By Rep. Paul Anderson
One piece of legislation that's gained attention in recent weeks is a proposal to end the shotgun slug zone for deer hunting in Minnesota. Roughly, in the areas south of I-94, rifles cannot be used during the season, while hunters in more northern parts of the state are allowed to use them. The range of high powered rifles far exceeds that of shotguns and slugs. In addition, they are more accurate, especially at longer distances.
My immediate concern is that of safety. The prairies of western and southern Minnesota are more wide open, with fewer trees and more farm land. Ammo from rifles will carry much farther, with little cover to stop an errant shot. I was surprised to learn from visiting with a DNR official that safety was not the primary reason for having a slug zone in the first place. It was to help the deer population stabilize and even increase in some areas. It was thought that since rifles are more accurate at longer distances, more deer would be harvested in areas where they were allowed.
Evidently, such thinking has changed because the DNR is now in favor of removing the slug zone in Minnesota, or at least they aren't speaking out in opposition to the move. In addition, the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association is in favor of it.
There was strong support for this change in regulation last year, and it may have passed then, were it not for the pandemic changing the priorities of the Legislature. I have had calls and emails on both sides of the issue, and I can see arguments for each. Deer hunting is a long-standing tradition for many families in our state, and this is important to them.
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It was announced recently that four internet projects in our area have received approval for funding from the state's Border to Border Broadband Program. In the past two-year funding cycle, the Legislature appropriated $40 million to help local providers build out their fiber optic systems.
The biggest grant in District 12B went to Runestone Telecom for a project they submitted for the Villard and Lake Amelia areas of Pope County. Total cost of the project is estimated at just over $4 million, with the Border to Border grant coming in at $1.46 million.
Gardonville was awarded two grants in Douglas County. They will receive $692,000 for the Hazel Hill Road project, which has an estimated total cost of $1.7 million. Another $90,000 was awarded to them for a project on Town Hall Road that has a total cost of $226,000.
Arvig was the other recipient in our area. Their project, which includes a fiber extension in the Lake Osakis and Sauk Lake areas, was awarded a grant for $486,000. Total cost is estimated at $1.4 million.
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Last week, the governor released his proposed budget for the upcoming biennium, and it called for an 8-percent increase in the general fund from the last budget. To cover this additional spending, he is also proposing $1.7 billion in tax increases, including a new fifth-tier income tax bracket, an increase in business taxes, and a one dollar per pack increase in the tax on cigarettes. The next budget forecast comes out in early March, and that will be relied upon greatly as the House and Senate each come up with their own budget plans. Some serious negotiating needs to take place before there is an agreement on a new two-year budget.
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