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Pension duty‑disability benefits limited for new claims; sheriff reports Tornado cleanup with no injuries
Summary
MICA said the session limited prospective duty‑disability health benefits to five years for new claims and made other pension and corrections updates; the county sheriff briefed commissioners on a June storm response with roads cleared and no reported injuries.
MICA staff summarized changes to pension and corrections provisions and the Crow Wing County sheriff gave a short storm update during the June 17 Committee of the Whole meeting.
Pensions and corrections: MICA staff said a change signed into law limits the health‑insurance benefit tied to duty disability for new prospective claims to a five‑year maximum (rather than coverage through age 65). The change applies to new claims going forward and does not alter benefits already in place. The presenter said the change was adopted amid broader discussions about plan solvency; police and fire plans were of particular legislative focus and the statute also created a working group to study potential differentiated plans for certain public‑safety occupations.
Corrections updates included adjustments to supervision funding formulas and facility planning: the commissioner noted the Minnesota Rehabilitation and Reinvestment Act gives the corrections commissioner authority to revoke earned incentive release credits under certain conditions and that Stillwater will be decommissioned in 2029 with anticipated capacity to move individuals without expanding supervision rolls.
Storm response: Crow Wing County’s sheriff briefed the board on response to a severe storm/tornado the previous night. He said crews opened roads, cleared downed trees, and coordinated power‑restoration with utilities; an initial outage of about 2,000 customers was reduced during restoration efforts and about 900 remained without power at one point. He reported no injuries from the storm or subsequent cleanup and that county parks and most roads were open. The sheriff said crews staged at Merrifield Lions Park and that county public works, local fire departments and DNR crews assisted in rapid clearance and restoration.
Why it matters: the pension change reduces a potential long‑term state or employer cost exposure for future duty‑disability claims, while the tornado response highlights county emergency management capabilities and short‑term public‑safety coordination.
