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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Abigail Whelan (R)

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Legislative Update from Rep. Abigail Whelan (03.31.17)

Friday, March 31, 2017

Dear Neighbors,

House Republicans began debating and passing omnibus budget bills this week. Here is an update with the latest news from the Capitol.

Transportation Bills

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Testifying on HF 1286 before the Transportation Finance Committee with Anoka County Commissioner Matt Look

This week the Transportation Finance Committee held an informational hearing on a variety of projects throughout the state.

I presented three transportation bonding bills that could be included in future legislation before the committee. The first bill, House File 1286, appropriates funding to complete an environmental review, land acquisition, engineering and the construction on Hwy 10 and supporting frontage roads from Hanson Blvd in Coon Rapids to Armstrong Blvd in Ramsey. The total project totals over $171.2 million. In committee, I acknowledged that while it is a large ask, I believe it is important to provide a picture of the overall need. Individual projects within the bill are listed in order of priority, acknowledging the state has a limited amount of resources and if decisions will ultimately be made to fund even a portion of the need, we should direct dollars where they are most needed first.

The second bill heard was House File 1044 which will appropriate $20 million for the construction of a highway-rail grade separation at the intersection of Hwy 47 and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad crossing in Anoka. This project is important for the safety or commuters and families, with thousands of cars and as many as 80 trains passing through there each day.

Finally, House File 1435 will appropriate $11.5 million to create a highway-rail grade separation project in Ramsey at Ramsey Blvd under the Burlington Santa Fe railroad. It would fund the engineering, design, and right-of-way acquisition for construction of the underpass.

Notably, both this crossing and the Hwy 47 rail grade separation are on the Minnesota Department of Transportation's (MnDOT) list of the top 15 rail grade crossings in need of upgrades (as is the Rail Crossing on Sunfish; for more, see http://www.dot.state.mn.us/govrel/reports/2014/CBRCrossingStudy-December2014/AppendixC-PriorityGradeSeparationRecommendations.pdf).

All of these transportation projects are important for our community, and I am pleased they received hearings this week. I will keep you updated.

Omnibus Bills

The House began to debate and pass omnibus budget bills this week that fund essential parts of state government. After the House and Senate pass all of our respective budget bills, we will enter into negotiations/conference committees with the Senate and negotiations with governor to come up with a final compromise.

  • The Omnibus Tax Bill: The tax bill passed Thursday. It would provide $1.35 billion in meaningful tax relief for families, seniors, hometown businesses, college graduates with student loan debt, farmers and the hardworking taxpayers of our state. I am particularly excited about the provision to reduce the tax on Social Security income was included in the bill, which will benefit thousands of seniors living on a fixed income.
  • The Environment Omnibus Bill: Also passed on Thursday, it will help protect our environment while also reducing burdensome, unnecessary regulations that impact communities, businesses and citizens.
  • The Education Omnibus Bill: This bill invests $1.1 billion more into education over last biennium. This includes, among other things, an increase to the per-pupil formula of 1.25 percent each year and $24.6 million more for early learning scholarships that give families the choice to choose an early education program that works best for their child. It also makes a number of meaningful reforms to improve student learning and keep the best teachers in the classroom.
  • The Transportation Omnibus Bill: This bill lays the framework for our 10-year, $6 billion investment in our transportation infrastructure, without raising taxes. Also, a provision I carried on MnDOT's project selection process was included in the bill. I believe along with others that this will increase transparency between MnDOT and local stakeholders and communities, among other things.

I will keep you updated on these and more omnibus budget bills that move forward in the House.

Hometown News and Events

Anoka Home and Garden Tour

While the Anoka Home and Garden Tour is not until July, you can nominate yourself or a neighbor to be featured on the tour. Anoka is home to many beautiful properties and this is a fantastic event! More information about the event and how to submit a nomination can be found here.

Ramsey Business Expo April 1-TOMORROW!

Around 50 businesses will participate in the city of Ramsey’s Annual Business Expo which will run from 10 AM to 2 PM at the Fountains of Ramsey tomorrow. There will also be activities for kids including face painting and balloon art. More information can be found here.

Congressional Art Competition

Congressman Emmer announced that his office will be accepting submissions for the annual Congressional Art Competition. All submissions must be submitted by May 1st. More information can be found here.

Constituent Visits

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Constituents with AFSCME were at the Capitol this week--thanks for visiting, as always!

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