EXCERPT: “City officials are hopeful that bipartisan legislation introduced Thursday in the Minnesota Legislature will give a long-awaited boost to the state’s Local Government Aid (LGA) program. SF 1304/HF 1102, led by chief authors Sen. Bill Weber (R-Luverne) and Rep. Dave Lislegard (DFL-Aurora), aims to increase LGA funding by $30.5 million, the amount needed to bring the program back up to its 2002 high-water mark. The proposal has generated strong bipartisan support from numerous Republican and Democrat co-authors who represent rural and metro districts. ‘As former city officials turned state legislators, Sen. Weber and Rep. Lislegard have first-hand knowledge of the important role LGA plays in keeping Minnesota’s communities strong.’ said Ron Johnson, a member of the Bemidji City Council and president of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC). ‘I want to thank them, as well as the powerful group of co-authors from both parties, for taking on this critical issue.’” FULLSTORY: http://bit.ly/2XaKYKE
