Senate Finance Committee advances jobs/budget bill, adds labor package after debate over paid-family leave funding

Senator Champion presented Senate File 18-32 to the Senate Finance Committee on April 24 and the committee voted to advance the jobs and budget package and to add the contents of the labor bill (Senate File 2373) into the package.

The bill is primarily a budget document that authorizes multiple one-time appropriations and transfers for workforce development, community grants and tourism. Champion said the bill was “very intentional about not including any controversial policy provisions” and highlighted new and modified grant programs including changes to the Promise Act and reporting requirements intended to increase transparency for direct appropriations.

Committee fiscal analyst Hannah Grunewald Knollinger walked members through two spreadsheets labeled “change only” that detail fund-by-fund changes. The bill includes, among other items, a $14 million transfer from the 20 First Century Fund to the general fund; a $6.875 million appropriation to Explore Minnesota Tourism in FY 2026-27 and $5 million in one-time funding for the World Junior Hockey Championship; a $4.5 million one-time Promise Act appropriation split among the Minnesota Initiative Foundation and the Neighborhood Development Center; and a variety of one-time workforce settlement fund awards for dozens of community organizations and training programs. Knollinger summarized net general fund changes as increases of about $7.8 million in FY 2026-27 and smaller changes in the later biennium tied to transfer timing.

Several amendments to the bill were offered and adopted by…