FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 12, 2020

Contact:
Peter Leggett
peter.leggett@ci.stpaul.mn.us
651-307-8603

SAINT PAUL, MN - Today, the City of Saint Paul passed the 2020 Legislative Agenda, outlining key bonding priorities, along with funding and policy initiatives.

“Our 2020 Legislative Agenda includes a set of priorities that meet our needs today, and help us continue building a city that works for all of us,” said Mayor Melvin Carter. “We look forward to working with our Saint Paul delegation and legislators at the Capitol to realize this big vision together.”

“The 2020 Legislative Agenda supports the many needs we have across our community,” said Council President Amy Brendmoen. “It includes critical infrastructure projects like our 3rd Street-Kellogg Bridge, and initiatives to help us produce, preserve, and protect housing.”
 

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE 2020 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA

State Bonding

  • 3rd Street-Kellogg Bridge: The 3rd Street-Kellogg Boulevard Bridge was built in 1982, is the City’s longest bridge and serves as a critical connection from Saint Paul’s east side neighborhood to Lowertown and the downtown Entertainment District. It will also expand the regional transportation network including the Gateway BRT line which better connects our entire East Metro area.
     
  • Eastbound Kellogg RiverCentre Bridge Bonding Project: The Eastbound Kellogg Bridge was built in 1936 and is a long and complex structure that spans from West 7th Street to Market Street. The construction involves the demolition of the current structure and reconstruction of foundations, piers, abutments, beams, bridge deck, and railings. This project is needed due to the concrete deterioration and steel corrosion that has occurred over 84 years of service.

Revenue, Taxes, and Finance Funding and Policy Initiatives

  • Local Government Aid (LGA): The City of Saint Paul supports increasing the Local Government Aid (LGA) appropriation to address cities’ unmet needs as defined by the LGA formula, as well as increases in the LGA appropriation to account for inflation.
     
  • Local Control: The City of Saint Paul supports the preservation of local control to ensure city officials can exercise their own decision-making authority.

Housing Funding and Policy Initiatives

  • Affordable Housing: The City of Saint Paul supports state and local government tools that increase the supply of housing units for our most vulnerable residents and expands access through tenant protections.
     
  • Local Housing Trust Funds: The City of Saint Paul supports the expansion of local housing trust funds to maximize the impact of local, federal and state funds to address our housing crisis.
     
  • 4(d) Affordable Housing Incentive Program: The City supports the 4(d) Affordable Housing Incentive Program which provides owners of unsubsidized rental housing 4(d) status in exchange for 10-year affordability restrictions to serve households at or below 60% AMI.

Community-First Public Safety

  • Gun Violence Prevention: The City is committed to supporting efforts to reduce gun violence, including background checks on all gun sales and purchases and gun violence protective orders.
     
  • Legalization of Cannabis for Recreational Use: The City of Saint Paul supports legalizing cannabis for recreational use to provide dedicated new tax revenues toward education and community wealth building programs.
     
  • Restore the Vote: The City supports efforts to allow individuals who are released from incarceration to vote.
     
  • Supporting recently incarcerated individuals seeking employment and housing: The City supports efforts to reduce the barriers that formerly incarcerated individuals face in obtaining housing and employment including banning the box for housing.

Other Funding and Policy Initiatives

  • Driver’s License for All: The City of Saint Paul supports efforts to ensure that all Minnesota residents have access to driver’s licenses.
     
  • Early Childhood Learning and Caring: The City of Saint Paul supports investments in early childhood, including Early Learning Scholarships, Voluntary PreK, and the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP), as well as increasing CCAP rates and removing the cap for early learning scholarships.
     
  • Statewide $15 Minimum Wage: The City supports a statewide $15 minimum wage to ensure that no one working full time has to live in poverty.
     
  • Statewide Earned Sick and Safe Time: The city supports a statewide policy guaranteeing earned sick and safe time for workers to ensure that all Minnesotans can achieve the best possible health and safety outcomes for themselves and their families.
     
  • City Streets: The City of Saint Paul supports new dedicated revenue outside of the constitutional formula for city streets.
     
  • Transit Investments: The City of Saint Paul supports additional funding for transit projects across the region, including a sales tax increase for Metro Transit.

View the full 2020 Legislative Agenda here. 

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Last Edited: February 12, 2020