by Rich Larson, News Director
The Minnesota House of Representatives passed two major components of the state budget over the weekend as the legislature continued to work to
avoid a state government shutdown.
The House passed both the E-12 Education Bill and the Health and Human Services Bill on Saturday. The Education Bill increases the funding of the general formula – which is how the state determines how much money each school district will receive – by 2.45% in 2022 and 2% 2023. State Representative Todd Lippert said this increase was vital to the state’s education system after the year of Covid-19 related issues where many students fell behind. The bill increases funding for summer learning programs, gives a one-time funding amount to Special Education programs, and provides an extension for 4,000 expiring Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten slots.
The Health and Human Services Bill includes $15 million for public health grants and $15 million more for a new local public health funding distribution framework. A key piece of the HHS Bill, authored by Representative Lippert, increases funding for home care providers and establishes a rate increase for personal care attendants. Additionally, the bill increases rates for home care nursing, intermediate care facilities and waiver rates for older adults to live independently. The bill also includes grants phasing out subminimum wage to persons with disabilities, expanding mobile crisis infrastructure and funding to recruit direct support professionals.
Obstacles remain in the budget negotiations. Representative Lippert said, however, that each bill passed is an increment of progress. and he expects everything will be finished before the deadline.
“Every piece of the budget we’ve passed – that part of the government is set. But we need to get everything done, and we expect to get everything done. Every area of the budget is critical. None of the leaders are talking about a shutdown happening. We’re just talking about getting our work done. And the sooner we get it done, he better off we are.”
The current budget expires on Wednesday night.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
Smith takes on beef consolidation
Senator Tina Smith has joined with Republican Senator Mike Rounds asking the Justice Department to investigate the consolidation of the beef processing market over the last several years and determine if antitrust laws are being broken.
Senator Smith said right now there are four major companies, Tyson Foods, Cargill Meat Solutions, JBS USA and National Beef, that operate 18 of the 20 largest beef processing facilities around the country, amounting to 94% control of the processing capacity. As a result, Smith said, cattle producers are receiving a fraction of the money they should get for their beef, while the price of beef to the consumer continues to rise.
Of the four companies, two of them are Brazilian owned. A letter sent by Senators Smith and Rounds to Attorney General Merrick Garland said these companies bring foreign beef into their facilities and place a “Product of the USA” label on the products they ship out. The letter said these companies have been provided with a “federal sanction to undercut American producers and dupe American customers.”
Smith said the country needs more small, local beef processors to bring competition back into balance, and she said she has real concern for the more vulnerable farmers.
“I’m particularly worried about the smaller and beginning farmers, and the farmers of color in Minnesota, who are struggling to find smaller meat processors to process their beef. We just don’t have nearly the diversity and the resilience in our processing system that we need, and that’s what we’re going to work on.”
Senator Smith she will be bringing legislation to the senate that will encourage the creation of and support for smaller meat processors.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Senator Tina Smith can be heard here
Rice County patrol sergeant passes away
And the Rice County Sheriff’s office announced on Friday that Sergeant Justin T. Hunt passed away unexpectedly on Wednesday.
Sergeant Hunt had been with the Sheriff’s office for almost five years after having served for 13 years with the Faribault Police Department. Prior to that he had been a correctional officer for both Rice and Douglas Counties and had been a part-time officer with the Lonsdale Police Department.
A service will be held for Sergeant Hunt at 11am on Wednesday at Divine Mercy Catholic Church in Faribault. Visitation will be tomorrow from 3-8 pm at the church. He will be interred at Cavalry Cemetery in Faribault.
Sgt. Hunt leaves behind a wife and two daughters. He was 40 years old.
