By Ben Johnston Story Ideas? Email ben@roseaustar.com
State Representative Dan Fabian and State Senator Mark Johnson held a town hall meeting at the Roseau City Center April 17. Approximately 30 people attended the open forum to raise concerns to the congressmen. Major topics that arose were Line 3, the proposed gas tax and omnibus bill.
The first concern raised was about the way that bills are packaged together, and if there was support for single subject bills.
“I would like the bills to be narrower,” Rep. Fabian said, responding. “I don’t think education funding should be tied in to environmental funding.”
The House Health and Human Services bill was called into question for it’s potential to cut funding for a non-profit pregnancy resource center in Roseau by 25%. The center helps provide diapers, making sure people are able to attend doctors visits and connects people with educational resources. Fabian expressed he would be voting against the 1,130-page bill.
When asked about the bonding bill making its way through the senate Sen. Johnson commented that one has already passed this year for Public Facility Authority funding and wastewater projects, and that he does not foresee another bonding bill passing this year.
To the point of Line 3, Fabian said, “We are currently in a holding pattern.”
Though he did give credit to Governor Tim Walz for instructing the DNR and Pollution Control Agency to restart work that is needed to get to the permitting for Line 3 he hopes things will be lined up along the line to be put in the ground. The state is in its fifth year of the permitting process for the line replacement.
The conversation then turned to the proposed gas tax increase. Fabian immediately voiced his opposition to the proposed new gas tax increase.“In 2017 we passed a change in funding for roads and bridges where we took money from auto parts sales,” Fabian said.
That portion of the sales tax was dedicated for transportation and amounted to $280 million per year.
Fabian explained the Governor’s proposed gas tax plan would reverse that change, sending that dedicated money back into the general fund with the first seven cents of the gas tax increase needing to fill the hole created by taking out the $280 million.
The Governor’s plan would also expand the Working Family Credit providing more money back in tax returns to make up for money lost paying a higher gas tax.
“And that $80 million dollars roughly, that they’re proposing, is going to require another two to three cents of the gas tax,” Fabian said.
Fabian favors the giving the 2017 plan more time and making tweaks as necessary.
Sen. Johnson spoke of his concern about the increase in regards to commercial distribution.
“We are the furthest away from the main distribution centers,” Johnson said. “So basically everything is trucked up here or else commodities, lumber, whatever it is, we’re trucking out to all these distribution centers. We’re getting it both coming and going, and so the increase on ours or the freight on our stuff coming in reflects on the price of everything.”
Sen. Johnson agrees that taking the tax from auto parts and auto sales is the more fair way to go.
The Increase would raise the MN gas tax to 48.5 cents. The last time the gas tax was increased in MN was 2008.
Fabian acknowledged Roseau Mayor Jeff Pelowski, who briefly discussed a meeting the county commissioners had with DNR representatives on six proposed camping areas for off-highway vehicles (OHV) in and around Hayes Lake State Park and Beltrami Island State Forest. This coincided with a two-year pilot project Fabian has proposed to allow OHV’s to use existing roadways in the state park. All six proposed camping sites were denied by the DNR.
Johnson invited Martin Howes of Roseau County Veterans Services to speak about a new chapter for disabled american veterans now nationally chartered. The new chapter focuses on providing transportation to veterans for their health care.
A question was raised about the progress of an Ag to School credit, with Johnson saying he doesn’t think it’s in the omnibus bill at this time.
“I don’t know where this Ag to School thing is going to go,” Fabian said. “I think there’ll be some lengthy negotiations with the Governor and the Senate.”
“We’ll know in about four weeks exactly where it ends up.” Johnson said, adding.
Before adjourning,the congressmen touched on the lack of workforce in rural Minnesota with Johnson acknowledging the need for housing and affordable childcare, and Fabian questioning how to retain young people as the state sees a continued migration towards the I-94 and I-35 corridors.
“We’ve got a lot of benefits here, but yes, we’ve got several hurdles we have to get across too,” Johnson said.
Last modified: 04/25/2019
