Dear Neighbors,
I hope you had a blessed Easter weekend and were able to spend time with family and loved ones. It was nice to be back home last week and take a bit of a break from the busyness of the legislature during our annual Easter break. We returned to St. Paul on Tuesday for the final 6 weeks of the 2024 legislative session.
On Wednesday, two bills I have authored received committee hearings.
The first bill, House File 5117, was heard in the Economic Development and Policy Committee and would provide a $10 million grant to the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Agency (AEOA) to construct a new service center. Just last year, AEOA provided 378,782 meals to 8,492 seniors across the program’s service area and provided services to over 38,000 people experiencing social and economic challenges.
Establishing a new regional hub for AEOA would help to enhance their operations and continue the incredible work they do serving seniors more cost-effectively and efficiently. I am proud to carry this important piece of legislation and to support the work AEOA does every day in our communities and across the region.
Joining me at the hearing and testifying in favor of the bill were Emily Simonson and Scott Zahorik both from the AEOA.
The second bill, House File 3669, would provide a grant to the city of Floodwood to design and construct improvements to the city's water and sewer infrastructure along County Road 832 (Floodwood Road).
Last year, we were able to secure partial funding for the Floodwood project and I am grateful that the committee was willing to give this year’s funding request a hearing. I am hopeful that we can get this final round of funding through the process so that the project can be completed. Thank you to Mayor Farrell for making the trip to St. Paul to testify in favor of this bill.
Last year’s bonding bill provided $1.5 million to the City of Floodwood for improvements to water and sewer infrastructure along County Road 8, Trunk Highway 8, and Trunk Highway 73. My bill would allocate an additional $1.35 million to the city to finish the project.
Staying in Touch
Stay tuned for more updates from St. Paul as the legislative session unfolds. In the meantime, please continue to reach out to my office for any questions, comments, or concerns about the bills, ideas, and issues that matter to all of us at the Capitol! Also, please make sure to share this link with anyone who may be interested in signing up for my newsletter: https://rb.gy/5slax9.
Contact me by phone at 651-296-4936 or via email at rep.spencer.igo@house.mn.gov.
Have a great weekend!
Spencer