Dear Friends,
This week, I joined fellow District 24 legislators Sen. Vicki Jensen and Rep. Patti Fritz in sponsoring a bipartisan bill that would use a small portion of the state's $1.2 billion budget surplus to continue the push to eventually complete a portion of the Highway 14 expansion project.
HF2863 would appropriate $30 million to purchase right of way and help to plan and design the eventual construction of Highway 14 between Steele County Road 43 to Dodge Center.
Highway 14 has been on the back burner for too long, and now is a great time with the state's surplus to use a small amount of money to take another step toward a much-needed long-term investment in transportation infrastructure that will serve our region for years to come.
I have requested a hearing in the House Transportation Finance committee, and will continue pushing my colleagues to hear the bill and move forward with this proposal. I will keep you updated if there is any further action taken on this important project.
School Lunch Funding
Yesterday the House unanimously approved a bill that would provide $3.5 million to ensure that no child goes hungry at lunch time. Media reports last month indicated that some school districts had policies that denied lunches to children without enough money in their bank account.
I joined my House Republican colleagues in supporting an amendment to the K-12 Education Finance Omnibus bill last session that would have remedied this problem last year, but it was voted down by members of the majority. I'm glad we were able to come together to fix this problem in a bipartisan fashion to ensure no student goes hungry at lunch time.
As always, my door is open, and I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about what's going on in St. Paul. You can contact my office by calling 651-296-5368 or by emailing rep.john.petersburg@house.mn
Have a great weekend, and enjoy the warmer weather.
John Petersburg
State Representative, District 24A