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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Paul Anderson (R)

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Happy 4th, new laws, constructin note and more

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Dear Neighbor,

 

The Anderson family sends its best wishes to you and yours for a happy Independence Day. Please celebrate safely and I hope you get some time to relax with friends and family as we honor our great nation.

 

If you travel Highway 29 between Glenwood and Alexandria, motorists are advised they may encounter delays starting Monday when construction is scheduled to begin on that road. Lane shifts and other delays are expected as workers start a two-year project by converting two lanes to four and constructing a roundabout two miles south of Alexandria.

 

July 1 marked the start of Minnesota's new fiscal year, meaning many new laws we passed into enactment this year went into effect. Notable changes pertain to increases in funding for nursing homes and education, along with a new provision that provides additional funding to small cities to help with road work.

 

The House proposed a comprehensive transportation package this year, but ultimately the compromised deal was a slimmed-down version that did include $12.5 million in road and bridge aid for the state’s smallest cities that do not receive County State-Aid Highway funding. That additional funding will help, but we need to do more for our roads and bridges for the long haul so look for us to pick up that subject again during the next legislative session.

 

K-12 education received an additional $525 million this year and the legislation we passed is aimed at creating a better balance between rural and metro schools. More money also is being provided to help schools maintain their facilities. Other provisions with Greater Minnesota in mind include early-learning programs and improvements in the teacher licensure process to help mitigate the teacher shortage that’s affecting a number of rural districts.

 

The nursing home funding increase of $138 million is something we in the House worked hard to pass and is viewed as a top accomplishment. Homes in our part of the state face significant challenges in not only attracting/keeping good workers, but in simply keeping their doors open. This issue is only going to grow since we have an aging society, so I am pleased with this additional funding we are providing. The additional funding will be made available in January.

 

A full list of new laws that went into effect July 1 is at this link: http://www.house.mn/hinfo/leginfo/0715nlrelease.pdf.

 

On a final note, I was disappointed but not surprised the governor increased the pay of around 30 agency heads by an average of $20,000 each yesterday. The governor first provided the raises in January, but the Legislature blocked that move. He had a one-day window to re-institute the raises on Wednesday and that is what he did.

Have a good Fourth.

 

Sincerely,

Paul