LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW
LEGISLATIVE PREVIEW
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Feature
What do you foresee as a key issue impacting the Rochester area business community that can be addressed in the 2024 legislative session? In 2023 we passed a historic budget that invested in the needs of Minnesotans including record funding for housing, support for long-term care facilities, and substantial new funding to help make the costs of childcare and healthcare more affordable. With a budget already passed, much of our focus in 2024 will be on policy issues as well as passage of a job-creating bonding bill to rebuild critical infrastructure and state assets. The policy changes we will look at will be ones that can help address rising costs for families, especially in areas like childcare, and other steps to strengthen and grow our workforce. We must also continue to address the backlog of public works projects that face our state. Though we passed a record bonding bill in 2023, there remains a lot of work to do to invest in infrastructure that drives economic development and supports the needs of our communities. What are your expectations for the 2024 legislative session? Are there trends that the business community should be aware of? Our 2023 legislative session was a historically productive session that's impact will be felt
What do you foresee as a key issue impacting the Rochester area business community that can be addressed in the 2024 legislative session? The key to the success of Rochester, the region, and the entire state is investing in our infrastructure. All Minnesotans thrive when we devote time and resources to improving the lives of everyone, and this legislative session the top priority will be passage of a robust bonding bill. The Rochester legislative delegation welcomed the House Capital Investment Committee to town this fall to view our key priorities for the 2024 bonding bill, including Riverfront Public Realm, Graham Park enhancements, and the Resource Recovery and Carbon Capture facility. These projects are very different from one another, but together they outline a vision of using our current resources to improve the resident and visitor experience. Bonding bills create good paying jobs and the projects they fund make our community a better place to live. I intend to be a strong advocate for Rochester projects this legislative session.
Rep. Kim Hicks DISTRICT 25A
Sen. Liz Boldon DISTRICT 25
in Minnesota for years, likely decades, to come. As we head into the 2024 session, I am optimistic that we will continue to make necessary progress on the issues facing working families and our communities, and to build on the successes we had in 2023. With our budget set for the next two years, it’s unlikely we will move forward with much legislation that will carry a significant fiscal impact. However, there is much we can do to ensure a thriving economy for Minnesotans - especially with an additional bonding package and policy changes to move our state and our region forward. As an example on the policy front, I anticipate reforms to some zoning and land-use laws that will allow cities and counties the freedom to build and develop more housing, especially the “missing middle” types of housing supply that an affordable market so desperately needs. As Rochester’s growth continues to outpace our ability to build, a common theme across greater Minnesota, we must continue to find ways to expand our housing stock and improve affordability. As Minnesotans saw in 2023, the era of gridlock is over at the legislature. As we head into 2024, the Senate, the House, and the Governor are working together to deliver for the needs of Minnesotans, and we are excited to keep this positive momentum moving forward in the coming year What is your top focus for the 2024 legislative session? Many of my core priorities this upcoming session focus on Health and Human Services policy issues. For example, working to make childcare more affordable and accessible to all Minnesotans is a top priority, to ensure every child gets the great start they deserve and every parent has the opportunity to pursue their dreams in the workforce. Work on some licensing reforms, as well as a plan to address affordability for middle income families, will come into focus. In addition to childcare, my efforts will also include work that improves access and affordability in mental health and dental care, furthers the development of a public health insurance option that every Minnesotan can access, and continued work on medical debt and reforms to predatory debt collection practices more broadly. I also sit on the Housing and Homelessness Prevention, Education Policy, and Elections committees, and there will be important work on these fronts as well.
What are your expectations for the 2024 legislative session? Are there trends that the business community should be aware of? While I cannot speak to trends, I can emphasize the importance of enhancing our business environment by passage of a bonding bill. Data show a sizable bonding bill creates jobs and make a community a desirable place to live, work, and raise a family. What is your top focus for the 2024 legislative session? This may sound like a broken record, but my top focus will be to ensure the legislature passes, and the governor signs, a bonding bill. For all the reasons listed above, and for the health of the Rochester community, this is the right time to pass a sizable bonding bill
What do you foresee as a key issue impacting the Rochester area business community that can be addressed in the 2024 legislative session? Property taxes are rising particularly quickly in Rochester. This is, in part, due to the lackluster state funding coming to the city of Rochester through Local Government Aid (LGA). Using 2024 as an example, Rochester receives about $32 per capita in LGA, while Duluth enjoys $354 per capita in LGA. I will be dropping a bill to set a $150/per capita floor for LGA that cities of the first class receive, increasing Rochester’s LGA over 350%. This should alleviate the need for higher property tax levies from the city. What are your expectations for the 2024 legislative session? Are there trends that the business community should be aware of? My expectations are high for another extraordinary session of progress. I think our caucus will be focused on continuing to make day-to-day life more affordable for working class families, particularly in childcare and healthcare.
What is your top focus for the 2024 legislative session? Three large bills are on my plate this session, including the LGA Bill I mentioned above. I also have a bill to raise the minimum wage in Minnesota and Tax companies that pay their executives over 500x more than the median employee. As co-chair of the Minnesota Health Plan Caucus I will also be working to expand a healthcare public option for more Minnesotans Rep. Andy Smith DISTRICT 25B
14 | ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE — FEBRUARY 2024
FEBRUARY 2024 — ROCHESTER AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE ADVANTAGE MAGAZINE | 15
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