State, US pass COVID relief measures

State lawmakers on Monday passed a $465 million spending bill that will support struggling workers and small businesses. That came just hours before the U.S. Congress passed a $892 billion spending bill that will send checks to many Americans and shore up unemployment payments. Both bills still have to be signed by their respective executives.

Michigan: The State House of Representatives on Monday approved a bill passed by the State Senate a day earlier, sending it to the governor for her signature.

The state bill will fund a number of coronavirus-related efforts, including:

• $55 million for grants to businesses closed by state health orders
• $3.5 million for grants to entertainment venues, such as theaters, closed during the pandemic
• $45 million for grants to support workers at closed businesses
• $220 million to fund the state’s unemployment system

The bill also extends unemployment assistance through March.

Federal Stimulus: The U.S. House and Senate approved legislation to spend $892 billion on various COVID relief efforts late Monday. Those bills now head to the president’s desk for his signature.

The federal bill will send one-time $600 stimulus payments to most Americans and would also fund additional unemployment assistance for people out of work due to the pandemic.

You can read more about state legislation on Bridge Michigan.

You can read more about the federal stimulus on Reuters.