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…As a taskforce, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to draft an EMS legislative package to provide short-term aid for our rural communities
Editor: The 2024 Legislative Session felt like a whack-a-mole game. Using the hammer to smack down the partisanship and bad policy ideas, while working to drive up the score for the Iron Range. With the session wrapped up, I can proudly say our score reached records for Northern Minnesota.
Last year, I had the chance to visit communities across Northern Minnesota to listen to constituents as part of my ‘Northland Strong’ initiative. This included a roundtable in Breitung Township about the rural ambulance crisis and a roundtable in Ely about supporting strong families. After hearing from residents, I developed a Northland Strong legislative agenda which included addressing the EMS rural ambulance crisis, supporting outdoor recreation opportunities, providing historic property tax relief, creating a framework for helium exploration, investing in innovative educational programs, and much more. I’m proud to say that all these initiatives succeeded during this past session.
Last year, I promised to address the rural ambulance crisis we face in Northern Minnesota because your zip code should never determine whether an ambulance can reach you or a loved one in time. That is why I called for the creation of the EMS Statewide Taskforce, which brought us to communities across Greater Minnesota to highlight this as a top issue going into the legislative session. As a taskforce, we worked in a bipartisan fashion to draft an EMS legislative package to provide short-term aid for our rural communities and the midto- long term reforms needed to sustain the services. The EMS Legislation I chief authored alongside a bipartisan group of legislators received unanimous support and is an example of how government should work. As part of that package, the Iron Range was a targeted area for the most amount of aid totaling several million to Range communities and services.
My role on the Senate Tax Committee is a critical one because I’m able to advocate for critical things like the Social Security Tax Relief we did for 85% of seniors last year. This year, I authored and passed a bill that will provide property tax relief to every homeowner on the Iron Range by increasing the Taconite Homestead Credit by $200 to $515 per homeowner each year, forever. Beyond property tax relief, I also secured funding for key projects in the Tax Bill, including everything from $3 million for Tower’s water infrastructure project and $1.7 million for Babbitt’s Parks and Ice Arena to $950,000 for Buyck’s Firehall and $500,000 to finally take down the old Boase Elementary School in Hoyt Lakes for future opportunities.
Northern Minnesota has always provided the domestic supply of critical natural resources our state and country need to thrive. Now, with the recent discovery on the Iron Range of the highest concentrated helium deposit in the world, we have another opportunity to provide a critical resource from our region. Most know helium from its past use in party balloons, but the gas has far more critical uses, like MRI technology, fiber optics, computer chips, and even rockets. That is why I worked with Representatives Dave Lislegard (DFL-Aurora) and Roger Skraba (R-Ely) to create a framework and royalty structure so that our local communities and schools in the region benefit from this rich resource because we should be the ones to benefit from our own resources.
Although our funding for education was lower this year, I was proud to help secure targeted investments for our Iron Range schools. This includes funding for cafeteria upgrades at the Tower and Babbitt Schools, funding for an Ely athletic complex, and updates to the Babbitt ice arena. All these investments target issues found by the school districts for their unique needs, which will make the dollars even more effective.
No matter how partisan the legislature gets; my promise to the Iron Range is that I will always be a Senator focused on just delivering for our region. It is an honor to represent the Range in the State Senate. If you ever want to get in touch with me, please reach out at sen.grant. [email protected] Sen. Grant Hauschild Hermantown, MN
