REGIONAL- More than 600 laid-off Steelworkers from the Hibtac and Minorca mines could soon receive 26 weeks of extended unemployment benefits, following an amendment added Tuesday to the Senate Jobs omnibus bill.
The amendment, co-authored by Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown and Sen. Rob Farnsworth, R-Hibbing, passed during floor debate and awaits action in the House.
“When our miners are laid off, it doesn’t just impact their families – it threatens the economic fabric of the entire Iron Range,” Hauschild said. “These are the folks who power our economy and have been the backbone of our Range economy. Today, we stood by them and expedited an extension of unemployment benefits for our miners.”
“This amendment gives laid-off workers at Minorca and Hibtac a critical lifeline while we fight to restart production and secure the future of mining in our region,” he added. “Now we need the House to join us and pass this extension in unemployment as quickly as possible.”
During the recent legislative recess, Hauschild invited Senate Majority Leader Erin Murphy, DFL-St. Paul, to meet with laid-off mine workers. Lawmakers at the meeting pledged to fast-track the benefits extension.
The full Senate Jobs bill is expected to pass later Tuesday.
In the House, a standalone companion bill to extend benefits authored by Rep. Pete Johnson DFL-Duluth, has advanced through committee and awaits further action. An earlier version tying benefits to environmental regulation changes failed to pass.