Debate on unemployment benefits for school workers derails key MN budget piece

Mentoring continues to be one the biggest points of contention for Minnesota lawmakers putting the new state budget together and a disagreement over unemployment insurance for hourly school workers has derailed progress with just two weeks left in the session This past week it appeared that Democratic-Farmer-Labor and Republican House members unveiled agreement to end a newly created unemployment benefit for hourly workers in despite pressure from labor groups and the DFL s progressive wing Historically school staff like bus drivers cafeteria staff and paraprofessionals did not qualify for unemployment insurance in the summer or other breaks in the school year Backers of extending the benefit argued that it s unfair to exclude those workers from unemployment DFL-controlled Legislature granted hourly school workers unemployment insurance in and while the state was set to fund it through school districts would eventually have to pick up the cost Critics have noted it s an unfunded mandate for school districts and local taxpayers Change of program A compromise coaching budget proposal ending the mandate which had been signed by House Instruction Finance Co-Chairs Cheryl Youakim DFL-Hopkins and Ron Kresha appeared to be headed toward the House floor this past week But the DFL changed curriculum Wednesday in the House Rules Committee We as Democrats are going to stand up for workers stated Rep Luke Frederick DFL-Mankato We re going to stand up for Minnesotans to make sure the best bills that get passed off the floor of the House are going to be the best that they can be And this bill is not that DFLers blocked the bill from moving forward in what would have been the bill s final stop before a floor vote The state House is presently tied - between the parties so committees are split down the middle The guidance finance bill stalled in committee in an - vote on Wednesday GOP response Republicans commented they were frustrated with the DFL making an about-face on an apparent deal as time left in the regular session dwindles Rep Peggy Scott R-Andover noted lawmakers only have a minimal weeks to pass the budget or they ll have to return to the Capitol for a special session She also required DFLers what else they might change in the instruction finance bill to reduce the burden of state mandates on local schools if they needed to keep the unemployment insurance for hourly workers If you re going to stick that one back in what other mandates are you going to roll back so our school districts don t continue to be in a deficit position where they re going to have to pass that down to the property taxpayers she noted A flashpoint in negotiations Unemployment insurance for hourly workers is not a critical portion of the state s multibillion-dollar teaching budget The bill provided around million to cover the activity for four years though the state has already burned through greater part of that money at this point But even though it isn t a huge portion of the budget its emerged as flashpoint in negotiations on one of the biggest pieces of state spending Scott and other Republicans decried what they called DFL obstruction though Rep Michael Richard DFL-Richfield called the debate over unemployment insurance a protocol matter not a funding matter The obstacle is Republicans insisting on extreme approach that harms workers he revealed The provision in question to take away unemployment insurance for paraprofessionals for our school bus drivers for workers making an hour is not necessary to pass our state budget The sides haven t given up on a deal On Thursday the Rules Committee moved to place the learning finance bill on the calendar for a House floor vote on Monday pending a new deal on teaching A compromise hadn t been publicly approved as of Friday evening Budget bills A stream of budget bills continues to move through the Senate and House though human services and teaching the biggest spending areas in the current two-year state budget of a bit over million remain the biggest snags for lawmakers On the human services side Republicans have been trying to cut state-funded healthcare care benefits for people in the country illegally which the DFL-controlled governing body also approved in There are also talks about cuts to the DFL-created paid family and biological leave plan set to go live in January There will be cuts this year though just how big they ll be and where they ll happen is up for discussion as the clock continues to tick Minnesota is set to have a million surplus for the next two years but that ll give way to a billion deficit in - Walz proposed in his billion two-year budget big cutes to long-term disability reimbursements and nursing home aid as well as reimbursements for special training The regular session ends on May and lawmakers have to pass a two-year budget by the end of June or the state establishment shuts down In the last decade there s been a special session every time control of governing body is split between the parties Related Articles St Paul MN Wild trim Xcel Center s state request from M to M Minnesota loosens distance exemption on state employee return to office order Minnesota Senate OKs liquor bill with social districts provision MN House passes bill recognizing Hmong Lao veterans of Secret War Disability funding taxes at issue as MN Legislature crafts state budget