ST. PAUL – July 1 was the official starting date for Minnesota's new state budget cycle, which means a number of important new laws for Pine and Kanabec Counties have now been implemented according to State Representative Jason Rarick (R-Pine City).
"We prioritized our schools, our nursing homes, and the needs of Greater Minnesota this past session and these new laws reflect these decisions," Rarick said.
Rarick helped approve $525 million in new funding for schools statewide during the 2015 session. This translates into significant per pupil funding increases through Fiscal Year 2017. Under the new law, the Pine City School District will receive a $453 per pupil increase, Hinckley-Finlayson School District will see $444, East Central gains $415 per pupil, Mora will receive $407, and Willow River tallies $343.
There's also new revenue for local nursing homes, as Essentia Health in Sandstone will receive $1.3 million in new funds from a new health care law, while the Benedictine Living Community (St. Clare's) in Mora will see $884,000, and the Lakeside Medical Center in Pine City will collect an additional $341,000.
In addition, a new transportation funding law allocates $12.5 million to towns with fewer than 5,000 residents in order to help them pay for street improvement and pothole repair projects. 18 communities within Pine and Kanabec counties in House District 11B will benefit from this new statewide revenue stream.
"There are literally dozens of provisions in these new laws, covering all areas of state government, that benefit Greater Minnesota over the next two years," Rarick concluded.