SAINT PAUL, Minn. – Today, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed the compromise Jobs, Economic Development, and Labor budget following a bipartisan agreement reached with the Senate. The budget delivers resources for workers, families, and small businesses to recover from an incredibly challenging year. The budget includes several provisions chief authored by Rep. Liz Olson (DFL – Duluth), including historic investments in child care and a proposal to help the Verso paper mill resume operations under new ownership.
“After a plethora of challenges everyone has experienced over the past year, the Jobs budget we passed on the House Floor today will help all Minnesotans thrive as we move beyond the COVID-19 pandemic,” Rep. Olson said. “One of the biggest barriers to success for families, communities, and businesses is a lack of affordable child care, and with a historic investment, we are working to close that gap all across the state. The budget helps deliver tools necessary for all Minnesotans to succeed.”
The budget invests $8 million to expand access to affordable child care, incorporating proposals Rep. Olson chief authored during the regular session. $5 million will go toward grants for child care providers for start-up costs, modifying facilities, paying workers, or simply staying afloat. Another $3 million will be split evenly among the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations (MIFs) to promote community-wide efforts to develop local plans to increase the number of child care providers and slots.
The bill also includes a provision authored by Rep. Olson that modifies terms of a 2019 loan toward capital improvements at the Verso paper mill in Duluth, which shut down last June. Following the recent sale of the mill, the bill gives the new owner until May 1, 2023 to finish their capital investments, will require 80 workers to be retained, and increases the size of the loan to $3 million.
The budget invests $70 million in grants to small businesses harmed by COVID-19 – up to $25,000 – with the smallest businesses prioritized, as well as BIPOC, women or veteran-owned businesses. Other business support in the bill includes $10 million in technical assistance for new businesses, $5 million for the Launch MN initiative to support high-tech startups, and funding for the Emerging Entrepreneur Loan Fund and the Northeast Entrepreneur Fund.
The legislation includes workplace protections for new and expectant mothers. Employers must give nursing mothers space and time to pump while requiring workers to be paid for the time. Workplace accommodations for pregnant mothers will now apply starting on a worker’s first day on the job rather than after 12 months of employment.
To protect workers and communities around the facilities, the House voted to add a measure requiring workers at oil refineries to have apprenticeship-level training. The Senate had previously added this provision to its version of the bill on a broad bipartisan vote, only to later remove it.
The budget agreement contains several changes to Unemployment Insurance (UI) law. After an 80-year prohibition, high school students will be eligible for unemployment benefits starting July 1, 2022. The bill also eliminates an outdated policy requiring an offset in UI benefits for seniors who receive social security benefits.
A spreadsheet of the investments contained within the legislation can be accessed here. Video of the House Floor session will be available on House Public Information Services’ YouTube channel.