Bonding Bill Introduced
Today the House DFL introduced the bonding bill. The bill includes funding for three projects in the Shakopee area including; $2,162,00 for the Highway 169 Regional Trail Connection, $4,975,000 for Minnesota riverbank stabilizations, and $60,000 for the design of a Scott County Innovation Center. Each of these projects would significantly benefit Shakopee and our local economy. As our economy heads towards a downturn, local bonding projects like these will go a long way towards creating jobs and providing an economic boost to Shakopee’s economy. The language of the proposal to be considered is available here. A spreadsheet of included projects can be found here.
House Ratifies State Employee Contracts
Today, the House voted to ratify state employee contracts, HF 2768. Approximately 50,000 state employees are covered under these contracts, which are currently in effect. State employees include nurses on the front lines of COVID-19, cleaning and sanitation workers, public health workers doing the essential job of testing, monitoring, tracing, and mitigating COVID-19 in Minnesota, and many other positions that make Minnesota tick. They are integral to the function of our state and without their hard work and dedication this current crisis would be far worse.
Shakopee Public Utilities Bill
In 1950's, a simple majority vote from the Shakopee City Council split the Shakopee Public Utilities away from the City of Shakopee. More often than not, Shakopee Public Utilities does not always operate in the best interests of our community. Today, Rep. Tabke introduced House File 4658. This bill allows the City of Shakopee to reacquire Shakopee Public Utilities with a simple majority vote of the City Council. The bill also allows the option of a public referendum if requested by Shakopee residents.This bill will not pass this session but will serve as a potential roadmap for where we could go in the future if the City of Shakopee and Shakopee Public Utilities are unable to create a positive working relationship with keeping both the cost-effective delivery of services and Shakopee residents in mind.
Brad Tabke, State Representative | Rep.Brad.Tabke@house.mn
Eric Petersen, Legislative Assistant | Eric.Petersen@house.mn