Iron Range unemployment aid remains hung up
The drawn-out debate over a bill giving laid-off Iron Rangers additional unemployment benefits will drag on longer.
The Minnesota Senate voted 40-25 Monday to seek negotiations with the House over competing proposals, refusing to adopt a plan that would also give businesses statewide a break on unemployment fund premiums.
Now in their third week of the session, lawmakers had hoped to quickly deliver assistance to thousands of steelworkers who have or will soon exhaust their available benefits. There was broad agreement about giving them up to 26 weeks in added checks in hopes they won't flee the region to find new work while taconite plants are idled.
Production at the plants slowed amid a global steel glut, hampered exports and a drop-off in demand in steel for the energy sector.
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Majority Senate Democrats objected to having the emergency assistance linked to the business break.
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"I’m livid we’re here today arguing about this," said Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm. He said the two measures should be separated.
Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, said it was his goal to have a Senate vote on the unemployment rate credit for employers yet this week. It would give them credit for future payments and set up a trigger for rebates given a fund balance at a record high.
Senate Republicans said Democrats were the ones preventing checks from going out by leaning on process objections.
"They need some help up there, they need it now," said Sen. Bill Ingebrigtsen, R-Alexandria.
"We can send this bill to the governor and the relief the people on the range are asking for can be done – today," said Senate Minority Leader David Hann, R-Eden Prairie.
The House and Senate are both scheduled to hold floor sessions again Thursday, meaning negotiators would have to strike a deal before then to allow for the bill to reach Gov. Mark Dayton this week.
After that, lawmakers begin a short Easter recess on Friday and won't return to the Capitol until Tuesday.