House OKs unemployment insurance bill with frontline bonuses

ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) – The Minnesota House has passed a bill to replenish the state’s unemployment insurance trust fund and provide bonuses for frontline workers, after months of stalemate.

The bill approved late Monday includes $2.7 billion to replenish the trust fund and pay back the federal government for jobless aid, and $1 billion for $1,500 checks for frontline workers who took risks during the pandemic. Negotiations appeared to stall when leaders failed to reach a deal by March 15, triggering a payroll tax hike on employers.

The Senate did not concur with the House version and voted Tuesday to send the bill to a conference committee.