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State Representative Jeanne Poppe
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4193
For more information contact: Sandy Connolly 651-296-8877
NEWS COLUMN
SAFER ROADS AND BRIDGES MUST BE OUR GOAL
On Thursday night, the Minnesota House and Senate passed a comprehensive and responsible transportation funding package. This bill is the first significant investment in our transportation system in two decades, and was truly a compromise effort built with bipartisan deliberation, thought and discussion. It is rare to have such a wide coalition addressing the problems and needs facing our state. The bill received the support of the Coalition of Greater MN Cities, MN State Patrol Troopers Association, County and City Engineers Associations, MN Farm Bureau and MN Farmers Union, and the MN Chamber of Commerce.
I supported this bill because I believe the time has come to address the dire condition of our transportation system. Mower and Fillmore Counties have the most deficient bridges in the state, and our roads are badly in need of repair. This bill will provide over $13 million in additional funding for Fillmore County over the next 10 years; Mower County will receive over $12 million in new funding for roads and bridges. The city of Austin can expect to receive over $3 million over the next ten years. While it can be hard to put a price tag on the value of a sound transportation plan, this new funding will undoubtedly ease our minds by providing safer roads and bridges on which to travel, and reduce the time we spend on the road. Ultimately, it is also expected to save taxpayers millions in maintenance and construction costs in the future.
In addition to the benefits we will enjoy with improved roads and bridges, this legislation also addresses the growing need in our state for good jobs. Over the past several months, we have lost approximately 23 thousand jobs in Minnesota. When the bids are let and the road and bridge construction jobs begin, thousands of jobs will be created across the state. In fact, it is estimated that 33 thousand new jobs will be created in Minnesota this year – and every year for the next five years.
The bill has now moved on to the Governor. Although he has pledged to veto this legislation, I believe this year there is a growing realization among legislators, citizens and the business community alike that we can no longer wait to address our transportation crisis. We witnessed the worst possible disaster last August with the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, and dozens of local and state bridges in our state currently have a lower efficiency rating than this bridge had at the time of the collapse. Safer and stronger roads and bridges must be our goal; this bill makes real progress for our state's transportation and transit system, and is an opportunity that may not come along again.
Please continue to contact me with your suggestions and feedback. I can be reached by phone at 1-888-682-3180 or 1-651-296-4193, by mail at 231 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155 or via e-mail at rep.jeanne.poppe@house.mn. If you would like to stay more closely in touch with what is happening at the legislature, visit my website at http://www.house.mn/27B or the House of Representatives website at www.house.mn.
News Items
- POPPE SELECTED AS AGRICULTURE POLICY COMMITTEE CHAIR - (Posted: 2012-11-16 00:00:00)
- Rep. Jeanne Poppe Encourages High School Juniors to Apply for Minnesota House of Representatives Page Program - Application Deadline is November 19th - (Posted: 2012-11-12 00:00:00)
- HORMEL INSTITUTE EXPANSION SIGNED INTO LAW - 2012 legislative session adjourns sine die - (Posted: 2012-05-11 00:00:00)
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