SAINT PAUL, MN—The Minnesota House of Representatives approved the House Job Growth and Energy Affordability Omnibus bill Thursday on a vote of 76-55. The bill, SF1937, authored by Chair Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington, combines spending and policy provisions aimed at making energy in Minnesota cleaner and cheaper for consumers, and creating new and better paying jobs throughout the state.
“By cutting unnecessary regulations for energy providers and reinvesting money into effective clean energy programs, we are making our energy cleaner while lowering costs for consumers across the state,” Garofalo said. “We also concentrate on encouraging students enter the trades and retraining displaced workers in our blue-collar workforce; these industries make up the backbone of Greater Minnesota’s economy, and it’s essential that we invest in these areas for a stronger economic future in Minnesota.”
Highlights from this bill include:
- Improving vocational training for students wanting to enter the trades.
- Helping prevent displacement of blue collar workers in Greater Minnesota by providing grants to Minnesota businesses looking to expand, enabling them retrain workers in their communities for the jobs that become available.
- Reducing energy costs to consumers by reducing and streamlining the regulation process for energy providers.
- Reinvesting funding from ineffective programs into clean energy programs that benefit communities around our state, instead of a select few.
- Encouraging more infrastructure in our state by cutting fees on construction-related permits and inspections.
- Working to return over $700 million in unclaimed property back to Minnesotans.
- Aid to assist homeless families with children with housing.
- Funding to provide job training to veterans entering back into the civilian workforce after service.
The Senate passed their Jobs and Energy proposal last week, and conference committees set to begin following the legislature's Easter/Passover Break to work out differences between the two bills.
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