Minnesota House unanimously approves emergency extension of unemployment benefits for Iron Range miners

The Minnesota House voted 132-0 on March 20, 2025, to pass House File 3023, a measure to extend unemployment insurance benefits an additional 26 weeks for workers affected by recent Iron Range mine closures.

Representative Johnson Peay, the bill’s author, told the chamber that "House file 30 23 extends unemployment benefits an additional 26 weeks for approximately 630 workers that are impacted by 2 mines closing on the Iron Range," and described the measure as a focused, standalone extension after earlier, broader language drew concern in committee.

Supporters said the vote was intended to provide immediate financial certainty for miners and the small communities that rely on mining. Representative Igo (Itasca), who moved the urgency motion to bring the bill to the floor, said the motion was meant to "get this bill brought to the house floor today and passed before we have to adjourn here at midnight." Representative Scrabba (St. Louis) described the extension as "an insurance policy," saying similar extensions in the past provided a safety net when layoffs took longer to resolve.

Several lawmakers framed the vote as an act of labor solidarity. Representative Godfrey (Ramsey) said the measure was "an act of solidarity" and urged colleagues to support workers broadly. Representative Berg (Dakota) recounted personal ties to the labor movement and urged that benefits not pit one group of workers against another. Representative Greenman (Hennepin) described unemployment insurance as "a lifeline" that helps families and local economies weather layoffs.

Lawmakers also described the bill’s recent procedural history. Johnson Peay said an earlier version introduced in April had included environmental provisions; because an amendment to strip those provisions failed, the parties worked to craft a separate bill focused only on the UI extension. Johnson Peay said the bill had passed unanimously out of the Jobs Committee and then unanimously in Ways and Means before reaching the floor.

After brief debate, the House took a roll call and the clerk reported "There being 132 yays and 0 nays, the bill is passed and its title agreed to." The clerk’s floor statement described House File 3023 as "an act relating to unemployment insurance adopting additional benefits for certain iron ore mining companies." The speaker later confirmed there were no conference committee reports at the desk.

The vote sends the bill on to the next steps required under legislative procedure (the clerk reported the bill passed and its title was agreed to). Lawmakers who supported the measure repeatedly called for conference and budget negotiations still underway to consider similar protections for other groups of hourly workers as final budget and policy packages are completed.