What we billed as “Child Care Advocacy Week” seemed to be Greater Minnesota economic development week in the House, as they held a hearing in the Housing Committee and two hearings in the Jobs Committee on bills we are promoting this session. All three of the bills described below were laid over for possible inclusion in the committees’ omnibus bills, a process that will take place in April.     
   
Child care
Things kicked off Monday when the House Jobs Committee heard HF 413, which would appropriate $4 million to the six Minnesota Initiative Foundations to support child care provider support programs and for efforts to assist communities in planning related to local child care shortages. The bill’s chief author, Rep. Liz Olson (DFL-Duluth), was joined in support by testimony provided by Scott McMahon, executive director of the Greater Minnesota Partnership, and Diana Anderson, president and CEO of Southwest Initiative Foundation.

Earlier in the hearing, the Center for Rural Policy and Development presented findings from their recent Greater Minnesota employment report, which served as a great lead-in to a discussion on the child care crisis in Greater Minnesota and its impact on growing our economy.

BDPI
On Wednesday, the Workforce and Business Development Finance and Policy Committee heard HF 426, which would continue the annual appropriation of general fund dollars to the Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure program (BDPI). The bill is chief authored by Rep. Dan Wolgamott (DFL-St. Cloud). As many CGMC members are aware, BDPI is a successful Greater Minnesota economic development program that provides grants of up to 50% of the public infrastructure cost to enable business attraction or expansion.

Testifying in support of the bill were Larry Hosch, business development director for the Greater St. Cloud Development Corporation, and CGMC lobbyist Shane Zahrt. Both testifiers focused on the great stories of the positive impacts that past BDPI grants have had on communities.

During the hearing, the committee amended onto the bill our BDPI policy language that would do two things. First, it would allow up to 15% of a BDPI project to be available for development that is not an eligible project (as defined in state statute), but that is ancillary to an eligible project. Additionally, the amendment would sunset the development restrictions after 10 years, which would allow a city — 10 years after the BDPI grant is approved — to develop any remaining, undeveloped parcels for whatever community need there may be.

Housing
Finally, on Thursday, Scott McMahon testified before the House Housing Committee on the housing development concerns facing Greater Minnesota communities. Later in the hearing, McMahon, along with Roseau Community Development Coordinator Todd Peterson testified in support of HF 619, authored by Rep. Dean Urdahl (R-Grove City), that would provide $6 million — a $2 million increase — for the Greater Minnesota Workforce Housing Grant program, and make some policy changes to make the program more effective and better address the needs in Greater Minnesota.