Current legislation

Each year, the Olmsted County Board of Commissioners approves a set of priorities for advocacy during the state legislative session. If you’d like more information about any of these priorities, please contact Jennifer Berquam.

The 2025 Legislature will convene on January 14, 2025. For up-to-date information, please visit the Minnesota Legislature website.

2025 state legislative priorities

Olmsted County-specific proposals

Materials Recovery Facility

Support $19,375,000 to construct and equip a materials recovery facility (MRF), which will remove recoverable and noncombustible materials from the waste stream, as well as increase the efficiency and delay the need for expansion of the Olmsted Waste-to-Energy Facility (OWEF). There is currently no MRF located in the southeast region of Minnesota.

Integrated resource recovery system future enhancements

Support state capital investment coupled with county funds to enhance Olmsted County’s integrated resource recovery system. These projects aim to support and facilitate climate resiliency by capturing waste materials and carbon and effectively managing them as useful resources.

• $11,800,000 for a community reuse and recycling center to further process useful waste materials through reusing, reclaiming, recycling, and resource recovery.
• $3,500,000 to help purchase food waste separation equipment for the new MRF.
• $1,000,000 for predesign, engineering, and environmental analysis for a carbon capture, utilization, and storage system associated with processing solid waste at the OWEF.

Proposed interchanges at CSAH 3/TH 14 and CSAH 5/TH 14

Support $8,000,000 in state capital investment for design and environmental review services for proposed interchanges at County State Aid Highway (CSAH) 3 and Trunk Highway (TH) 14 and CSAH 5 and TH 14. The 2021 US Highway 14 Corridor Analysis Project established a long-term vision for TH 14 between the cities of Rochester in Olmsted County and Kasson in Dodge County to improve safety and mobility and encourage regional development. The implementation plan from the analysis project identified the construction of an interchange at both locations in the Byron area of Olmsted County.

Southeast regional ground water protection and soil health initiative

Support $9,000,000 annually to fund and expand the Olmsted County groundwater protection and soil health initiative in southeast Minnesota counties. This program implements a long-term strategy to reduce nitrate in drinking water in southeast Minnesota’s karst region where groundwater is sensitive to contamination. The initiative has demonstrated success and adoption by producers in the region.

Construction materials and equipment state sales tax exemption

Support a state sales tax exemption for construction materials and equipment associated with the new exhibition center at Graham Park. This will provide $800,000 cost savings to the county and local community.

Lake Zumbro Park

Support the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources’ (LCCMR) recommendation of $1,978,000 from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund to help fund improvements at Olmsted County’s Lake Zumbro Park. Objectives of the project are to enhance the park’s ADA accessibility while creating new amenities that are more user-friendly and accessible to individuals and families in the county and southeast region of the state.

Statewide issues impacting all counties

Mental health

Support investments to expand services and address gaps in the state-wide mental health continuum. Specific initiatives should include but not be limited to the following policies:

• Expand access to state operated mental health beds.
• Permanently eliminate the county cost share when an individual may not require hospitalization but is awaiting a bed for treatment at another state operated facility (this is often referred to as Does Not Meet Medical Criteria).
• Establish and fund a children’s mental health initiative modeled after the adult mental health initiative (AMHI).
• Establish and fund a Medicaid benefit for children’s crisis stabilization services.
• Support initiatives recommended by the regional county youth placement work group. Hennepin County is leading this group and Olmsted, St. Louis, Stearns, and several metro counties are also participating. 

Human Services technology modernization

Support structural investments to replace or modernize, sustainably fund, and collaboratively design and govern a state human services technology system to better serve residents in counties across the state. This modernization effort should account for local implementation needs and prioritize the replacement of two essential human services systems known as the Social Services Information System (SSIS) and MAXIS.  

Tax forfeiture clean up assistance

Establish and fund a statewide program to help address costs associated with managing and cleaning up tax forfeited properties. This will help ensure public health and safety and support community resiliency.