Legislative effects still uncertain locally

Since the chaotic end to the 2024 legislative session on May 19, folks back at home have been trying to figure out exactly what it all means.

Local ambulance services expect to see some of the short-term emergency aid for rural EMS, but exactly how much is still uncertain.

Steve Risacher, who serves on the board for the Cromwell-Wright Area Fire District, said they’re pleased something passed, but they still don’t know what it involves for the ambulance service there. How to gain access to it, and what it’s going to be used for, is still pending.

“We’re excited about it, and hopefully it will help us out in a way, but like they said, it’s not enough to go around, with all the rural EMT services,” Risacher said.

Carlton clerk/treasurer Carol Conway said it looks like Carlton Ambulance Service will receive some money, but they also don’t know how much. The formula being used is based on the square mileage of Primary Service Area and call volume, she explained.

Cloquet Area Fire District chief Jesse Buhs is hoping the bill will translate to about $119,000 in extra funding for the district.

“At this point, any additional funding is good, though that amount is only about one-fifth of what we identified as the funding gap for Minnesota’s ambulance services,” Buhs said.

Bills by local legislators Sen. Jason Rarick, R-Pine City, and Rep. Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River, to create a state source of aid for fire protection and EMS special taxing districts were tabled to allow for the finalization of the funding formula, Buhs said.

“We will be pushing this bill hard next year,” Buhs said. “It seemed to have strong bipartisan support; it just developed too late in the legislative session to finalize it for this year.”

They hope to get the public safety districts funding that municipal departments receive, like the $300 million in public safety aid that came from last year’s large state budget surplus. That will make them less reliant on property taxes.

In other matters, hopes for bonding dollars to fund half of a new facility for Northern Lights Academy were dashed when the bonding bill failed to pass. Barbara Mackey, NLA principal and assistant special education director, said they will ask again next year.

Northern Lights Academy serves students from Barnum, Carlton, Cloquet, Cromwell-Wright, Esko, Hermantown, Lake Superior, McGregor, Moose Lake, Proctor, Willow River, and Wrenshall school districts, providing students with autism or significant emotional and behavioral disabilities and/or mental health needs a place where they can be surrounded by classmates with similar needs and teachers specially trained to help them. The goal is to give students the support and skills they need to return to their own districts, but the current extra spaces in Cloquet and Carlton are not optimal.

Meanwhile, legislation Dotseth worked on to save the CARE Carlton facility for women after the governor proposed closing it received legislative approval late in the session. Language Dotseth authored to study the reopening of the General C.C. Andrews tree nursery near Willow River also recently was sent to the governor for enactment.

“These are two big local victories I’m proud to have gotten to the governor’s desk to sign into law,” Dotseth said in a news release after the session.