Local control, local government aid, U.S. Highway 212 and State Highway 15 were all included on a list of legislative priorities approved by the Hutchinson City Council this past week.
Such a list has been the norm in recent years. The items named upon it haven’t changed greatly, according to Matt Jaunich, Hutchinson city administrator, but some items have been removed after being addressed by state lawmakers. Others are ongoing issues for the city.
“It’s an opportunity for us to make a statement,” Jaunich said.
The priorities were set with input from Jaunich, city staff and elected officials. The following is a summary of some of the highlights. Others are mentioned in the legislative session story on this page.
LOCAL CONTROL: Hutchinson opposes legislation that erodes local decision making and control. The city believes the best decisions happen at the local level.
DEPUTY REGISTRARS: The state shifted substantial clerical and auditing responsibilities to the deputy registrar network, which includes Hutchinson, when it moved to the MNDRIVE program in 2020. The shift did not include funding, despite the state receiving $1 billion annually in state fees and taxes through the network. The city supports legislation to give deputy registrars proper compensation.
Local government aid: The city supports restoring the annual inflation and population growth adjustments to local government aid. Changes to LGA should be agreed upon by all city organizations. The city opposes artificial, non-formula-based limits on aid and any measure to reduce LGA.
AIRPORT: The city supports legislation that indicates maintenance and operation of an airport is an essential service.
HIGHWAY 212: the city supports funds from Corridors of Commerce to make U.S. Highway 212 a continuous four-lane road to Norwood Young America.
HIGHWAY 15: Hutchinson supports legislation to provide additional funds to improve State Highway 15 between interstates 90 and 94. In particular, an additional bypass lane adjacent to Crow River Winery is supported.
FUNDING: Hutchinson supports a transportation plan with appropriate long-term funding. It also supports a 50-50 split between rural and metro Minnesota in the Corridors of Commerce program.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: The city supports increased funding for state programs that help local economic development.
WORKFORCE: The city supports legislation to enhance skilled workforce development.
COVID: The city supports funding to aid workers and businesses impacted by the pandemic. It also believes mitigation shouldn’t do unnecessary damage to local economies.
TRAILS: The city supports legislation to extend the Dakota Rail Trail to Hutchinson. It also supports the current formula that allocates 20% of the Parks and Trails Legacy funding to rural Minnesota.
FORFEITURE: The city supports legislation that preserves the ability of police to use the federal forfeiture sharing program.
WATER: The city believes water quality regulations, permits and other restrictions must be grounded in solid peer-reviewed science and must respect the due process rights of cities.
WIPES: The city supports legislation that requires manufacturers of consumer products, including “flushable” wipes, to label their products with appropriate usage and disposal information when they can cause environmental harm or damage wastewater infrastructure.
