMENT PRESENCE: According to the plans discussed this afternoon by the Governor and key officials, this evening metro-area law enforcement is positioned to enforce curfews as a means to identify and deal with potential vandals and looters. Please take a moment to remind your employees of the importance of obeying the curfews as a tool to separate those peacefully protesting and living their lives from those committing unlawful acts.

• POP UP LOOTING: According to law enforcement officials, they are preparing to respond to pop up looting and property damage around the metro, not just in Minneapolis and St. Paul. As a precaution, we recommend all metro stores consider appropriate actions to safeguard your employees, customers and inventory. We are seeing some stores announcing early closures and enhanced communications with local law enforcement

Please join us in thought for the Wright family and all of Minnesota.