St. Paul, Minnesota – On the first day of the 2014 Legislative Session, the Minnesota House of Representatives passed legislation chief authored by state Representative Joe Radinovich (DFL – Crosby) to increase funding to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The House suspended the rules to pass the bill immediately after it received an informational hearing in the House Commerce Committee on Monday. The bill passed unanimously.
The bill would appropriate $20 million from the state’s General Fund for fiscal year 2014 and any unspent funds as of June 30, 2014 would return to the General Fund. Minnesota’s propane shortage amidst high demand led to skyrocketing prices and increased applications for energy assistance.
In January, the Commerce Department took steps to increase LIHEAP Crisis payments from $500 to $1,000 for applicants currently heating their homes with propane and heating oil. Governor Dayton also declared a peacetime state of emergency in response to the propane shortage.
“Without this legislation, this critical program will run out of funding in early March,” said Rep. Radinovich. “As another round of extreme cold hits the state, we need to make sure that every Minnesotan can heat their home and can get assistance if they need it. This is another instance where Minnesotans will come together to help those in need.”
As of February 20, 108,268 Minnesota households have been approved and are receiving assistance, with another 22,918 waiting to have their eligibility determined. 23,171 households have already received crisis assistance, up from 14,033 at this time last year.
Rep. Radinovich encourages constituents to contact him with any questions, comments, concerns, or ideas on any legislative topic. Rep. Radinovich can be reached by phone at 651-296-2365 or by email at rep.joe.radinovich@house.mn. Constituents can also visit Rep. Radinovich’s legislative page and sign up for email updates.