Comprehensive Omnibus bills have started hitting the Senate floor this week—we passed a handful of these bipartisan bills, with more to be heard next week. The language in each bill focuses on Minnesota Priorities and helping all sectors move towards recovery after a challenging year. Here is a short rundown of key points within each bill.
Senate approves to strengthen agriculture, higher education, energy & commerce!
On bipartisan votes this week, the Minnesota Senate passed comprehensive budget bills related to agriculture, higher education, commerce & energy.
Agriculture
The Senate’s agriculture budget helps our community recover from the pandemic by strengthening the Ag sector supply chains and invests in more meat processing facilities expand and grow. It provides historic funding for the Border-to-Border Broadband Grant program at $40 million over the next two fiscal years to develop permanent broadband infrastructure in unserved and underserved areas. Additionally, the budget includes grants for farm safety equipment and allows the creation of a grain storage facility safety curriculum, as well as mental health outreach on farms.
The Meat Cutting & Butchery Programs for two-year colleges bill SF2196 I introduced is included in this bill—this presents an exciting opportunity for growth in the industry and for Central Lakes College. In this line of work, training for students coming out of high school is extremely important, and not everyone wants to go to a four-year college. This funding helps open a new program so we can train students and keep bright entrepreneurs in Minnesota. I’m so glad this language was included.
Higher Education
Making college more affordable is at the heart of the Senate’s higher education budget. The bill includes a 10% reduction of the family contribution in the state grant program. The bill makes additional investments in college affordability, including a $4 million increase in workforce scholarships, requiring 8 more colleges to offer zero-textbook cost associates degrees, requiring a 5% tuition cut for students attending Minnesota State schools, and a 3% tuition cut for U of M students. Furthermore, the bill establishes a new grant program that allows teens who entered foster care to attend college for free at any participating public or private school in Minnesota.
Commerce & Energy
The Senate continues funding the state’s successful reinsurance program, a proven solution that has already saved Minnesotan’s money on the costs of healthcare. In 2016 insurance premiums for the individual market increased by double digits due to changes from the Affordable Care Act. The Senate drove the creation of a new reinsurance program, and as a result Minnesota now has some of the lowest rates in the country.
The energy portion focuses on measured changes to Minnesota’s energy and telecom policy. It includes comprehensive funding for the two-year energy budget and renewable energy development. The bill provides $8 million for the Solar Rewards Program and establishes a new Solar for Schools Program to provide grants to aid in the installation of solar energy systems on or adjacent to school buildings. This would allow schools to use the solar energy system as a teaching tool that can be integrated into the school’s curriculum.
In addition, the bill maintains Minnesota’s strong and reliable energy system while also encouraging innovation in developing technologies for cleaner energy sources. The bill abolishes the current nuclear moratorium, which would allow the state to consider new nuclear-powered plants as part of our future energy mix. The bill will also aid in expanding Minnesota’s broadband market to provide robust broadband to all corners of the state—and modernize the crucial telecom market.
On another note, I am pleased to continue serving as a Major in the Minnesota Wing Civil Air Patrol. This Auxiliary of the United States Air Force is a great citizen service organization which supports Minnesota communities with emergency response, diverse aviation and ground service, youth development, and promotion of air, space and cyber power.
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As always please feel free to contact my office with any questions you might have. My office can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4913 or at sen.carrie.ruud@senate.mn.
Talk to you soon!
Carrie Ruud