Thissen Supports Unemployment Extension

House Minority Paul Thissen threw his support behind a Republican-proposed unemployment extension, which is funded by federal dollars.

The bill passed the state House Thursday by a vote of 126-3 and was recommended to pass in the Senate by the Finance Committee.

The legislation allows adult children laid off by businesses owned by their parents to collect unemployment benefits.

It also changes the threshold for the state's participation in the federal goverment's unemployment program by allowing the state to measure the last three years of state unemployment, rather than the last two years. It will allow Minnesota to capture more federal  funding.