Dear Neighbors,
It was another busy week in St. Paul. Here is an update from the Capitol.
Jobs Omnibus Bill
On Wednesday, the House passed the Jobs and Energy Omnibus bill which will provide cheaper and cleaner energy to the people of Minnesota in the future.
Some of the major changes in the bill involve reforms to our renewable energy standard, allowing the state to count other forms of clean energy like hydroelectric to meet requirements. It also includes incentives for propane and natural gas electric vehicles to help reduce pollution.
Several provisions in the bill I authored and advanced this session will have a positive impact on Northwest Minnesota. One of my items in the bill was brought to me from our local rural electric co-ops. Their number one legislative priority was net metering reform, adding transparency and updating our current laws.
Also important in the Jobs and Energy Omnibus Bill is workforce housing provisions including my bill, HF 422. The workforce housing shortage in our communities and other parts of Greater Minnesota is a crisis that prevents our businesses from hiring and attracting desperately needed skilled workers. Investing in workforce housing will help bring these folks and their families to our towns, broadening our workforce base and improving the quality of life in Northwest Minnesota.
I believe Republicans are offering a real solution to a real problem in Greater Minnesota when it comes to workforce housing, energy and job growth.
Environment Omnibus Bill
On Friday, the House took up the Environment Omnibus Bill. This legislation also includes several initiatives I authored that will streamline state government and benefit Greater Minnesota.
First, HF 690 included in the omnibus legislation would fund a 404 permitting feasibility study, looking to see if the state would do a better, more expedited job of issuing these permits. The Army Corps of Engineers, currently in charge of processing these permits, often experience lengthy delays, increasing the cost of projects and making it more difficult to plan road construction and repair. Many Minnesota county commissioners and engineers have expressed support for these changes.
Also included in the Environment Omnibus Bill is MPCA reforms. We all want clean water in Minnesota, but the MPCA also needs to be responsive to community needs and citizen input. House Files 616 and 617 both change the way the MPCA works with wastewater treatment facilities. If the MPCA decides that water is not in compliance with their standards, it can mean millions in costs to taxpayers to make changes regardless of how close the water is to meeting standards. This can be a particularly expensive burden for small cities and towns.
The other MPCA bill, HF 1394 included in the omnibus legislation, gives citizens more impact and input regarding MPCA permitting by reforming the Citizens Board.
Finally, legislation I authored as part of the larger environment bill allows private truck wash facilities to work as part of feedlot operations without requiring additional permitting. This is a common sense change that will benefit farmers and those who transport livestock in Minnesota.
Transportation Omnibus Bill
On Tuesday, the House passed the Transportation Omnibus Bill which is also being called the Road and Bridge Act of 2015. This plan in total will invest $7 billion into our transportation infrastructure over the next decade without a gas tax increase.
For our community, important provisions include $254 million per year for counties, cities and townships, $33 million annually for cities with less than 5,000 people and $160 million for Greater Minnesota busing and transit.
In total, the plan will repair or replace more than 15,000 lane miles statewide and 320 bridges.
I keep hearing from folks in my district that they don't want more taxes in Northwest Minnesota, and that we should prioritize state government spending to place more toward our roads and bridges. The Road and Bridge Act does just that, and I'm proud to support a reasonable, sustainable transportation funding plan that doesn't take more from hardworking taxpayers.
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My door is always open to the needs and priorities of our area. Please feel free to let me know if I can be of assistance to you and your family. I am here to serve you!
Dan
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