Friends and neighbors,
In the final days of session, Republicans struck a deal to provide an additional $300 million to address Minnesota’s nursing home crisis. The agreement will include direct grants, facility rate increases, and a workforce incentive fund that adds up to about $1.1 million for every nursing home in the state. These new funds are in addition to the $100 million in loans available in the Human Services bill passed last week.
According to Long-Term Care Imperative, a collaboration of aging services providers, 15% of nursing homes statewide have completely exhausted their financial reserves and 10% are considering closing. In Greater Minnesota, 17% have no financial reserve and 12% are considering closures. With about 350 nursing homes in the state, that puts 60 nursing homes without reserves, and 41 considering closure.
At a time when the need is greater than it has ever been, nursing homes across the state are facing a critical crisis. More than 50 facilities have already closed down in recent years, and there will be additional closures if we do not act. There is an urgent need for increased funding and support to prevent further closures, but Democrats resisted our efforts all session. I am proud Republicans held firm to secure this historic funding. It will provide a badly-needed lifeline to these facilities.
FUNDING FOR LOCAL BONDING PROJECTS
As part of the end-of-session compromise agreement, I was able to secure funding for some critical local infrastructure projects. Access to safe and clean water and good roads are two of the fundamental expectations that people have from their government. For small communities around the state, upgrading their infrastructure is a daunting task, if not impossible to do without state support. By investing in these crucial infrastructure projects, we can guarantee that these communities have access to clean, safe, reliable water infrastructure and great roads for the foreseeable future.
The agreement provides $3.5 million to the city of Elysian to build a new water treatment plant to treat drinking water for radium, manganese, and iron bacteria. Elysian does not currently have a water treatment plant. The proposed treatment plant will remove radium, iron, and manganese from the city water supply. Elysian is supplied by two active wells, one of which is not typically used because of issues with iron bacteria in the source water. The primary well contains radium levels exceeding the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Primary Drinking Water Regulation
The bill provides $12.8 million for the city of Madelia to improve several roads, including Center Avenue South, Main Street, and Center Avenue North, as well as other nearby streets. The work includes things like designing, building, and installing new water and sewer systems, and replacing old infrastructure. This will help to make the roads safer and more efficient for drivers and pedestrians.
This project is crucial for the community of Madelia, which faced a devastating fire seven years ago but managed to recover thanks to the resilience and investment of local businesses. The city is bursting at the seams but the aging infrastructure is not keeping up with the city’s growth. The proposed improvements to the streets and related infrastructure would be a game-changer for Madelia, supporting its continued growth and opening up new opportunities for schools and students.
Contact me:
If you have any questions about any of these issues or any other issue the legislature is working on, please don’t hesitate to contact me any time. My email is Sen.Rich.Draheim@Senate.mn, and my phone number is 651-296-5558.
And please follow me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorRichDraheim/
It is a privilege to serve you.