St. Paul, MN— The Minnesota Senate today with overwhelming bipartisan support passed the Jobs and Economic Growth bill. The bill prioritizes business and economic recovery for all of Minnesota, while offering economic stability without adding any burdens or regulations that would hinder recovery efforts.Senate File 9 focuses on economic recovery; workforce training and business development services; and addresses the shortage of childcare in many communities.   

“Minnesota employers have been hit hard over the last year – they’ve been forced to adapt to constantly changing mandates and orders”, said Senator Rich Drahiem (R-Madison Lake). “This bill sets out to help get the unemployed back to work, help employers find workers, and not add any burdens or regulations that make it harder to get our economy stabilized after a chaotic year. The next step should be to end extended unemployment benefits like others governors have done in neighboring states.”

Key provisions in the bill include the following: 

• Provides key investments in the state’s growing workforce 
• Creation of the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program and the Main Street COVID19 Relief programs to assist businesses statewide faced with financial hardship 
• Expands options for individuals to receive Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits while simultaneously receiving workforce training services 
• Expansion of workplace accommodations for pregnant and nursing mothers   
• Removal of provision that makes high school students ineligible for Unemployment Insurance (UI) benefits 
• Inclusion of the “Wedding Barn Bill” to safeguard smaller venues from expensive regulations

Notably, this bill does not include burdensome mandates, expensive new programs, or excessive regulations on businesses. The legislation now heads to the House for a final vote, before heading to the Governor for a final signature.