May 19, 2003 -- NEWS RELEASE -- State Representative Al Juhnke
rep.al.juhnke@house.mn
281 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
651/296-6206
3951 Horizon Hills Circle, Willmar, MN 56201
320/235-4442
JUHNKE'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BILL ESCAPES SESSION TRAIN WRECK
Legislation giving the City of Willmar and Kandiyohi County the ability to jointly pursue economic development projects managed to survive the end-of-session train wreck that will result in a special legislative session later this week, according to Rep. Al Juhnke.
"While some of the major budget bills passed on Monday, most of the budget remains under negotiation for the special session, which will probably come later this week," Juhnke said. "This is one of the worst 'train wrecks' we've ever seen at the end of a session."
Among the measures passed before Monday's deadline was the agricultural budget bill - which cuts ethanol funding by one-third - and the higher education budget, which will force tuition increases of 30 percent or more in the coming two years.
"A great deal of damage will be done under the Republican budget plan," Juhnke said. "Property taxes will be going up while education funding will be cut. Thousands of working Minnesotans will
lose their health insurance. Nursing homes will be cut and so will programs that help create jobs and retrain workers in Rural Minnesota. You'll pay more to hunt or visit a state park. And yet the Republican Speaker of the House called this 'a pretty wonderful day.' I'd hate to see what he considers a bad day."
Juhnke's measure giving Kandiyohi County and the City of Willmar power to create a joint Economic Development Authority survived the catastrophe, however. It was passed as part of a "lifeboat" bill, which contained a host of non-controversial local government provisions, separate from the larger and more divisive issues such as cuts in state aid to cities and counties. That bill is now on its way to the Governor's desk. The big-picture items will be handled in a separate bill in the upcoming special session.
Juhnke's provision allows the city and county power to create an organization that would solicit new businesses to come to the region. Local officials, who requested the bill, plan to hire an economic development director to work on attracting new businesses.
