SBA Provides Relief to Montana Taverns Following Request From Gianforte and Daines
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WASHINGTON – Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) and U.S. Senator Steve Daines today announced that the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) will ensure more Montana taverns have access to federal emergency relief resources amid the COVID-19 outbreak.
“Like small businesses throughout Montana, bars and taverns have been shut down by government order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and save lives. We need to help them keep workers on payroll and set them up to reopen after the public health threat has passed,” Gianforte said. “I appreciate the SBA responding quickly to my request to ensure all Montana small business have access to emergency resources as we confront this pandemic.”
“Montana taverns and bars have been hit hard by the Coronavirus pandemic which has impacted over 40,000 Montana jobs,” Daines said. “I fought hard to ensure Montana’s taverns and bars are eligible for the same relief as other small businesses across the state to keep their workers employed. I’m glad the Small Business Administration acted quickly on my request to protect jobs and get this done for Montana workers.”
The SBA provided guidance today that businesses, which receive less than 50 percent of their revenue from gaming and have a maximum net revenue from gaming of $1 million, are eligible to apply for federal emergency relief provided in the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. For past loan programs, regulations from the SBA prevented businesses, which receive one-third or more of their revenue from gaming, from qualifying and participating.
Mary Jane Heisler, owner of Classic 50’s in Great Falls and president of the Montana Tavern Association,praised Gianforte and Daines’ effort, saying, “This announcement is welcome news for the 2,400 bar, restaurant and tavern owners who are fighting for survival amidst the COVID-19 shutdown. We applaud Congressman Gianforte and Senator Daines for taking this issue to the highest levels of our government and fighting to ensure Montana bars and restaurants with gaming are not unfairly excluded from small business relief.”
Gianforte and Daines in late March urged President Trump to ensure Montana taverns and other small businesses have access to federal emergency resources provided in the CARES Act.
In separate letters, Gianforte and Daines asked President Trump to ensure SBA regulations do not put Montana taverns, small businesses, and their workers at a disadvantage as they confront the COVID-19 outbreak. With past loan programs, regulations from the SBA prevented businesses, which receive one-third or more of their revenue from gaming, from qualifying and participating.
The CARES Act, which President Trump signed into law on March 27, provides nearly $350 billion in federally guaranteed loans via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The loans provide eight weeks of cash-flow assistance to small businesses who maintain their payroll during the COVID-19 emergency. If employers maintain their payroll, the loans would be forgiven, which would help workers to remain employed and affected small businesses and our economy to quickly snap-back after the crisis.
The new law allows the PPP to cover payroll costs, paid sick leave, supply chain disruptions, employee salaries, health insurance premiums, mortgage payments, and other debt obligations to provide immediate access to capital for small businesses who have been impacted by the coronavirus.
