The big day—sixth-graders from North Intermediate School in St. Peter come to the capitol!

Rep. Terry Morrow announces that he successfully included language concerning Highway 14 between North Mankato and New Ulm as part of the Transportation Policy bill that unanimously passed in a conference committee this afternoon. Representative Morrow served as a member of the 10-person Transportation Policy conference committee, the second year in a row he has been selected for this responsibility.

I introduced the Highway 14 bill this session because I know it’s imperative for the safety and economic development of our area that this project move forward. Today’s action is a significant step that builds upon the positive commitments to roads and bridges that Minnesota has taken in the past two years.

Under Representative Morrow’s provision, MnDOT will submit a final environmental impact statement (EIS) for the North Mankato-New Ulm section by December 31, 2010 and the Owatonna-Dodge Center section of Highway 14 by May 31, 2010. The language requires MnDOT to provide public reports if these time requirements are not met. An EIS is a required step to purchasing right-of-way and constructing a four-lane expansion of these sections.

The U.S. Highway 14 Partnership–and especially North Mankato Mayor Gary Zellmer, New Ulm Mayor Joel Albrecht, and Courtland Mayor Bob Schabert–were indispensable partners in our effort to get more certainty for our communities along Highway 14. Congressman Tim Walz, Senator Kathy Sheran, and I have been committed to this project and will continue working with our local partners as the project progresses.

On Monday, Rep. Morrow joined Congressman Walz at a press conference regarding their efforts to garner federal and state support for Highway 14. At that conference, Morrow stated that it was a “critically significant week” for Highway 14. Today’s legislative action represents fulfillment of this prediction, Morrow confirmed.

Representative Terry Morrow announces that bills he presented for the Minnesota River Board and on transportation matters have been signed into law this week. In addition, the House and Senate passed the Capital Investment bill, which funds renovations and repairs for the Minnesota Prairie Line, Minnesota State University-Mankato, and South Central College.

As the session comes to a close, it’s great to see positive results from the hard work of many people in our area. These bills will preserve and improve our local college facilities, strengthen our freight rail system, clarify our transportation laws, clean and preserve our waters, and help build our area’s economy.

Working with Senator Dennis Frederickson and Dr. Shannon Fisher of MSU-Mankato’s Water Resources Board, Representative Morrow successfully passed legislation to streamline and enhance the Minnesota River Board’s functions. The Minnesota River Board was first created in 1995 with the goal of making the Minnesota River suitable for fishing and swimming. Covering over 15,000 square miles, Minnesota River basin encompasses 13 major basins and 37 counties.

Representative Morrow’s transportation bill built upon input from area county engineers, including Blue Earth County’s Al Forsberg, Nicollet County’s Seth Greenwood and Sibley County’s Darin Meilke. Under Representative Morrow’s bill, which Governor Pawlenty signed into law, the new default vehicle weight is 10 tons for almost all routes unless otherwise posted. This provision represents a long-sought improvement by area engineers, farmers, and others.

The 2009 Capital Investment bill continues the rail replacement work on the Minnesota Prairie Line, the publicly-owned freight rail that runs through five counties including Sibley County. Minnesota State University-Mankato receives over $2 million for replacement of heating and air conditioning units, windows, elevators, and more. South Central College will undergo over $307,000 in repair and renovation work.

By successfully passing this set of bills, I am encouraged that good jobs will be created and sustained. Public assets for vital government functions—transportation and education—will be preserved. I am very grateful to have the opportunity to work with local leaders on these and other bills.

Click here to read/hear MPR’s story on the Minnesota Prairie Line:

http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2009/05/05/short_line_railroads/?refid=0

Representative Terry Morrow ensured emergency funding for Greater Minnesota transit operations facing immediate cash-flow problems, including Trailblazer Transit in Sibley County. This funding is part of the Transportation Finance bill agreed upon this weekend by the Transportation Conference Committee, on which Representative Morrow served.

On Monday, the House of Representatives passed the bill in a 103-30 bipartisan vote.We learned over a month ago that 22 Greater Minnesota transit operations were facing an ‘acute crisis,’ according to MnDOT, because of rising ridership and funding problems. These bus operators, like Trailblazer Transit, get folks where they need to go, help our businesses, and enable people live in their homes and still get to where they need to go.

The Transportation Finance conference committee, consisting of five senators and five representatives, struggled to limit the impact of budget cuts to transit and transportation. Proposed cuts to state patrol and security personnel were replaced by spreading the cuts to other MnDOT, Metropolitan Council, and transit areas. Federal recovery funds for road and bridge construction helped the committee balance the transportation budget. The Governor is expected to sign the bill.

It was a long weekend of negotiations and number crunching. There’s no avoiding the fact that the state budget shortfall means real cuts to real programs that will affect Minnesotans. While it was tense at times, everyone involved was committed to making the cuts and balancing the impact as much as possible.

Representative Morrow, as Assistant Majority Leader in the House of Representatives, continues to build upon his leadership in transportation issues. In addition to his role on the Transportation Finance conference committee, Representative Morrow is a member of the State Rail Plan group and is carrying significant transportation-related legislation this session.