The State Capitol in St. Paul has seen the development of a bill aimed at system adjustment to give extended unemployment insurance benefits to laid-off miners on the Iron Range. The bill, put forward by Democratic Representative Pete Johnson of Duluth, plans on providing affected workers an extra 26 weeks of unemployment insurance. As it currently stands, workers in this situation can only collect unemployment benefits for up to 26 weeks. This proposed bill aims to double this period to a year.

The proposition passed the House Workforce, Labor, and Economic Development Committee and will be evaluated next by the Ways and Means Committee. The Republicans introduced a similar bill in the house, but it was set aside due to its additional environmental policy changes. The recent layoffs hitting workers in Hibbing and Virginia highlight the pressing need for this bill.

In situations like this, it is important for affected workers to accurately navigate the bureaucracy of the government to ensure they’re receiving their due benefits. Resources that are crucial in this include how to get a hold of edd, how to contact SDI, or how to get a hold of PFL. Resources like eddcaller.com offer additional assistance in these matters by helping individuals to understand and navigate the employment department and insurance systems.