Rep. Berg Supports House DFL Frontline Worker Bonus Pay Bill

St. Paul, MN - Today, the Minnesota House passed the frontline worker bonus pay legislation HF 2900, which appropriates $1 billion for bonus payments to at least 667,000 frontline workers, with a vote of 71-?61. Rep. Kaela Berg (DFL - Burnsville) voted in favor of the bill.

“We have all had to make sacrifices over the last two years, but none have sacrificed more than our frontline workers,” said Rep. Berg. “We must stand up for every worker who ensured our state was able to function during a period of incredible hardship.”

The frontline worker bonus pay legislation builds upon the efforts of last year’s working group on this issue, and invests $1 billion in order to meaningfully recognize the Minnesotans who have worked on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic. Eligible workers would receive payments of up to $1,500. Workers in the following sectors could be included as frontline workers:

1. long-term care and home care;
2. health care;
3. emergency responders;
4. public health, social service, and regulatory service;
5. courts and corrections;
6. child care;
7. schools, including charter schools, state schools, and higher education;
8. food service, including production, processing, preparation, sale, and delivery;
9. retail, including sales, fulfillment, distribution, and delivery;
10. temporary shelters and hotels;
11. building services, including maintenance, janitorial, and security;
12. public transit;
13. ground and air transportation services;
14. manufacturing; and
15. vocational rehabilitation.

You can watch Rep. Berg’s speech on the House floor here. Video of today’s floor session is available on the House Public Information Youtube Page. Senate Republicans have yet to introduce a single piece of legislation that delivers bonus checks to frontline workers after the Legislature promised to do so as part of budget negotiations during the June 2021 special session. Republican members of the Frontline Worker Pay Working group recommended a proposal that would leave more than half a million frontline workers with $0 in bonus checks. 

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