House of Workforce Committee approves extension for UI benefits for Iron Range Miners

Today the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Committee approved Rep. Pete Johnson’s (DFL – Duluth) House File 3023. The legislation solely focuses on extending Unemployment Insurance benefits to impacted Iron Range miners.

The bill was to extend unemployment insurance for workers laid off from Minorca and Hibtac. Yesterday, Lawmakers were hopeful the Miner’s Relief Act would gain bipartisan support. Then today, the committee unanimously approved the legislation, sending the bill to the Committee on Ways and Means.

“We saw today that there is broad bipartisan support behind extending unemployment insurance benefits to the impacted workers on the Iron Range. The environmental policies brought before the committee this week are important too, but these proposals should stand on their own,” said Rep. Johnson. “Moving this bill forward is the process working as it should. Working together, we can deliver this support to the Iron Range soon.”

With nearly 600 Iron Range miners expected to be laid off by the end of May, this legislation would provide impacted employees with up to 26 additional weeks of Unemployment Insurance if their regular UI benefits are exhausted. Under the state’s current UI system, laid-off workers can collect up to 26 weeks of unemployment benefits.

More information can be found on the committee’s webpage. A video of today’s hearing will be available on the House Public Information YouTube channel.