Greetings,
We’ve had another busy and productive week in St. Paul. From meeting with area residents to passing meaningful bills on the House floor, I’m excited with what we accomplished so far.
St. Cloud Area Chamber Day at the Capital
This week, I joined other area legislators for the St. Cloud Area Chamber Day at the Capital. It was great to chat with folks from our area, and discuss ways we can help St. Cloud and the surrounding cities. Thanks to all who made the trip!
Buffer Legislation
Yesterday on the House floor, we passed a bill to clarify language and make improvements to last year’s bill regarding land buffers near public waters. The state misinterpreted the previous bill, and tried to expand buffer requirements to include private ditches. This clarification bill and last year’s provision helps ensure a clean water supply, while guaranteeing farmers and their families are fairly compensated for their land.
School Trust Lands
You may recall that one of the first bills I authored and become law was reform to the school trust lands oversight. School trusts lands are one mile by mile section of land that was set aside in each township when Minnesota became a state for the purpose of funding education.
This year I offered the following reforms to school trust land management, which have been included in the House Environment Committee omnibus bill.
- Net revenues from minerals sales on school trust land will be deposited quarterly into the trust land investment account instead of an annual deposit.
- Allows for an expedited process to consolidate trust lands for more efficient management of trust lands.
- Providing funds to help with administrative costs associated with completing an exchange of lands with the federal government in the BWCA.
This is an important program, and I’m proud of the work we’ve done to help fund Minnesota schools.
High School Page Program
One of the great experiences at the Minnesota House is the High School Page Program. Through this initiative, high school juniors spend a week in St. Paul assisting staff, meeting with lawmakers, and becoming an integral part of the legislative process. This is a fantastic way for students to gain first-hand experience with our state government. If you know a student who will be a junior next year, please click here for more information.
As always, feel free to contact me with any thoughts or concerns you may have. I can be reached at 651-296-7808 or by e-mail at rep.tim.odriscoll@house.mn.
Sincerely,
Tim