Funding Roads and Bridges, Restoring Funds for the Outdoors, Creating a Companion Animal Board

The most recent report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers gave Minnesota’s bridges the grade of C and its roads a D+. Senator Scott Newman, R-Hutchinson, chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, joins Capitol Report moderator Shannon Loehrke to describe a plan to increase the funding dedicated to road and bridge projects.

When one buys a lottery ticket in Minnesota, a 6.5 percent in-lieu-of-sales tax is added to the cost of the ticket. When the bill was passed, 97 percent of the proceeds were designated to the outdoors -- for fish, game, parks, trails and zoos. During state budget shortfalls, the percentage was decreased to plug budget holes. Senator Carrie Ruud, R-Breezy Point, chair of the Senate Environment and Natural Resources Policy and Legacy Finance Committee, has authored a bill to fully restore the funding. She is also spearheading an effort to create a Companion Animal Board within the Board of Animal Health. She joins Shannon to talk about the proposals.

Also in the program, highlights from the February Budget and Economic Forecast and key committee hearings on the Interstate Nurse Licensure Compact and bonuses to recruit and retain staff in the long-term care industry.