Gov. Tim Waltz on Friday night signed a compromise measure by Minnesota lawmakers to provide bonus checks to pandemic frontline workers and replenish the state unemployment fund.
The Minnesota Senate approved the agreement reached this week by state leaders by a 65-1 vote, sending it to the House of Representatives on Friday afternoon, where it easily passed 124-5.
The legislation includes $ 2.7 billion to replenish the trust fund and $ 500 million for workers such as nurses, long-term care workers and others who still worked personally in the midst of the pandemic. These bonus checks would amount to approximately $ 750 per person if all 667,000 eligible workers are eligible.
“This bill represents what could happen when Democrats and Republicans in the House of Representatives and the Senate and Governor’s Office work together to do great things for the people of Minnesota,” said Senate Majority Leader Jeremy Miller, R -Winona.
The pact will prevent the increase in taxes on state-owned enterprises that would be needed to begin recharging the Unemployment Trust Fund, which was exhausted by growing requests during the COVID-related blockade.
Legislative leaders announced the deal on Thursday morning after months of talks in the split legislature.
“This shows that we can compromise when we come together on an issue. It took more than a year and then a little, but we have three weeks left from the session, so if we can compromise with a big $ 3 billion package, I hope we can compromise on education funding, health care funding, Senate minority leader Melissa Lopez Franzen, DFL-Edina, told reporters after the vote.
She said public safety “is the biggest unfinished business for our session, because if we are talking about the coming of summer, we need to give the resources of our communities to fight violent crime.”
The Minnesota Senate on Monday adopted a $ 200 million public safety package, voting 48 to 19 in favor of a Republican plan focused on recruiting and retaining staff and increasing penalties. The Senate bill also makes changes to sentencing guidelines and scans prosecutors and judges who deviate from those guidelines.
On Friday night, the House of Representatives debated the Democrats’ $ 200 million bill on public safety and the judiciary, focusing on tackling the root causes of crime.
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