Dear Neighbor,
It has been a big week of passing omnibus finance bills on the House floor. By week’s end, it appears the House will have provided initial passage for a complete set of budget bills. Conference committees will resolve differences between House and Senate versions of these bills so they can come to the floor for final approval, upon which they would be sent to the governor for his action.
Among omnibus bills, transportation has been a big subject of discussion as we look for a solution that would improve our roads and bridges. The plan which recently received House approval would set the table to invest $6 billion over the next 10 years in the state’s transportation needs without raising taxes.
The proposal creates a new fund of existing tax revenue streams called the Transportation Priorities Fund. This fund would use current transportation-related state tax revenues (on such things as the purchase of auto parts) to invest $450 million in new dollars for roads and bridges.
The transportation proposal would fund:
- $25 million for the Small Cities Road Assistance program
- $300 million for Corridors of Commerce program
- $35 million for rail grade crossings
- Funding to repair or replace all 97 bridges on MnDOT's local bridge priority list
The House also approved a K-12 finance package which invests $1.1 billion more in education over the previous budget level, targets more than $300 million for proven early learning programs, and works to attract and keep the best teachers in the classroom.
Yesterday, the House approved two omnibus bills related to agriculture – one related to finance and a separate policy package I authored. Both received strong bipartisan support on the floor.
As for ag policy, the bill I authored as chairman of that respective House committee includes measures to update the Farmer-Lender Mediation Act, extend the fledgling dairy initiative at the U of M, and make permanent an agriculture leadership council. Click here for a news release I issued on the overall bill.
On the finance side, the bill we passed prioritizes plant and habitat health. Some top provisions include funding for:
- Ag emergencies, such as tractor rollovers, Avian Flu, and noxious weeds.
- Rapid response to plant pests and pathogens.
- Growing and diversifying our agro-economy, in areas like industrial hemp and biofuel.
- Continued support for production agriculture research, farm safety, Ag Education, and youth development.
- Creating a dedicated Pollinator Habitat and Research account.
Stay tuned for news on other budget bills soon. Until then, your input always is welcome and enjoy the warm weather this weekend.
Sincerely,
Paul