Legislative Update - Back in Session

Dear Granite City Neighbors, 

That’s a wrap on our first week of session at the Capitol! We’ve got a lot of work to cover in a short amount of time, but I’m hitting the ground running to ensure we deliver for St. Cloud this year.

Here is a quick update on what I’ve been up to the past few days – there is good information here that I think you will find exciting and useful!

We started off strong with some familiar faces coming down to St. Paul - I welcomed Mayor Dave Kleis and his team to my office for a strategy session on our efforts to revitalize downtown St. Cloud.

By passing my bill to fund improvements for downtown streets, bridges, and infrastructure, we can attract over a billion dollars in private investment in housing and economic development. Key components of our plan include a river walk along the Mississippi River, bridge improvements to make East St. Cloud more walkable and inviting, safety enhancements to railway crossings, increased connectivity to Lake George, and more.

This bill will primarily be in the House Capital Investment Committee, on which I serve. We had a very informative hearing in that committee this week, where I was able to get more information on Governor Walz’s infrastructure plan. You can read more about that hearing here.

St. Cloud is just one of several communities making up a total of $2.9 billion in requests for investment. During committee, I advocated for our projects (the downtown revitalization proposal and the U of M CentraCare Medical School) which you can watch here.

Now is the time to invest in downtown St. Cloud!

“From the Capitol” Radio Interview

Be sure to tune in to WJON every Wednesday at 10:40am, when I join Kelly Cordes to discuss the latest legislative news. This week, I cover the start of the 2024 Legislative Session and my law enforcement workforce retention legislation. You can catch our conversation here.

Northstar to St. Cloud Update

One of my top priorities since getting elected in 2018 has been to bring passenger rail service from the Twin Cities to St. Cloud. After taking a significant step in the 2019 session, our momentum was stalled by the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Now that we are past the pandemic, our efforts are “back on track” with the $4 million I secured in the 2023 budget to determine our next steps in bringing Northstar to St. Cloud.

Part of that legislation I passed required the commissioner of transportation to issue a comprehensive report outlining the actions and procedures we need to take to get the Northstar to St. Cloud. The report just came out yesterday, here it is! I haven’t had the chance to read through it yet (that is one of my homework assignments over the weekend) but I wanted you to have access to this information as soon as possible, and welcome your feedback and partnership as we continue to work together to bring Northstar one step closer to the station in East St. Cloud.

Minnesota’s Child Tax Credit

Last year, I fought for Minnesota to have a nation-leading Child Tax Credit, and now nearly 300,000 Minnesota households are eligible for this rebate this tax season! With our Child Tax Credit, families are saving up to $1,750 for each dependent - helping to cut child poverty by one-third in our state.

You can claim the tax credit by filing a 2023 income tax return. The $1,750 credit is for each child 17 years old and younger, with no limit on the number of children. For all tax filers, this credit begins to phase out at an income level of $35,000 and fully phases out at a maximum of $90,750 for a family with four children. Let me know if you have any questions about how to claim this tax credit, my office and I are here to help you.

You can learn more about the tax credit here. 

Breakthroughs on Affordable Insulin

Access to affordable insulin is another issue I’ve heard about my entire career in public service. I even held a town hall dedicated to the topic during my first term in office. Since then, I helped pass the Alec Smith Insulin Affordability Act, a bill I co-authored to ensure our neighbors with diabetes can get an affordable emergency supply of live-saving insulin when they’re in a dire need.

This was yet another example of Minnesota leading the pack on crucial legislation, and we didn’t stop there. Earlier this month, Attorney General Keith Ellison announced a landmark settlement with the Eli Lily insulin company that caps insulin at just $35 for the next 5 years. 

Drug companies raised the price of insulin by over 1,100% between 1990 and 2020 (yes, you read that right, 1,100%!) and this settlement ensures that Minnesotans can afford their lives and live with dignity, safety, and respect.

You can learn more about the settlement and how to get insulin for just $35 a month here: https://www.ag.state.mn.us/MNinsulin35/.

Stay Connected

I hope you and your family have a wonderful weekend! My family and I will be spending the weekend in Rochester at the Minnesota Peace and Police Officer’s annual legislative convention, where I will have the opportunity to connect with officers from all across the state and get their feedback on how we can best enhance public safety in our work at the Capitol. I’ll share everything I learn with you in next week’s update.

You’re my boss and I work for you, so always feel free to let me know how I can best serve you and your family by responding to this email or giving my office a call at 651-296-6612.

Here’s to the start of another productive legislative session full of victories for St. Cloud!

Sincerely, 

Rep. Dan Wolgamott

Speaker Pro Tempore

District 14B