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RELEASE: Lesch, Lang introduce bill guaranteeing differential pay for deployed county employees

Thursday, January 3, 2019

ST. PAUL, Minn. – Today state Rep. John Lesch (DFL – St. Paul) and state Sen. Andrew Lang (R – Olivia) announced plans for a bill requiring Minnesota counties to offer “differential pay” to their employees who are active duty service members who are deployed. The amount due to the soldier would be the difference between their basic active duty military salary and the salary they would otherwise receive as an active employee if not on military leave of absence.

“Dating back to the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg, the state of Minnesota has a rich tradition of citizen soldiers honorably serving our nation when called to do so,” said Rep. Lesch, who retired from the Minnesota National Guard as a U.S. Army Infantry Captain. “They put their personal and professional lives on hold while they take on whichever mission is put in front of them, wherever it may be across the globe. These brave Minnesotans and their loved ones make enough sacrifices already. They should be able to focus on their mission, and not have to worry about their financial wellbeing because of too great of a drop in salary to serve.”

“This is about honoring those who have accepted the call to serve their country. While these men and women put their lives on the line, we should be doing all we can to make sure they and their families have the resources they need,” said Sen. Lang, who serves as a major in the Minnesota National Guard’s 34th Combat Aviation Brigade. “Families should not have to suffer a financial setback due to a deployment. We want to make sure those soldiers who have answered the call to service – and their spouses and children – know they are being taken care of and have our support.”

Lower ranking soldiers often earn significantly less from the armed forces than what they would make working in a civilian job. This salary differential can cause tremendous financial difficulty for service members and their families, especially reservists and those in the National Guard. One such soldier, Major Ayodele Famodu, currently deployed with Task Force Spartan at Camp Arifjan in Kuwait, has experienced this hardship.

“Leaving my children, spouse and family for a military deployment presents significant emotional, physical and logistical challenges. Additionally, I go with the knowledge that I leave behind a financial burden; my income is noticeably reduced as a Soldier,” said Maj. Famodu, a deployed Assistant Ramsey County Attorney. “Nevertheless, the call to service of this great country is one I myself could never ignore. In my absence, I seek only to have my loved ones cared for as I would. In providing military differential pay, my civilian employer could relieve some of the stress of a deployment. This effort would not only demonstrate the value placed on the service of our men and women in uniform, but also serve as a gesture of compassion for those they fight for at home.”*

Since 2003, state employees are entitled to receive differential pay while on active duty. Some counties, including Anoka, Dakota and Hennepin already provide differential pay, while Ramsey County, the state’s second most populous, does not. School districts have been required to provide a certain level of salary differential since 2004, and municipalities are authorized to provide it. Many private sector employers also provide it.

"As a state employee I receive pay differential while deployed overseas. This pay enables me to proudly serve my country without having to worry about an unexpected shift in my finances,” said Jordan Deckenbach, a deployed Assistant Hennepin County Attorney. “The county employees who work side-by-side with me every day do not have the same benefit. Equity demands that county employee's service should be honored in the same way. County employees who answer the call to service should receive the economic security and assurances that come through pay differential."* 

The proposed legislation also requires counties to provide retroactive differential pay for time served during 2018. The bill’s authors expect the Veterans and Military Affairs Committees in the House and Senate to consider the bill early in the 2019 legislative session.

* Note: Quote not provided in an official capacity as a soldier, but as a citizen (who happens to be a soldier) authorized to participate in non-partisan political activities per DoDD 1344.10.