Dear Neighbors,
We had another busy week at the Capitol. A couple of key items: Legislation to reform the Minnesota Sports Facilities Authority moved through committees with bipartisan support, and the House adopted its permanent rules. Here is an update with the latest news from Saint Paul.
Highway 10: The Greater Minnesota Gateway
On Wednesday, I dropped a bill (House File 1286, see: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF1286&ssn=0&y=2017) that allocates bonding dollars for several key U.S. Highway 10 projects.
Before delving into the specifics of the legislation I would like to extend a big thank you to all the folks working together on this corridor; in particular officials and staff with the Cities of Anoka and Ramsey and Anoka County. For more on our efforts to improve the Greater MN Gateway, please see: http://www.anokacounty.us/2521/Greater-MN-Gateway.
House File 1286 specifically appropriates funding to complete an environmental review, land acquisition, engineering and the construction of improvements to Hwy 10 and supporting frontage roads from Hanson Boulevard in Coon Rapids to Armstrong Boulevard in Ramsey.
Key transportation projects funded in the bill include the Fairoak Avenue underpass and West Main Street interchange in Anoka; an additional traffic lane in each direction of Hwy 10 between Hanson Boulevard and Round Lake Boulevard in Coon Rapids; an interchange at Thurston Avenue and frontage road improvements in Anoka; an interchange at Ramsey Boulevard and frontage road improvements in Ramsey; and an interchange and frontage road improvements at Sunfish Lake Boulevard in Ramsey.
Altogether, the projects total $171.2 million. While I and others working on this understand it is a substantial request, we believe it is important to show the needs in this area are great. Indeed, even if we only gain traction on one or a few of these projects (listed in order of priority in the bill itself), it would be a step in the right direction to increase safety and help ease traffic flow during the rush hour congestion.
Notably, the bill has bipartisan support and has been referred to the House Transportation Finance Committee. I will keep you updated on the bill’s progress this session.
For some in depth background on the Highway 10 corridor, see the following link to a 2014 study from MnDOT, Anoka County, The Met Council, and Bolton & Menk: http://www.anokacounty.us/DocumentCenter/View/6257 (NOTE: One of the priority projects listed in the study was funded and is now complete, that is the Armstrong Interchange).
University of MN Medical Students
This week, I had the pleasure to meet with a group of medical students from the University of Minnesota.
During their visit, we discussed a few health care policies being advanced at the Capitol, including our shared support for the sunset of the 2 percent provider tax (currently the Governor's budget proposal suggests we extend this tax, rather than sunsetting it, which would amount to a $1.4 billion tax on doctor visits).
It was great to meet these students who are dedicated to caring for future generations, and I appreciated their input on health care policy.
Staying in Touch
Please know my office is available should you need assistance on a matter of state government. I can be reached by phone at 651-296-1729 or via email at rep.abigail.whelan@house.mn. I also welcome your input and ideas on legislation and matters moving through the Minnesota House. I am here to serve you! Thank you for the honor and privilege of being your state representative.
Have a wonderful weekend!
Abigail