Sen. Franken applauded the Postmaster General's decision to keep the mail-processing centers in Duluth and Bemidji open.

Bemidji and Duluth, both targeted to lose mail sorting centers, were left off a list of first-round closures.

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Last year, the Postal Service said it planned to cut more than 260 mail processing centers nationwide, including five in Minnesota, to save billions of dollars.

Potentially, that meant the loss of overnight delivery of local mail. The Postal Service said Thursday it would keep overnight local mail service at least through 2013.

The Postal Service said during a Thursday news conference that its plans to move forward with a modified plan to consolidate mail processing facilities at 140 locations.

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Franken said he has spent several months working on the Senate’s postal reform bill to prevent the closure of the processing center.

“I’ve been fighting to save Bemidji’s processing center since I heard it was on the chopping block last winter,” Franken said. “I’m relieved to announce that it will remain open for the foreseeable future and that the people employed there won’t lose their jobs.

“I’m thankful that the Postmaster General decided to listen to the concerns of folks in northern Minnesota and keep this center open. It’s still vitally important that we pass meaningful postal reform legislation to preserve postal facility jobs, restore financial stability, and make sure reliable postal service remains available to all Minnesotans.”

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