ST. PAUL, MN (KDAL) – On Wednesday night, the Minnesota House passed a Jobs & Local Projects and Critical Economic Development bill with investments in infrastructure and economic stimulus to help communities bounce back from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bonding bill will put $1.879 billion toward public assets such as higher education institutions, clean water infrastructure, roads and bridges, parks and trails.
It also contains supplemental state budget appropriations and a series of tax policy changes.
Projects located in Duluth include A.B. Anderson Hall at UMD, Duluth Seawall improvements, Lake Superior Zoo, the Duluth Depot, the St. Louis County Regional Behavioral Health Crisis Facility, the Grassy Point rail swing bridge and others.
The legislation also includes a series of supplemental budget items, including $16 million for direct care and treatment programs at the Department of Human Services, including services for people with mental illness, developmental disabilities, and chemical dependency. The bill also includes funding for a temporary pay increase for personal care attendants, $10.3 million to allow the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension to test sexual assault examination kits, and funding for the State Patrol and Department of Natural Resources to cover overtime costs from the civil unrest this summer.
Within the tax section of the bill, the legislation allows the Duluth Public Schools to issue local bonds in order to finance a facilities plan to sell the Historic Old Central High School.
The bill was also passed by the Minnesota Senate on Thursday and is expected to be signed by Governor Walz next week.
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