St. Paul, Minn. (July 24, 2018) – Jobs for Minnesotans today released the following statement in response the omission of the land exchange provision in the final bill for the National Defense Authorization Act:

“The news that the final version of the National Defense Authorization Act coming out of conference committee does not include the PolyMet land exchange provision is disappointing. That said, there has been great enthusiasm across party lines for the provision and we’re thankful to our leaders, including Senators Smith and Klobuchar and Congressmen Nolan and Emmer, for their support and full recognition to date of the land exchange’s merits. We’ve worked continuously together, and we know how committed they have been to getting it done and that our delegation remains resolved to continue their efforts. Supporters of economic development in our state through responsible copper-nickel mining are resilient and remain hopeful that there will soon be full congressional affirmation of the U.S. Forest Service’s past decision on the land exchange.”

About Jobs for Minnesotans
|Jobs for Minnesotans, a coalition representing business, labor and communities, supports statewide opportunities for prosperity and middle-class jobs from sustainable natural resource development in Minnesota. The organization is committed to the principle that our state can preserve both job opportunities and the environment for future generations. Jobs for Minnesotans was co-founded in 2012 by the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council representing 55,000 workers and the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce representing 2,300 companies and 500,000 employees. For more information, visit jobsforminnesotans.org, follow @JobsforMN on Twitter and find the coalition on Facebook.com/Jobs4MN.

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Media Contact: Nancy Norr, Chair
nnorr@mnpower.com
Cell: 218.590.6978