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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
Transportation Bill sent to governor
By State Rep. Paul Anderson
Several smaller bills, back from conference committees, have been approved by the Minnesota House and should soon be on their way to the Governor’s desk. The Transportation Finance Bill and the Environment Finance Bill were voted on earlier, while the Workforce Development Spending Bill was approved May 5.
The Transportation Bill is notable for a couple of reasons. First, it contains no tax increases, even though revenue collections through the gas tax, vehicle registrations, and sales tax on the sale and lease of vehicles are below earlier estimates. The most current number is that revenue is under forecast in these categories by $155 million.
The bill does several good things for rural transit, services like Rainbow Rider in Pope and Douglas Counties. It changes their payment stream from the state and gives them additional funding earlier in the year and will help greatly with their cash flow needs.
This bill also holds funding for the Minnesota State Patrol flat with the current year. When the bill left the House earlier, funding for the patrol was cut somewhat. At the insistence of the Governor, that funding was restored in conference committee.
On the negative side, funding for maintenance of our state roads was cut by $17 million.
The Transportation Bill is also noteworthy for something it doesn’t contain. The primary offense seat belt law, which was pushed hard this session, was taken out of the bill.
All in all, this was a decent bill. Although the funding cut for maintenance wasn’t good, in these economic times, the bill was a good compromise. Early indications point to it having a good chance of being signed into law.
The Workforce Development bill is designed to do just that … provide jobs. However, it contained one provision that sends a confusing signal to state residents. Among the many aspects of the bill is a provision that forgives a $32 million loan to the city of St. Paul. The original loan was designed to help bring professional hockey back to the state and assist in the construction of the Xcel Energy Center. Now, the city wants to use what’s left of the original loan to finance another hockey facility across the street from the “X.” Among other things, the new sheet of ice would be used by the Minnesota Wild as a practice facility.
That one provision was debated long and hard. It just doesn’t seem right for our state, facing a $4.6 billion deficit, to be forgiving a $32 million loan. A motion to send the bill back to conference committee failed, and the measure eventually passed. Its future is uncertain.
It would appear that the Legislature will go right down to the wire before its mandated May 18 adjournment. Three major bills will be the biggest threat to not finishing on time. They include the Tax Bill, the K-12 Education Bill, and the Health and Human Services Bill.
MnDOT will begin a couple of projects in Stearns County this month funded with federal stimulus money. One calls for the installation of four-cable high tension wire in the Interstate 94 median from Highway 71 in Sauk Centre and proceeding west 12 miles to the Douglas-Todd county line.
The other project calls for the removal and replacement of the bridge deck on Stearns County Road 186 where it passes over the interstate east of Sauk Centre. This $1.8 million project is expected to be finished by the end of October. It will necessitate a 10-mile detour making use of Highway 71, I-94, and Highway 4.
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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.
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