Roseau, MINN— In response to today’s launch of the “Year of Water Action” campaign by Governor Mark Dayton at the Minnesota State Fair, Representative Dan Fabian, R-Roseau, encouraged the governor to address water projects across the state right now.
“Why wait a year to address water issues when Governor Dayton could move forward with vital water quality projects across the state that were included in the bonding and tax bills today?” said Rep. Fabian. “Governor Dayton made a choice: he is blocking river clean up and the delivery of much-needed water to parts of southern Minnesota, and he is proceeding with a controversial train instead."
Highlights in the bonding bill related to water quality and infrastructure improvements include:
- $11.6 million for flood hazard mitigation
- $12.7 million for St. Louis River clean up (including $23.6 million federal matches in 2016 and 2018)
- $5 million for local road wetland replacement
- $70 million for wastewater and drinking water infrastructure
- $46.5 million for point source implementation
- $11.5 million for the Lewis and Clark Pipeline
Additionally, the vetoed tax bill also included $10 million annually for counties starting in 2017 to help them with costs related to the implementation of the new bipartisan buffer law.
“Governor Dayton, stop blocking vital water quality initiatives, meaningful middle-class tax relief and funding for road and bridge improvements,” concluded Rep. Fabian.
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Dan Fabian is the state representative for Roseau, Kittson and Marshall Counties, as well as the City of Thief River Falls. He encourages constituents to contact him with questions or opinions on any state legislative issue. Fabian may be reached at rep.dan.fabian@house.mn, 651.296.9635, or 429 State Office Building, 100 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.