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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Jim Knoblach (R)

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LOCAL PROVISIONS RECEIVE FINAL APPROVAL

Monday, May 23, 2016

 

ST. PAUL – State Rep. Jim Knoblach, R-St. Cloud, Monday highlighted the passage of the state supplemental finance bill, which he authored, and provisions for the St. Cloud area included within the bill:

  • Early childhood learning: Provides $430,000 in funding for a pilot project at St. Cloud District 742 to be used for creating morning and afternoon preschool sections, consisting of low-income students and English language learners at three elementary schools.
  • Cold Spring water: Puts Cold Spring Brewing and the City of Cold Spring on a track to resolving their water and economic development problems caused by the trout stream that runs through town.
  • Additional funds for District 742 (estimated to be $500,000) to help low performing students through the Tony Sanneh Foundation founded by St. Paul native and retired professional soccer player Tony Sanneh.
  • Provides $180,000 of funding for the St. Cloud Human Rights office.
  • Funding for helping deal with invasive aquatic species at Lake Koronis.
  • Funeral homes: Allows funeral homes with branches that don't have preparation rooms on site to stay open. Without this bill, such funeral homes (like the Daniel Funeral Home in St. Joseph) will be required to close by June 30, 2017 or add a prep room at a potential cost of $100,000 or more. This issue affects small towns throughout the state.
  • Centers for Independent Living: Provides additional funding for Centers for Independent Living, which helps handicapped people live independently.
  • Services to the Blind: Provides additional funding for Services to the Blind, which helps older adults becoming blind stay in their homes.
  • State income taxes will no longer apply to veterans pension benefits.
  • People who have a stillborn birth will now get a state tax credit of $2000. The rationale for this bill is that children that die shortly after birth are eligible for the federal dependent tax deduction, but children who are stillborn get no tax benefits.

"I am pleased with the outcome of my bill, which remains fiscally conservative while providing some needed tax reductions and state spending investments," Knoblach said. "However, I was disappointed in the Senate not passing the bonding and transportation bill we had passed in a timely manner, which led to no bill being passed at all. Hopefully we can have a quick special session to again pass this bill, which would have further benefits to the St. Cloud area."

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