News

Kelliher/Dibble: 2006 Bonding Bill Funds Lake of the Isles Restoration, Cedar Lake Trail
May 24, 2006

State Senator Scott Dibble and State Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher applauded the passage of the 2006 Capital Investment Bill in the final hours of the legislative session, calling it one of the best bonding bills in years for Minneapolis. This year's bill provides $3.2 million for restoration of the Lake of the Isles Park and $1.8 million to extend the Cedar Lake Trail to the Mississippi River. Anderson Kelliher and Dibble were the chief sponsors of both efforts.
"I'm proud that this year we finally secured funding to complete the restoration of Lake of the Isles Park," said Rep. Anderson Kelliher. "Credit for this victory should go to the citizens of surrounding neighborhoods who worked hard for many years to get this issue on the Legislature's and Governor's agenda."
Senator Dibble anticipates the finished Cedar Lake Trail will attract thousands of pedestrians and bikers per day. "Bike commuters have been waiting for a safer way to access Downtown Minneapolis, making this a vital link with the trail systems along the river, the Grand Rounds and the entire metro area," said Dibble. “Again, a huge debt of gratitude is owed to the citizens and members of the Cedar Lake Park Association who provided the vision and leadership to make this possible.” These funds will match federal funds secured by Congressman Martin Sabo, as well as funds set aside in previous years for this purpose.
The 2006 bonding bill also included significant funding for Minneapolis higher education, transit, and the arts. One of their successful joint efforts was securing $18.9 million to renovate the co-located Minneapolis Community and Technical College and Metro State buildings, providing the schools with a new nursing training center, science labs, and classrooms. In previous years, Dibble and Anderson Kelliher were able to make funds available to allow MCTC to purchase this property on Hennepin Avenue from Billy Graham Ministries. Additional funds in the bonding bill will be used by MCTC and Metro State for law enforcement education programs and to rehabilitate the Wells Mansion that houses a number of important MCTC outreach programs and services.
Dibble and Anderson Kelliher praised the passage of several important transit projects in the bonding bill. The legislature approved $60 million for completion of the Northstar Commuter Rail, $5 million for the Lowry Ave Corridor, $3.3 million for I-35W Bus Rapid Transit stations, $7.8 million to engineer the Central Corridor light rail transitway between the two downtowns, $5 million for the Cedar Avenue Bus Rapid Transitway, $500 thousand to begin planning for Red Rock Commuter Rail to Hastings, and $3.5 million to turn downtown St. Paul’s Union Depot back into an important regional transit hub. "These projects are vital to the Twin Cities metropolitan area as we move forward with building a modern, integrated transit system," said Dibble.
Both Rep. Anderson Kelliher and Sen. Dibble were also enthusiastic about the two major Minneapolis arts projects funded in the 2006 bonding bill, the Shubert Performing Arts and Education Center and the MacPhail Center for Music. "Minneapolis is experiencing an arts renaissance of national importance, and we are fortunate to have the state partnered with our community to make this possible," Anderson Kelliher said.
The newly connected Shubert Theatre and Hennepin Center for the Arts on Hennepin Avenue will be a performing home for more than 20 Minnesota Arts organizations, including all the area's major dance companies. The MacPhail Center for Music plans to relocate to a newly constructed educational center at 2nd Street and 5th Avenue near the downtown riverfront close to many other exciting new neighbors, including the Guthrie Theatre, Mill City Museum, the Open Book and the Milwaukee Depot.
The bill also provides funding for the Lowry Ave Bridge reconstruction and new lighting for the Ground Rounds Parkway.
Finally, Rep. Anderson Kelliher noted that the 2006 bonding bill includes funds to build the East Phillips Cultural Center. "Phillips is one of the only Minneapolis neighborhoods with no current park building," said Anderson Kelliher. "This is going to be a great place for kids in that underserved part of the city to take part in after-school activities."

Minnesota Mercury Reduction Laws will Lead the Nation
May 4, 2006

It's not every day that we have good news to report from the State Capitol on the environment. By the time you read this column the Legislature will have passed and the Governor is likely to have signed the best mercury reduction law in country in percent reduction and the number of facilities affected. I am as proud as anyone to lead our state in this major first step - I have sponsored bills to reduce mercury emissions each of my eight sessions at the legislature. It has taken tireless persistence to broker an agreement between utilities, environmental advocates, the Governor, and House and Senate leadership, but we have succeeded in passing legislation unanimously in the House to reduce mercury emissions from the four major coal-burning power plants in Minnesota by 90% before 2014. Our state senator, Scott Dibble, was instrumental in passing this legislation as chief Senate author of the bill. This bill should reduce overall mercury emissions in Minnesota by one-third.

It is critical that Minnesota take the lead on mercury emissions reductions. Minnesotans love to fish – just watch the line of trailers and canoes heading North for the fishing opener and people fishing on the banks of Isles or the fishing piers on Lake Calhoun and Harriet. We pride ourselves on the beauty of our over 10,000 lakes. It's who we are as a state and key to our tourism economy. But the reality is that right now, much of the fish we catch in our lakes is unsafe to eat because of mercury contamination. Mercury is a potent nerve toxin that causes learning and developmental disabilities in young children. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has reported that more than 600,000 babies born each year in the U.S. are at risk of developing learning and behavioral disorders due to mercury exposure. Low-income people and others who rely on fishing as an affordable or culturally important source of nutrition are especially at risk.

Coal-fired power plants are the biggest man-made source of mercury emissions. For years, utilities and some business groups have resisted capping mercury emissions from coal plants, arguing that only 8 or 9% of mercury contamination in Minnesota originates here. But brand-new scientific studies directly contradict this claim. A recent Environmental Protection Agency study in the Ohio River Valley found that 70% of the mercury pollution there comes from local or regional coal-fired power plants. The state of Massachusetts implemented mercury controls on incinerators seven years ago. A state study released last month showed a 32% drop in mercury levels of fish in lakes near a cluster of incinerators.

It has become clear that Minnesota cannot wait for the federal government to meaningfully address mercury pollution. The power of our federalist system is that state legislatures can pass progressive legislation when the federal government refuses to act. We have seen that when Minnesota leads, the nation follows, as it did with acid rain protection and removing phosphorus from laundry detergent. My hope is that this legislation will become a model for consensus building that pushes our state to the forefront of environmental protection.

An Opportunity to Help the Homeless in Minnesota
April 27, 2006

On my way to the Capitol one morning last week, a young homeless woman stood at the end of the I-394 entrance ramp with a cardboard sign asking for help. The scene is repeated so often on freeway ramps and busy streets throughout the Twin Cities region that the individuals become almost invisible.

However, the increase in the number of homeless over the past few years is making it harder and harder for us to look away. As a result, there is a growing desire from the public to address the issue of homelessness and to look for ways to reach out to the homeless.

We have an opportunity this year at the Legislature to make a significant effort to ease the problem of homelessness. Legislators from both sides of the aisle, along with the Governor, have recognized the growing plight of the homeless and the moral responsibility we have as a society to offer them a hand up.

There are a number of proposals making their way through the legislative process that address the issue of homelessness on different levels. I hope, however, that we can all agree on one component – the creation of more supportive housing to reduce the amount of homeless Minnesotans who get turned away from area shelters each night because of overcrowding.

Each night in Minnesota nearly 1000 people – half of them children – get turned away from homeless services because we don’t have enough places and services to help them. The supportive housing proposal I and my colleagues are pushing would allocate $43 million — a small amount in relation to the nearly $1 billion being considered in the state's Capital Investment package — to help build the places where we could then serve people struggling with homelessness.

While pared down some from its original request, the House and Senate are still considering significant investment in this proposal, which funds two forms of supportive housing: transitional, or time-limited, supportive housing and permanent supportive housing.
 
The two forms of housing funded in our bill target different populations and different circumstances causing homelessness. Many women and children become homeless because of they are fleeing domestic abuse. Some people lose their jobs, their economic situation worsens, and they find themselves behind on their rent or mortgage payments. These two examples are best served through transitional housing. Short-term assistance can help these households to self-reliance.
 
Permanent supportive housing is instead targeted to individuals who have been homeless for a long period of time and struggle with a severe mental illness, chemical addiction, or both. Returning vets often fall into this category. Without adequate support available, they bounce from place to place and job to job, not being able to continue in any steady capacity. To cope with post-traumatic stress, they may turn to alcohol and drugs as medication.

Time limits are usually unrealistic for people in these circumstances, so permanent supportive housing is needed.
 
As members of the House and Senate try to hash out the differences in the nearly $1 billion bonding bill, it's my hope that we will think of that young homeless woman on the highway off-ramp and see the opportunity we have to significantly address the problem of homelessness in our area.

State Representative Margaret Anderson Kelliher is the Deputy Leader of the DFL caucus in the House.  

How to Apply for Property Tax Relief
February 24, 2006

Tax season has rolled around again. I want to take this opportunity to remind neighborhood residents of the state property tax refund programs. This includes renters! Every year, thousands of Minnesotans who are eligible for property tax relief don't take advantage of it. I want to make sure that all residents eligible for property tax relief get their money back.

You may be eligible for a property tax refund:
Special Property Tax Refund (also called Targeting) – no income limit.
You may be eligible if you are a homeowner, you owned your home on both January 2, 2005 and January 2, 2006, and the net property tax on your homestead increased by more than 12% and at least $100 from 2005 to 2006. The increase cannot be due to improvements on your home. This refund does not depend on your income.
Homeowner and Renter Property Tax Refund Programs
You may be eligible if you are a homeowner and have household income less than $87,780, or you are a renter and have household income less than $47,350. Higher income limits apply if you have dependents or if you are a senior citizen or disabled. Your refund will depend on how high your property taxes or rent are relative to your income. The maximum refund for homeowners is $1,650, and the maximum refund for renters is $1,350.

You must also meet the following criteria:
You must be a full-year or part-year Minnesota resident.
You cannot be a dependent.
If you are a homeowner, your property must be your homestead.
If you are a renter, you must live in a building on which property taxes are paid.
Relative homesteads to not qualify.

To apply for a refund, you must complete form M1PR. This form is available at public libraries and can also be found at the Minnesota Department of Revenue website at: HYPERLINK "http://www.taxes.state.mn.us" www.taxes.state.mn.us, or by calling 651-296-3781. The Department of Revenue asks that taxpayers fill out the 2005 form M1PR claims by August 15, 2006.

Rep. Kelliher: Ways to Beat High Heating Costs
October 17, 2005

Minnesotans are bracing themselves for high heating bills this winter. October is the month when most residents turn on their heat for the first time. CenterPoint Energy, the state's largest natural gas utility, announced it will be charging 77% more for natural gas this October than it did one year ago because of high prices. The rising cost of natural gas are being blamed on the drop off in supply caused by Hurricane Katrina, as well as increased demand from businesses because of high petroleum prices.

Whatever the cause, there are a number of steps customers can take to reduce their heating bills. Some of these are simple and free (like turning down the heat), others require an investment that pays off over the long term. Alternatives to natural gas such as solar energy can also offer relief from high heating prices for some homeowners. Finally, energy assistance is available for income-eligible customers having trouble paying their heating bills. Remember: Minnesota's Cold Weather Rule provides citizens with protection from having their heat cut off from October 15 to April 15, provided they contact their natural gas utility and establish a payment plan.

Keep heating costs low with conservation.
There are a number of steps you can take to lower your heating bills. These include lowering the thermostat at night and when you're out; locating and sealing air leaks around chimneys, plumbing pipes, and ducts; installing a programmable thermostat; getting oil and gas furnaces tuned every year; and replacing older, inefficient furnaces and water heating equipment. Some of these steps, like turning down the heat, are free: the Commerce Dept. reports that reducing the energy from 70° to 65° while at home, and down to 60° while you're away or sleeping, can save up to 25% on your heating bill. Other investments are fairly easy to do yourself and pay off in savings on your heating bill. For instructional brochures and a full list of simple energy saving tips go to the Commerce Department's Energy Information Center website at HYPERLINK "http://www.commerce.state.mn.us" www.commerce.state.mn.us (click on "consumer info", then "energy info"). Additional information is available by phone at 651-296-5175.

Both Xcel and CenterPoint Energy offer home energy audits that can help you assess the most cost effective energy-saving improvements to make on your home. Xcel charges $35 for the audit to your next bill, to sign up call 1-800-895-4999. CenterPoint Energy offers two levels of energy audits, one for $25 and another for $100; you can sign up by calling 612-321-5011. Energy audits and weatherization, including insulation and systems repair and replacement, are available to households at or below 50% of the state's medium income. Applications can be downloaded at HYPERLINK "http://www.commerce.state.mn.us" www.commerce.state.mn.us (click on "heating assistance"), or obtained from Community Action of Minneapolis' Weatherization office (612-335-5911, 2801 21st Avenue S).

Explore a payment plan.
Most utilities offer their customers payment plans to even out the high winter heating costs over the course of the year. Contact your utility to set up a payment plan.

Apply for energy assistance.
Assistance is available for income eligible customers having trouble paying their heating bills. The first place to call is Minnesota's energy assistance office at 1-800-657-3805 for information about assistance programs. The Salvation Army Heat Share program also offers assistance with furnace repair and heating bills (612-721-1668, 1841 E Lake Street). Finally, the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency offers loans and grants to homeowners and landlords (1-800-710-8871).

Consider solar energy alternatives.
For some homeowners, solar energy has appealing environmental and economic advantages. Solar energy is completely renewable, produces no harmful greenhouse gases or air pollution, and can pay off financially over the long term. Solar thermal (hot water) systems and solar electricity are both eligible for a 30% federal tax credit and a Minnesota sales tax exemption. In addition, the state offers a rebate of $2,000 per Kilowatt-hour of solar electricity installed (up to $10,000), and some utilities offer rebates as well. Solar thermal systems can offset heating fuels or electricity, and are more cost effective than solar electricity. For more background on solar power and rebates, and a list of solar dealers in Minnesota, go to HYPERLINK "http://www.commerce.state.mn.us" www.commerce.state.mn.us or call 651-296-5175.