Accessibility menu
State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
NEWS COLUMN
Veterans and Ag Finance Bill difficult.
By state Rep. Paul Anderson
Our Veterans and Ag Finance Committee met and worked on its Omnibus Bill April 7, and it was difficult. The spending target given to us by the Ways and Means Committee was $17 million less than what the Governor had proposed for vets’ programs and the Dept. of Agriculture.
With our service men and women returning from war overseas, the need to fully fund vets’ programs is increasing. And with the overall spending number reduced, some ag programs were cut, some more than they should have been. With only so much funding to work with, there were not many choices available.
Some of the ag programs scaled back by this bill are the diary profitability program, ethanol producer payments, and the plant pest survey.
Also passed during the week on the House floor was a $200 million bonding bill. Although lower by nearly $130 million than the Senate version, it’s still larger than what the Governor had said he’d support. A conference committee will now meet and try to work out a compromise.
Most of the funding in the House version ($78 million) would go for renovation projects at the University of Minnesota and the State College System. Another large chunk ($74 million) would go for transportation, human services, and to the Metropolitan Council.
I voted against the measure because it contained several items that seem unnecessary in these tight budget times. And also because it didn’t contain enough funding for flood relief in the Red River Valley. Less than $13 million was designated for flood mitigation, and all agree that number falls way short of what will be needed in northwestern Minnesota. So there is already talk of yet another bill to provide additional funding for that.
One of the breakfasts we attended last week was a benefit for the baseball team at St. Martin. Not being able to find a parking spot was our first clue that this was a large event. Visited with team manager Carl Lieser afterwards and he reported that more than 1,700 were served. With the breakfast in its 28th year, the St. Martin team has used this event as a major fund raiser. “We had a great turnout,” Lieser added, “and we’re very happy with the support we receive.”
The team is coming off an outstanding year, 22-6 and a state tournament berth last season. Their first game is coming up April 19, weather permitting. With a new lighting system and a beautiful park, most of their games are played in the evening, on Friday and Saturday nights.
The state Legislature took a break for Easter and Passover. We were off from April 8-13. Then it’s back for a five-week stretch that, hopefully, culminates with a budget resolution. There is much work remaining, with most omnibus budget bills being finalized in the next week.
May you have (or hope you had) a blessed holiday spent with family and friends. This is a wonderful time of year as Spring makes its arrival. Thanks for the honor.
--30--
Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his new office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
News Items
- ANDERSON TAKES HOUSE OATH - (Posted: Jan 8 2013 12:00AM)
- Legislative begins this week - (Posted: Jan 11 2013 3:36PM)
- Current surplus allows K-12 repayment - (Posted: Dec 10 2012 12:00AM)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.