SAINT PAUL, Minn. – On Monday, the Minnesota House approved legislation to replenish the state’s Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund and deliver $1,500 bonus checks for more than 600,00 frontline workers, including health care workers, first responders, child care providers, food service and retail workers, and more. Additionally, the bill makes hourly school employees like paraprofessionals, classroom assistants, bus drivers and others eligible for unemployment benefits in the summer.
Representative Heather Edelson (DFL - Edina) voted for the legislation and released the following statement:
“This issue has been my top priority during session and I am ecstatic that we passed a solution that both replenishes our UI trust fund and honors our frontline workers. With a historic surplus and a sound economy there is no reason to burden our local businesses with unnecessary and avoidable tax hikes. At the same time, we owe our strong economy to the workers who put themselves at risk day-in day-out to make sure that we could get through the pandemic. We can and should do both, and only cold-hearted political calculation could get in the way. I am proud to put people first with this legislation.”
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