Minnesota is rapidly approaching one million applicants to the state's hero pay program for front-line workers, blowing past original estimates of how many people might sign up and potentially shrinking the size of bonus checks each worker will get.
Gov. Tim Walz said the state has received more than 901,000 applications from Minnesotans seeking a piece of the $500 million pool for those who worked in person during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. That number is expected to grow with more than two weeks to go until the application period closes on July 22.
"These workers went (to work) every single day to protect us, to serve, to help feed us, to take care of our children, take care of our parents," Walz said Wednesday. "This effort to get this hero pay — while it's real, it's tangible and puts money back in the hands of folks — it's also symbolic of protection of workers."
