Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Senate reallocates funds to pay unemployment insurance for hourly school workers, 44-23
Summary
The Senate approved House File 1143 on May 18, using a cancellation of funds from the Northern Lights Express project to bolster the unemployment insurance account that reimburse school districts for summer UI costs for hourly workers. The bill passed after debate and multiple failed and withdrawn amendments.
The Minnesota Senate on May 18 approved House File 1143 to provide funding for unemployment insurance costs for hourly school employees, including bus drivers, nutrition staff and educational assistants. The measure passed 44-23 after floor debate that focused on funding source and long-term sustainability.
Senator McEwen, who presented the bill, said the measure cancels approximately $77.2 million previously allocated to the Minneapolis-to-Duluth Northern Lights Express passenger rail project and uses the money to reimburse school districts for summer unemployment costs after the legislature made those hourly workers eligible for unemployment in 2023. McEwen described the change as correcting “a decades long wrong” for predominantly female and often lower-paid school workers.
Supporters emphasized the bill’s immediate impact on families…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
