St. Joe-Benton Harbor News

State Sen. Kim LaSata (R-Bainbridge Township) supported a bill that would use federal COVID-19 dollars to provide personal protective equipment to workers on the front line of the pandemic and help families who need financial help. 

LaSata voted in favor of Senate Bill 690, which was approved with bipartisan support on May 13. The bill has advanced to the House of Representatives.

LaSata said the bill would not only provide frontline workers with the equipment needed to continue the state's fight against the coronavirus and give more money to those workers to help them not only take care of themselves and their family members too.

"Frontline health care and public safety workers and others critical to keeping our state going during this unprecedented time are putting their lives on the line every day," she said in a release.

The $524 million bill would distribute the federal money, with $178 million would go toward a $3 an hour wage increase for direct care workers, $125 million for lessening day care costs for children of essential workers, $100 million in support pay for police officers, firefighters, EMS workers and other first responders, and $50 million for more testing and PPE.

SB 690 would also send $12 million to food processors in an effort to keep the state's food supply functioning, $11 million for the Unemployment Insurance Agency to bring on additional hires, $15 million for summer schools, $30 million for distance learning and other support for schools, and $2.5 million to help hospitality employees who don't qualify for unemployment benefits. 

LaSata said in the release that it's important the federal money is used quickly for aid.

"I am hopeful the governor will join us in signing the bill should it reach her desk," LaSata said in the release.