Early Tuesday morning, the Minnesota Senate adjourned its second Special Session after acting on policing reforms while failing to pass a bonding bill. Included in the policing reforms was legislation for peer counseling support for first responders. This legislation was carried by Senator Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove), who released the following statement
Governor Walz announced his plans to follow the legislative agreement in distributing the approximately $841 million in federal CARES Act funding to local units of government. In response, Senator Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove) released the following statement.
Thanks to her leadership on advancing companion animal welfare in Minnesota, Senator Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove) was named a 2020 Animal Advocate Award from the Animal Humane Society on Tuesday.
On Friday, the Minnesota Senate adjourned without taking action on a bonding bill, the local distribution of the federal CARES Act, or significant criminal justice and policing reform. In response, Senator Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove) released the following statement.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Senate passed legislation providing $25.8 million in funding for the state’s Renewable Development Account (RDA). The RDA provides funding to develop renewable energy projects throughout the state.
“The Renewable Development Account is essential to helping build out the capacity for renewable energy throughout Minnesota,” said Senator Karla Bigham (DFL-Cottage Grove). “I’m proud to see bipartisan support for making renewable energy a priority and for helping those communities that are losing power plants as they come offline.”
The projects included in the 2021 fiscal year from the Renewable Development Account are:
• $16 million to the Prairie Island Indian Community for its project to become a “net zero energy
community,” with funding of the project through fiscal year 2023 at $46.2 million.
• $10 million to the solar incentive program administered by Xcel Energy (Solar Rewards), with an extension of funding to 2022.
• $2.8 million for a new turbine to expand Granite Falls’ hydroelectric generating facility.
• $2 million in grants to help communities that lose an electric generating facility through a new Host Community Grant Program. Grants must be spent in communities in Xcel Energy’s electric service area, or in communities that host an Xcel electric generating plant.
To allow for the safe operation of businesses during the COVID-19 crisis, a bill was introduced establishing a waiver system allowing businesses that create plans and are deemed low-risk to safely re-open. The system would be in place for the duration of the peacetime emergency.