The 1998 Legislature appropriated over $9 million for economic development projects, but that appropriation bill was vetoed by the Governor. The Legislature then, in special session, passed a much smaller package (just under $1.5 million) for economic development. These appropriations included:

• $80,000 to the Neighborhood Development Center for expanding and improving its neighborhood and ethnic-based entrepreneur training, lending, and support programs in the poorest communities of St. Paul and Minneapolis;



• $500,000 to the Granite Falls economic development authority to be used to "manage the development, seek financing and equity participation, reimburse costs of third-party due diligence exercises, and perform environmental review and permitting" of the alfalfa biomass generation facility;



• $155,000 to retire certain debts of the Minnesota World Trade Center Corporation;



• $646,000 to the Minnesota Historical Society, of which $571,000 is for salary adjustments and $75,000 is for start-up costs of a Hmong history and culture archival project; and



• $100,000 for the community justice system collaboration team in the judicial branch of the Minnesota government.

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