Politics & Government

Apple Valley's Mack Puts Cedar Avenue Bonding Request on the Table

While bonding bills typically are created in even years, Mack said it's good to get requests in the queue early.

A Minnesota House of Representatives bill introduced last week would provide $9 million in bonding money for the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project.

Chief author Rep. Tara Mack, (R-District 37A), Apple Valley, said the money would go to the Metropolitan Council to fund the "last funding gap" to finish the work along the corridor, including engineering, design and construction of bus shoulders and transit buildings.

"Cedar Avenue is obviously a huge ... part of the Apple Valley community," Mack said. "This is just one small step over the past several years" to "give it a little more progress."

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Bonding bills typically are put forward during even years, Mack said, while the budget is the focus during odd years, but she decided to put forward the bill now to get it in the queue for whenever a bonding bill is put together in the future, perhaps even next year.

"At this point, the priority is the budget," she said. But Mack said she thinks the Cedar project fits the criteria for what bonding money should provide for.

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Week's highlights

Here’s what happened last week with some bills authored or co-authored by Apple Valley's legislators:

New Bills

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to establish inspections and filing fees for limited-use farm trucks. HF0472, introduced Feb. 10.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to extend the radiation therapy facility construction moratorium. HF0383, introduced Feb. 7.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to provide bonding money for the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transit project. HF0443, introduced Feb. 10.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill to require local government employees to approve or withdraw from the public employees insurance program. SF0247, introduced Feb. 7.

Existing Bills

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to provide efficient environmental permitting and modify environmental review requirements, which passed the House 82-42 on Feb. 10. Bills and Rep. Tara Mack voted in favor of the bill. HF0001, introduced Jan. 10.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack was added on Feb. 9 as an author of a bill that would provide a phased-in subtraction from federal taxable income for military retirement pay. HF0082, introduced Jan. 13.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills was added on Feb. 9 as an author of a bill that would require zero-based budgeting. It has been referred to the State Government Finance committee. HF0002, introduced Jan. 10.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is chief author of a bill to allow paramedics to get certification to perform certain additional medical procedures for patients in-home. HF0262, introduced Jan. 31.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is an author of a bill to create an exemption to the ban on smoking in restaurants and bars. SF0168, introduced Jan. 31.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a nurse licensure compact bill, which would allow nurses to have to deal with fewer licensing issues when practicing in different states. SF0230, introduced Feb. 3.

Sen. Chris Gerlach—Gerlach is chief author of a bill that regulates broker price opinions on residential real estate. SF0167. Introduced Jan. 31.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to limit abortion funding for state-sponsored health programs. HF0201, introduced Jan. 24.

Reps. Kurt Bills and Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to require voters to show photo identification at the polls, among other election system reforms. HF0210, introduced Jan. 24.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to modify unlawful or deceptive trade practices. HF0211, introduced Jan. 24. A hearing is scheduled in the Civil Law committee on Wednesday.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to require guaranteed issue of health plans for individuals. HF0222, introduced Jan. 26.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is chief author of a bill to create an early graduation scholarship program. HF0257, introduced Jan. 27.

Reps. Kurt Bills and Tara Mack—The bill to establish the healthy Minnesota contribution program, where certain MinnesotaCare enrollees would receive a contribution to purchase health insurance, was scheduled for hearing in the Health and Human Services Reform committee on Jan. 19. It was passed to the Health and Human Services Finance committee on Feb. 7. HF0008, introduced Jan. 10.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to abolish the prohibition to issue a certificate of need for a new nuclear power plant. HF0009, introduced Jan. 10. It's scheduled for a Feb. 9 hearing in the Commerce and Regulatory Reform committee.

Rep. Tara Mack—Mack is an author of a bill to allow businesses a sales tax exemption on capital equipment at the time of purchase. HF0010, introduced Jan. 10. The Taxes committee has yet to hold a hearing on the bill.

Rep. Tara Mack —The bill that would establish the sale or possession of synthetic marijuana as a gross misdemeanor was passed out of the Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance committee and referred to the Judiciary Policy and Finance committee on Jan. 24. It was referred for a second reading on Feb. 7. Mack is an author of the bill. HF0057, introduced Jan. 10.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is chief author of a bill to increase the research tax credit for corporations, effective after Dec. 31, 2010. HF0011, introduced Jan. 10. The Taxes committee has yet to hold a hearing on the bill.

Rep. Kurt Bills—The bill to limit general fund expenditures during the 2012-13 biennium to forecasted revenues is scheduled for a hearing in the Taxes committee on Tuesday. Bills is an author on the bill. HF0067, introduced Jan. 13.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to repeal the teacher contract deadline aid penalty.HF0092, introduced Jan. 13. It was referred to the Education Finance committee on Jan. 31.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to restore green acres and agricultural classifications to their pre-2008 state. HF0142, introduced Jan. 20, Agriculture and Rural Development Policy and Finance committee hearing scheduled for Tuesday.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to provide health insurance to survivors of peace officers or firefighters killed on duty. HF0149, introduced Jan. 20.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a new bill to get rid of the prohibition to issue a certificate of need for a new nuclear power plant. HF0170, introduced Jan. 20.

Rep. Kurt Bills—Bills is an author of a bill to create a Sunset Commission and set parameters for the sunset and review of state agencies. HF0173, introduced Jan. 20.


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