Dear Neighbor,
Before we get to official business, I want to congratulate the Kimball Cubs high school baseball team for making its first trip to the state tournament. This is a great accomplishment and we are proud of the way you represented our area.
As for an update from the Capitol, the Legislature conducted a special session Friday and early Saturday morning. The main objective was to re-pass three budget bills that were vetoed after we adjourned from the regular session in May. In the end, there were not a lot of changes to those bills, however there were some improvements.
The three budget bills include: Agriculture and Environment; Jobs and Economic Development; and K-12 Education. The House also approved two other bills: Capital Investment; and Legacy.
Here is a quick summary of each bill that was enacted:
AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
The ag/environment package we passed provides nearly $23 million to combat the statewide avian influenza outbreak. This is great news for Stearns County, one of the state's top counties for turkey production and home to Gold n' Plump. Another provision in the bill addresses buffer strips, the legislation which passed is a compromise on the buffer strip proposal and a requirement of 16.5-foot buffers (one rod) on all public ditches was included.
JOBS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
This bill provides funding to address a shortage of workforce housing in Greater Minnesota, conduct STEM internships and make job training grants available. The bill makes $10.6 million available in broadband grants to help increase access in Greater Minnesota. Unemployment assistance also is included in the bill for farmers impacted by the avian influenza outbreak and also for laid-off workers on the Iron Range.
K-12 EDUCATION
The final K-12 package includes $525 million in additional funding, a 2-percent increase in each 2016 and 2017. The governor's universal pre-K proposal was not in the final bill. Instead, $95 million is provided targeted funding for pre-K scholarships and school readiness aid so we can direct support where it is needed the most. Provisions to help Greater Minnesota include additional funding for school districts to maintain their facilities and reform to address teacher shortages.
CAPITAL INVESTMENT
The Legislature passed a $180 package in the special session, with notable provisions including:
-
Capitol renovations ($33 million)
-
Transportation ($32 million)
-
Two facilities related to animal diseases ($27 million)
-
Flood prevention/disaster relief ($23 million)
LEGACY
The Legacy bill appropriates $540 million in revenue derived from the Legacy Amendment voters approved in 2008 to support Minnesota's water, outdoors, arts, and parks and trails. The House did pass this bill in the regular session, but the Senate did not take action so it had to be picked up again in the special session.
The budget that was enacted is the third-lowest percent increase in general fund spending in over 50 years. The completed budget results in a 5.3-percent general fund spending increase from biennium to biennium.
It will be interesting to see how things unfold after the dust settles on our new budget. There are many improvements set to take effect, but much work remains as we prepare for 2016. It disappoints me the insistence by some that we pass the largest gas tax in state history prevented a comprehensive House transportation proposal and tax reduction plan from becoming reality. We prevented the gas-tax increase from passing, but will need to get back to work on a long-term transportation plan next year. Also, we will look to revisit the tax reductions the House proposed, such as eliminating the state tax on Social Security benefits, which were blocked this year.
I hope you have a good summer and please stay in touch. Look for continued periodic updates from me as we make our way through the legislative interim.
Good luck,
Jeff