Local projects see benefits from legislative session

Both legislative bodies approved a capital investment package to fund infrastructure projects around the state Monday, just hours before the session adjourned. It included funding for three District 11A projects: $17.5 million for the Western Lake Superior Sanitary District (Cloquet, Thomson Township, city of Carlton), $10 million for the Carlton County female offender program and the jail and courts facility, and $5 million for Cloquet water infrastructure improvements on lines serving the Sappi paper mill.

Sen. Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, said it was a tough session to be in the minority as Democrats trudged through their agenda. “It was frustrating to say the least,” he said “Though there were numerous challenges, we were able to pass a bonding bill that served all of Minnesota. In that bill were a number of initiatives I was proud to champion.”

“A lot of needs have gone unmet in our area and I am pleased that we have made progress in getting people in St. Paul to start listening to us,” said Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River. “These are important projects that people in our district need and it is good we were able to deliver.”

Dotseth and Rarick said legislative Republicans scored a big win for nursing homes by successfully negotiating $300 million more than Democrats had proposed. He said this added funding will help that industry at a time nursing homes have been forced to close.

$10 million for justice center

A sigh of relief, that’s what the end of the legislative session brought for Carlton County property owners, who are off the hook for further costs associated with the $74.9 million Justice Center that’s under construction in Carlton.

The jail project was afforded an additional $10 million cash grant by the legislature, to go with $60 million voters approved last November as part of a local sales tax option.

“There was a huge sigh of relief,” said Mary Finnegan, Carlton County economic development director. “It’ll mean a lot as far as the levy. There was concern that if this money wasn’t received toward the Justice Center and female offender program, we may have to go into reserves or put it on the (property tax) levy.”

Instead, the Senate, and, in particular, Sen. Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, came through with funding after Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River, did not include the funding in his infrastructure requests in the House. [Dotseth instead included $5 million for the Cloquet water infrastructure request for improvements to the Lake Superior waterline to Sappi.]

“(An) important project is the Carlton County female offender (program) and judicial facilities, which will receive a grant to construct, furnish, and equip a new regional center within the Carlton County Justice Center,” Rarick said in a news release following the close of the session. “Not only will this expansion make our community safer, but it will also help with creating new jobs.”

Finnegan described a full-tilt lobbying effort last weekend, with county commissioners, Sheriff Kelly Lake, County Attorney Lauri Ketola, and administration officials being joined by former DFL representative Mike Sundin, of Esko, in pleading with Rarick to include the funding.

“Sen. Rarick ultimately deserves the credit,” Finnegan said. “He realizes this is a pretty big deal to the people of Carlton County.”

Carlton County Board Chair Dick Brenner told the Pine Knot in April that minus further state funding, the county might have to raise the property tax levy 5 to 7 percent to cover the inflationary costs associated with construction of the Justice Center.

County employees later assured the newspaper there were ways other than property taxes to cover the roughly $15 million difference between the sales tax and the nearly $75 million in approved costs for the Justice Center, a gap created by the failure of the legislature to pass a bonding bill in 2022.

Construction began last August on the new courthouse and 80-bed jail, which includes a unique 16-bed facility for “justice-involved females.”

The $10 million grant comes as part of the $2.6 billion infrastructure, or capital investment, bill, half of which is cash. The county was hamstrug to a degree, because it needed cash for the project. A project already under construction is not eligible for bonding, or borrowed, funds.

In the end, Carlton County property owners shouldn’t see further impact from the construction project and the county won’t have to divert funds or dip into reserves to cover that $10 million.

“It ended up being a real team effort,” Finnegan said. “I’m very happy and pleased. Pretty much the whole project will have been supported through sales tax, bonds let that were bonus, and this (grant). Very little of it will fall upon the taxpayer directly in the form of property taxes.”

The Esko question

Within the education bill is an item that may end the debate on the Esko schools nickname and symbols around it. For the past few years, students and parents have asked that the school board consider a name change from “Eskomos,” which is a play on “Eskimos,” often deemed a derogatory term for Native people in Alaska.

The provision passed in the legislature states “a school district may not have or adopt a name, symbol, or image that depicts or refers to an American Indian tribe, individual, custom, or tradition to be used as a mascot, nickname, logo, letterhead, or team name of the district or school within the district.”

A school district could seek an exemption by submitting a request in writing to the Tribal Nations Education Committee and the Indian Affairs Council, which jointly have discretion to grant such an exemption.

After a discussion this month, the Esko board plans to formally consider a name change in meetings this summer. At issue is the potential cost of eradicating the Eskomos name from school property.

The ban on mascots and nicknames will go into effect on July 1. Schools seeking exemptions must request them by Dec. 15, and if denied, must comply with the prohibition by Sept. 1, 2025.

This story was edited for the web. For all the latest on the Minnesota Legislature and the ramifications of the bills passed this past session, visit news partners mprnews.org or minnpost.com.