With the Easter/Passover break behind them, State Representative Todd Lippert characterized the next month as the “4th Quarter” for the Minnesota State Legislature. There is still quite a bit to do in both houses, but there are stark lines drawn between the Democrats who hold the power in the House of Representatives and the Republicans who hold the Senate.
Lippert, a member of the DFL, said the priorities of his party are quite clear. They would like to see the $9.3 billion budget surplus used to help those who need it the most, while the Republicans would like to use it to create more than $8 billion dollars in permanent tax cuts.
Lippert said the DFL has proposed an increase in education funding, and in particular, they would like to fully fund Special Education for every school district in the state, ending what has come to be known as the Special Education Cross Subsidy. They have also proposed tax credits for childcare and student loans.
Perhaps the most visible difference between the two parties is in the replenishment of the state’s Unemployment trust fund, and the payment of bonuses to Covid-19 pandemic frontline workers.
Because of the pandemic, the state’s unemployment fund is $1 billion in the red, and servicing that debt is costing the state $50,000 every day. Meanwhile, the legislature allocated $250 million dollars at the end of the 2021 session to be used to pay bonuses to frontline workers. The DFL has proposed adding another $750 million to that allocation to expand the number of people who would receive the payments. As the issues have been tied together, negotiations between the two parties are deadlocked. Lippert said his party feels strongly that the money should go to help small businesses and individual workers.
“The way the Senate GOP has proposed this, most of the money will be going to the largest corporations like Target, Walmart and Wells Fargo… large corporations and small businesses are often in different universes, and we really want these funds to be meeting he needs of small businesses that have the most need right now, and also supporting the workers who have done the most during the pandemic.”
Looking at what is now less than a month to overcome their differences, optimism that either party will compromise on their stance is running low, and Governor Walz has said he will not call a special session if nothing is passed this year.
The legislature is mandated by law to adjourn by 11:59 pm on Monday, May 23rd.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
City of Northfield has concerns regarding I-35 commercial development
A proposed commercial industrial development along the I-35 corridor is causing municipalities within Rice County,
including Northfield, to object and take a stand against a stipulation in the new County Comprehensive Plan.
The Comprehensive Plan calls for the development of unused land on either side of I-35 over the next 8-10 years. As a result of that stipulation, Bridgewater and Forrest Townships have signed a joint-powers agreement to do just that. Working with a group called Inland Development Partners, there is a proposal on the table to develop about 470 acres of that area for a distribution center that could create as many as 2000 jobs.
The baseline issue taken by both the cities of Northfield and Faribault is in wastewater infrastructure. While the county waits for a report on how much and what type of sewer system would be needed to service a development like this, the assumption is that it would be necessary to connect with a municipal system like Faribault’s or Northfield’s. Neither city is inclined to extend their system some six miles at extreme cost to service a development that does not improve their municipal tax base. Furthermore, while the Townships say they will pay for the extension, of even greater concern is the maintenance and the affect it will have on the city’s wastewater treatment capacity.
City Administrator Ben Martig said the city is unprepared, and frankly not very receptive to the plan as it stands at the moment.
“We don’t know whether or not they’re going to need it, but it sure seems that [will be the case.] We’re talking about an area that’s larger than Dundas and Lonsdale put together, all spread along the interstate. This is a really large area, and we think it’s very clear that they can’t service it without a municipal system. And we’re permitted by the state to do our planning to service with the infrastructure we have.”
There are other issues in play as well.
Labor force is another strong concern. Attracting 2000 workers will greatly increase competition for labor, and Mike Strobel, the President and CEO of Aurora Pharmaceutical and a member of the Northfield Economic Development Authority, said it would increase the cost of doing business in the area by 15-20%. And, as a stipulation of working in the new development will be the mandate to live within 20 minutes of the facility, there are strong concerns about the need for housing in a time when Northfield’s housing crisis is at near-emergency levels.
Councilor Jessica Peterson White said during the City Council meeting last week, as she did when the EDA discussed the issue in late February, that the development is irresponsible on many levels and is in direct conflict with Northfield’s best interests.
The Council passed a resolution by a vote of 6-1 objecting to and opposing the development.
The issue is on the agenda for the County Board of Commissioners meeting tomorrow morning.
Book Fair will open tomorrow
And after a two-year hiatus imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Northfield Hospital Auxiliary Book Fair will
return to the Northfield Ice Arena tomorrow.
Funds raised from the fair will go to completing the education room in the Emergency Medical Services headquarters, to the HealthFinders Medication fund, and to fund scholarships for healthcare careers.
The fair will follow CDC guidelines and require medical masks for all customers. Staff will have extra masks and hand sanitizer available.
For a full schedule of donation times or to volunteer, visit the Northfield Auxiliary Book Fair Facebook page.
The fair will run from 5-9 pm tomorrow, 9am-9pm Wednesday – Friday, and from 8am-3pm on Saturday.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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