SAINT PAUL, Minn. –This evening, the Minnesota House passed a Jobs & Local Projects and Critical Economic Development bill with investments in infrastructure and economic stimulus to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic. The legislation invests $1.879 billion toward public assets such as higher education institutions, clean water infrastructure, roads and bridges, parks, trails, and more. It also contains supplemental state budget appropriations and a series of tax policy changes.
The legislation has funding for the renovation and expansion of the Plymouth Creek Center. A full list of the projects included can be accessed here.
“This economic stimulus package is a big win for Plymouth residents and Minnesotans across the state,” said Rep. Ginny Klevorn (DFL-Plymouth), who championed the Plymouth Creek Center measure for Plymouth residents. “Investing in jobs and local infrastructure improvement projects now will quicken our economic recovery and help Minnesotans thrive for generations.”
The legislation also includes a series of supplemental budget items, including $16 million for direct care and treatment programs at the Department of Human Services. It also contains funding for a temporary pay increase for personal care attendants, $10.3 million to allow the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to test sexual assault examination kits, and funding for the State Patrol and Department of Natural Resources to cover overtime costs from this summer’s civil unrest.
Finally, the bill contains changes to tax policies, including full section 179 conformity to the federal tax code aimed at helping businesses and farmers. It also has a policy fix for short-term rental properties, flexibility for the Minnesota State High School League’s sales tax proceeds, and an expansion of the homestead property tax exclusion for the spouses of deceased disabled veterans.
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