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State Legislator's Comments

State Legislators Comments

Written by Paul Anderson - State House Representative 13A

Thursday, 29 September 2011 15:10

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Republican legislators launched a program called “Reform 2.0” Sept. 27 at a meeting in Willmar. In all, four members of the House, including majority leader Matt Dean, were on hand, in addition to senators Joe Gimse and majority leader Amy Koch. A good-sized crowd of approximately 40 offered suggestions and asked questions about state and federal policies. Dean opened the meeting by saying that we were on hand to listen. He added that “change” can sometimes be difficult to achieve, but several reform ideas were enacted during the last session and more are being looked at for the upcoming session, slated to begin January 28th of next year.

Unfunded mandates were one of the first topics of discussion, with several of those in attendance asking that no new mandates be enacted during the upcoming session, especially if funding was not available. One example brought up by Kandiyohi County officials was the mandate that all operating elevators in the state be brought up to current code levels. (We’re not talking grain elevators here, but the ones that transport people from floor to floor in buildings). The original deadline has passed, but an extension was granted to allow more time to get the work done. In Kandiyohi County alone, the cost of compliance with this mandate could be several hundred thousand dollars.

The duplication of state and federal rules was brought up as another example of how time-consuming it can be to obtain the necessary permits from multiple levels of government. The general feeling seemed to be one of reducing regulation and letting businesses do what they do best. Items such as matching state depreciation schedules with the IRS were mentioned as examples of how the entire process could be made easier.

One school official in attendance commented on how the state’s open enrollment program adds to schools’ transportation expense. Residents in her district have reported two or three buses from neighboring schools traveling past the same location, on their way to pick up open-enrolling students.

A city official told of her town’s attempt to comply with new regulations for waste-water treatment plants. “We can hardly afford the upgrades under current guidelines,” she said, “and new regulations being proposed by the EPA and Pollution Control Agency will add a million dollars to the cost of our project.”

This is a busy time of year. Church breakfasts and dinners are in full swing, in addition to many organizations having annual meetings around this time. The Sauk River Watershed recently celebrated 25 years of doing good things in the area all the way from Lake Osakis down through the chain of lakes in the Richmond area and beyond. The Sibley State Park Improvement Association held its annual meeting Sept. 28 and heard a report from new manager Jack Nelson. A contingent of horse-riding enthusiasts was on hand to lobby for more trails in the park. With less private land to ride on, one person said, trails on public land are becoming more important. With additional trails to ride on, it was pointed out, visitors would stay longer than just an afternoon and utilize more of the park’s services. A new “Park Plan” for Sibley will be initiated in the near future, with a public input meeting scheduled for Oct. 18th at the park.

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