SAINT PAUL, MN—Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca, issued the following statement after the House unanimously passed SF1, which provides $17 million for recovery efforts by cities and counties following severe flooding last summer. The bill includes funding for Steele and Waseca County, portions of which are included in District 24A.
“This bill will provide much-needed disaster relief funding to Steele and Waseca Counties, and does it in a way that’s extremely friendly to taxpayers,” Petersburg said. “I’m glad this bill uses wisely the unspent money from previous disaster bills rather than spending even more taxpayer dollars. This is a common-sense approach that helps save taxpayers money in the long run. I’m glad we were able to get this done quickly for our community and counties across the state.”
In total, SF1 provides $17 million in disaster relief to 47 counties and three tribal governments, but uses just $2.2 million in new state money thanks to canceling previous unspent disaster relief appropriations. $13 million will come from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, as a part of their matching funds for disaster relief. The bill was passed last week by the Senate and now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature.
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