MN Budget bills approved by the Legislature

05/21/2007

Associated Press
May 21, 2007 – 5:46 PM


Some features of budget bills the Legislature sent to Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Monday:


HIGHER EDUCATION

—Includes new spending of $361 million and $3.2 billion of spending overall.

—Provides $10 million for a new college scholarship program, called ACHIEVE, that will reward students who take rigorous courses while in high school and maintain a certain grade-point average.

—Eliminates nonresident tuition at two-year colleges in St. Paul, Minneapolis, Rochester, Inver Grove Heights, St. Cloud, White Bear Lake and Bloomington.

—Allocates money to make more college textbook pricing information available with the expectation it will make it easier for students to be choosier in their purchases.

—Rewards post-Sept. 11, 2001, military service through a state GI Bill that gives financial aid to armed forces members and their dependents.

—Creates an India Center at the University of Minnesota to promote ties with the Asian country.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

—Appropriates $345.8 million from the general treasury for a range of work force, housing and employee protection programs.

—Includes severe weather relief to the cities of Rogers and Warroad and Le Sueur County.

—Relieves $2.5 million in debt at the St. Paul RiverCentre.

—Requires flags sold at the retail level in Minnesota to be made in America.

—Puts $20 million into two affordable housing programs.

—Allocates $400,000 to preserve art, furniture and historic flags at the state Capitol.

—Provides $1.3 million to the Minnesota Snowbate program meant to lure TV and film production business to the state.

—Establishes new protections for workplace whistleblowers and employees in the meatpacking industry.

—Expands the purview of the Minnesota Boxing Board to include mixed martial arts and institutes fees to hold those events.