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| Date: | May 21, 2011 | | Contact Name: | Susan Closmore | | Contact Phone: | 651-296-5712 | | Contact Email: | susan.closmore@senate.mn | | For Immediate Release | |
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| SENATOR BENJAMIN KRUSE SECURES SIGNIFICANT LEGISLATION FOR SENATE DISTRICT 47 IN ENVIRONMENT, COMMERCE & ENERGY OMNIBUS BILL |
(St. Paul) – The Senate passed a final Environment, Commerce and Energy omnibus finance budget bill for Fiscal Years 2012-13. The bill appropriates general fund dollars for the Environment and Natural Resources; Commerce and Consumer Protection; and Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications for the next biennium.
Senator Benjamin Kruse (R-Brooklyn Park) worked this session to ensure that two key provisions were included in the Environment, Commerce and Energy omnibus finance budget bill for Senate District 47.
• Mississippi River Corridor legislation eliminates the Pollution Control Agency (PCA) rulemaking authority passed in 2009 for the 72-mile stretch of the Mississippi from Ramsey in northern Anoka County to Hastings in southern Dakota County.
• $442,000 to the DNR for a grant to the Three Rivers Park District for pre-design and design of the Coon Rapids Dam for improvements and to function as a barrier to invasive fish.
Senator Kruse gave the following statement on the bill’s passage.
“I have been focused on my constituents in Senate District 47 since day one. It’s extremely rewarding to see months of hard word come to fruition in these two efforts: the Mississippi River Corridor and the Coon Rapids Dam. I want to thank Environment Committee Chairman Bill Ingebrigtsen and the entire committee for working with me to ensure that these two measures were included in the final omnibus package. I am hopeful Governor Dayton will sign the Environment bill so we can return caretaking of the river corridor to the hands of its residents and also get to work on a cost effective plan for the Coon Rapids Dam.”
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