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State Representative Kim Norton
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-9249
For more information contact: Charlene Briner 651-296-5809
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REPRESENTATIVES NORTON, LIEBLING AND WELTI LAUD SPECIAL SESSION DECISION
ST. PAUL, MN - State Representatives Tina Liebling, Andy Welti and Kim Norton satisfaction with Governor Pawlenty's announcement that he will call a special session tomorrow to deal with flood relief assistance for southeastern Minnesota.
"It's been over three weeks since the floods washed away much of southeastern Minnesota," said Assistant Majority Leader Tina Liebling. "The magnitude of the tragedy demands that we come together quickly to get vital resources on the ground for people in desperate need of help and hope."
Initial projections by FEMA put damage estimates in excess of $67 million dollars, but it is widely agreed that numbers will go up considerably. The $121 million relief package will use a mix of cash, bonding and trunk highway funds to provide assistance with everything from debris removal and emergency vehicle replacement, to repair of roads, bridges and other public infrastructure.
"Thousands of homes and businesses have been damaged or destroyed, key infrastructure lies in ruin, and people's lives have been turned upside down," said Representative Kim Norton. "Current damage estimates are in the tens of millions, and the road to recovery looks daunting, so it's welcome news that the state will be able to step in to fill some of most pressing needs."
Also included in the recovery package are funds to provide state matches for FEMA disaster payments, aid to school districts that will suffer declining enrollment and increased transportation costs, property tax abatements and local aid to governments impacted by the flooding. A provision brought forward by Liebling to provide assistance to childcare providers who suffered flood damage is also part of the funding package.
Commenting on the Governor's announcement that the legislature would be back into session in little more than 24 hours, State Representative Andy Welti said, "We can't move too quickly for the people who have lost their homes and their livelihoods. It will be a long time, maybe even years, before our region is fully recovered, but the state aid package, coupled with the federal assistance and the resilience of the hardworking people of southeastern Minnesota will give us a good start."
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