Accessibility menu
State Representative Gene Pelowski Jr.
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-8637
For more information contact: Chris Shields 651-296-8873
Press/News Releases
PELOWSKI APPOINTED TO BONDING BILL CONFERENCE COMMITTEE WHILE GOVERNMENT REFORM BILL HEADS TO THE FLOOR
ST. PAUL - This past week proved to be a busy one for Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona). House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher named Pelowski to a joint House-Senate conference committee for this year's Capital Investment bill early in the week. The legislation, also known as the bonding bill, is designed to invest in new construction and maintenance on projects with statewide benefit. The conference committee will be charged with ironing out differences between the $289 million House bill and the $306 million Senate version. Odd year bonding bills are usually done for state needs that cannot wait until the larger even-year bill.
"While there is consensus on many projects in the House and Senate bills," Pelowski said. "The larger compromise must come with the Governor, who submitted only $70 million in recommendations."
Pelowski said he hopes the House and Senate will work with the Governor to produce a bill that becomes law.
Added Pelowski, "Should the Conference Committee reach a significantly larger number than the Governor, the entire bill could be vetoed or individual projects could be line item vetoed."
The House Ways and Means Committee, which Pelowski also sits on, sent his bi-partisan bill that eliminates the Department of Employee Relations. The legislation spreads DOER's human resources and health insurance responsibilities across three existing departments and then eliminates the agency and the commissioner's salary. The Department of Finance will handle labor relations and human resources; the Department of Administration will manage worker's compensation, and the Department of Health will be responsible for purchasing health insurance for the 129,000 state employees and their dependents.
"I appreciate the bi-partisan cooperation I've received from the Governor and DOER commissioner Pat Anderson," Pelowski said. "What was originally expected to take more than a year will now be accomplished in a matter of months."
-30-
News Items
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI: MINNESOTA STATUTE 12A IMPROVES STATE DISASTER RECOVERY PROCESS AND DISASTER RELIEF PACKAGE - (Posted: 2012-08-24 00:00:00)
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI AND SEN. JEREMY MILLER SUPPORT TWO-BRIDGE PROPOSAL - (Posted: 2012-08-23 00:00:00)
- REP. GENE PELOWSKI: STATE DISASTER RECOVERY PACKAGE SHOULD FOLLOW PROCESS OUTLINED IN 12A AND INCLUDE PUBLIC INPUT - (Posted: 2012-08-16 00:00:00)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.