Neighbors,
The 2022 legislative session began Jan. 31. It’s great to be back at the Capitol working with my colleagues to serve the people of Minnesota and our area!
I recently announced that 2022 will be my last year as your state representative, as I plan to retire at the end of my term. At the age of 65 and after 35 years of service to our state and community, it’s time to try new things and to spend more time with my family and those fun grandchildren. You can read my full retirement statement here. Thank you so much for giving me the honor to serve you.
Despite my retirement I will continue to work my heart out to support the terrific residents of District 4B and make investments in our state that benefit everyone and build a stronger future. Minnesota has a record $7.7 billion budget surplus, and there are things we can do as legislators to reduce costs, boost family budgets, and support small businesses.
Speaking of small businesses, there is a Feb. 28 deadline to apply for the Main Street Economic Revitalization Program. DEED will award $41 million in grants to partner organizations to establish programs targeting specific main streets and commercial corridors in their regions that will, in turn, fund economic development and redevelopment projects. More information about the application process is available here. Please reach out to me and my staff if I can be of assistance with the application process.
I will have more news to report in the coming days and weeks, when Minnesota receives an updated budget forecast and committee chairs begin assembling supplemental budget bills in areas like public education, health care, workforce development, and more.
Please continue to share your questions, ideas, and concerns by emailing rep.paul.marquart@house.mn or calling 1-800-551-5520. This legislative session is a new opportunity to meet the enormous needs of our senior citizens, small businesses, working families, and farmers. I’m committed to putting rural Minnesota first and making sure our communities receive the resources we deserve.
Sincerely,
Paul Marquart
State Representative