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

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REP. WHELAN RELEASES STATEMENT ON PASSAGE OF SENATE FILE 1

Tuesday, January 27, 2015

News Release

 

Rep. Whelan Releases Statement on the Passage of Senate File 1

St. Paul, MN- A bill that will provide $17 million dollars for recovery efforts in the wake of last summer’s flooding passed the House yesterday. Senate File 1 cancels previously enacted but unspent dollars from past natural disaster bills in 2011 and 2012 and includes $2.2 million in new spending. Also included is $3 million one-time appropriation from the general fund to match federal aid to repair local roads and bridges that were damaged in the flooding. Funding for cleanup efforts in Anoka County are included in the package.

“It was extremely important that we were able to pass this bill in a timely manner in order to see that those in Anoka County as well as communities around the state, that were affected by last year’s floods, are able to receive the aid that they need to continue the cleanup effort,” said Whelan. “I am pleased that the Senate passed this bill late last week and that it will be heading to the Governor’s desk for his signature sometime in the coming days.”

The package includes $13 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency match, as well as smaller appropriations for disaster spending by the Department of Transportation ($3 million) and the Board of Water and Soil Resources ($2.5 million). It also provides around $5 million for state-only disaster relief spending through the state’s recently created natural disaster contingency fund.

This relief is in response to statewide flooding which occurred last June and July, eliciting a federal disaster declaration. It covers 47 counties and three tribal governments.

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