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| Date: | April 23, 2012 | | Contact Name: | Peter Winiecki | | Contact Phone: | 651-297-8077 | | Contact Email: | peter.winiecki@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR PEDERSON RECEIVES GOVERNOR’S APPROVAL ON
2012 UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE BILL |
St. Paul --- State Senator John Pederson (R-St. Cloud) is the chief author of Senate File 2224, the 2012 Unemployment Insurance bill that was signed into law by Governor Mark Dayton late last week. This particular bill contains several federal conformity provisions, many of which were recommended by the bipartisan Unemployment Insurance Advisory Council, which Sen. Pederson is a member of.
As a result of congressional action last summer authorizing the Trade Act, Minnesota is required to make changes at the state level in order to continue receiving some federal tax credits. The bill that was approved and signed into law contains these important federal conformity measures. It was thoroughly examined by the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development (DEED) and received strong bipartisan support throughout the committee process.
“Unemployment benefits are not a substitute for stable, long-term employment and I believe this bill contains the necessary components to provide reassurances to people that haven’t found work during this economic downturn,” said Sen. Pederson.
It is important to note that there are no new fiscal considerations in the bill, in fact, the bill was deemed “revenue neutral,” since all costs will be offset by additional revenues and by redirecting UI Trust Fund money that would otherwise go to the UI Administrative Account under current law.
Sen. Pederson concluded: “Unemployment benefits need to be preserved and maintained. They serve as a valuable resource for those hit hardest by the recession. We will continue to work to improve the overall economic climate to expand private sector jobs.”
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