Publisher’s Perspective

By Tim Douglass, Publisher of the Pope County Tribune

By now most know that Republicans in the Minnesota Senate last week Thursday voted down a $1.5 billion capital investment bill, arguing that it should be tied to tax cuts.

What does that mean for the $4 million included in a separate “cash” bill?

We’re not sure, at this point, but remain optimistic, since that bill was not passed or blocked.  Democrats pulled it off the table, meaning it was “tabled” and could come up later in the session.

The problem, of course, is that portion of improvement money could become political and who knows what will be included in the final  bill.

Anyway, back to the bonding bill.

The Republican move sent Democrats, who hold a narrow majority in the chamber, back to the drawing board, and it has irked local leaders and labor groups who’ve waited three years for lawmakers to approve a capital investment bill.

Lawmakers typically pass a capital investment bill — known as a bonding bill — every other year. But they failed to get one across the finish line in 2021 and 2022 under divided control in the Legislature.

The threshold for passing the bill is higher than usual — a three-fifths majority — because it would incur debt by issuing bonds to pay for construction projects and GOP lawmakers exerted their unique leverage to stall out the proposal, at least for the moment.  Their reasoning is to tie the bonding bill to state tax relief, especially eliminating the tax on social security benefits.

So for now, things appear to be in limbo when it comes to state funded improvements at Central Square.

But, we remain somewhat optimistic.  The project was included in the “cash bill” authored by Rep. Paul Anderson in the House.   

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It was nice to see three local law enforcement officers  and Glacial Ridge Ambulance EMS Director Greg Meyers give awards last week from the Glenwood Police Department on behalf of the City of Glenwood.

We had a chance to talk with those important public servants after the awards were given last week and all of them said about the same thing–”I was just doing my job.”  That speaks volumes to the kind of people we have serving us.  The officers awarded were Glenwood Police Officer Cody Rupert and Pope County deputies Brody Merrill and Josh Owen.  Thanks to them and all our law enforcement officers and EMS workers for being there when we need them. (See story on Page 1A)