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State Representative Joyce Peppin
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-7806
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE IN THE TIME OF NEED
By Joyce Peppin
State Representative
Since the end of the 2007 regular session there has been a lot of talk about a possible special session to address transportation needs and resurrect the vetoed tax bill. On Sept. 11 the Legislature indeed met in a special session called by Governor Pawlenty, but there were no bills introduced to address either of these issues.
Instead, the special session was devoted to appropriating emergency funds for the cities and flood victims in southeastern Minnesota so they can recover from the devastating floods that occurred just a few weeks ago. Special sessions are designed to deal with emergencies, and the torrential rains that were experienced by our fellow Minnesotans certainly qualify as an emergency.
The flood relief package appropriated $146,609,000 in state dollars from bonding and other accounts. This money will be used to help rebuild infrastructure in the area and provide for public safety needs. In total, $20.5 million was designated for public safety needs. Twenty million was designated to repair roads and bridges that were wiped out as a result of the flooding.
I voted in favor of the flood relief package. The people of southeastern Minnesota have needs that resulted from this disaster that required legislative action. With disaster striking last fall in Rogers, our area is acutely aware of the need for state assistance. When disaster strikes, the state should help people and businesses get back on their feet, regardless of where or when it happens.
And what about the other issues for which our legislative leaders have been sparring? I applaud Gov. Pawlenty for exercising leadership and offering to reconsider a gas tax increase in the aftermath of the I-35 bridge collapse in exchange for dropping the wheelage fee, sales tax and other taxes that appeared in the 2007 transportation bill. Unfortunately, members of the majority party were not willing to compromise and are not willing to bond a significant amount of money for transportation. As a result, there will not be a special session to address transportation funding. Likewise, there was no compromise on the tax bill, so we will have to wait until next session for the promise of property tax relief.
I am glad to see that the Legislature was able to come together and conduct a short session that allowed us to provide the necessary funds to help our fellow Minnesotans recover from their disaster. The other issues will have to wait.
I am still looking for folks to participate on advisory committees to help advise me on legislation in a number of policy areas. Please contact me if you are interested in helping out.
News Items
- PEPPIN REPORT: FORECAST SHOWS THIRD CONSECUTIVE STATE SURPLUS - (Posted: 2012-12-06 00:00:00)
- A Look Ahead to the 2012 Legislative Session - (Posted: 2012-01-26 00:00:00)
- A Call to Caucus - (Posted: 2012-02-04 00:00:00)
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