In Thursday's post, MN9 LTE: Cornel Walker isn't a fan of Jordan Rasmusson's Minnesota House voting record. DFL candidate Cornel Walker mentioned this:
With all due respect, I have never and would never say that Jordan Rasmusson had a successful first term as a Representative.
In fact, I have publicly expressed my shock and disappointment at his vote against the Drought Relief Bill, which would have helped our farmers. . . . .
I was reminded of this letter in the Pelican Rapids Press when I read a correction in a story published Friday in the Detroit Lakes Tribune, Compromise or tax cuts: Senate District 9 candidates describe how they would govern if elected:
Editor’s Note: A previous version of this story stated Rasmusson’s rural broadband bill did not receive a final vote before the end of the 2022 legislative session. However, the bill was combined into the omnibus agriculture and drought relief package passed by both state legislative bodies and signed into law by Gov. Walz in May 2022.
Rasmusson tells the paper in an interview:
"What I'm offering to voters on Nov. 8th is proven conservative leadership that gets things done," said Rasmusson. "I have a record of getting results for the people of our area and I've passed a number of bills that have helped our area, including, expanding mental health care access, extending high-speed internet and also helping communities with rural economic development."
Neither Rasmusson nor DLOnline share that detail that Walker brought up in his letter to the neighboring paper: that Rasmusson voted against the omnibus agriculture and drought relief package.
That's where the
Let's follow that link provided by the Detroit Lakes to the Session Daily article, Conferees settle differences with agriculture omnibus, drought relief bills. Session Daily staffer Brian Hall reports:
With time to work dwindling, a conference committee working to reconcile agriculture bills came to an agreement on several appropriations and policy changes Saturday.
The conference committee report to HF3420 combines the omnibus agriculture and broadband supplemental finance and policy bill with one that would provide relief to farmers from the 2021 drought.
It was passed 69-64 by the House a few hours later. It now awaits Senate action.
“We’ve got a very strong, solid bill for the state of Minnesota on all the fronts for farmers, for agriculture, for rural broadband and the connectivity that’s become so important in our lives,” said Sen. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), who sponsors the bill with Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL-Esko). “We can be, I think, proud as a conference committee to be a big piece of this policy and financing that will be moving forward.”
Curiously, Rasmusson voted against the conference committee report on HF3420, the omnibus bill that contained the broadband language.
But there's something else that's leaving us curious. Minnesota House Ag Committee chair Rep. Mike Sundin (DFL-Esko), mentioned above in the cited copy from Session Daily, sent out a legislative news update about the conferee committee bill on the same day, House approves compromise Agriculture, Drought Relief, and Broadband package. In the release:
Today, the Minnesota House approved a compromise supplemental Agriculture budget investing $15 million over the next three years in farmers and food production in Minnesota. The bill also included a package of relief for farmers and communities impacted by last year’s historic drought conditions. Finally, the package includes a total of $210 million worth of new investments in broadband. Zero Republican legislators voted for the bill. . . .
The budget’s broadband investments include $50 million over the next three years in the state’s Border to Border Broadband Grant program. The legislation also invests $60.7 million toward broadband from the federal American Rescue Plan and calls for at least $100 million from the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
“The strong investments under this budget compromise will help expand broadband access to more homes, schools, and businesses across the state,” said Rep. Rob Ecklund (DFL - International Falls), the chief author in the House of broadband legislation. “It’s 2022, and reliable internet access isn’t a luxury; it’s a necessity. I’m proud we worked together to help ensure more people will be able to get online.”
The bill establishes a Low Population Density Pilot Program to allow certain projects to receive a 75% grant match instead of needing to meet the 50% requirement. Many townships with low populations have shared difficulties qualifying for grants because they’re unable to come up with adequate funding under the current match formula. The bill also establishes a Line Extension Program to provide grants assisting broadband providers to service to unserved locations through a reverse auction process.
Perhaps the House lead on the committee had no idea and simply asked Ecklund to chime in for the press release. I doubt that.
Rasmusson did author HF 3605, described in a March 24 Legislative News and Views, Bill to fill internet service holes advances in House. Rasmusson notes that the bill came "zero additional cost to taxpayers because it leverages existing federal funding," (thanks Brandon!) so it's not quite the same as what Sundin was describing as being in the bill. The language does seem much more limited in scope than what Sundin'd press release describes, but it could have been brought up in the conference committee for the omnibus ag, rural and drought relief omnibus bill.
Why did Rasmusson vote against what he's now touting as one of his major accomplishments? An August 6 letter in the Wahpeton Daily News, Rasmusson short-changed rural Minnesota, by former state representative Bob Westfall suggests a reason:
Rep. Jordan Rasmusson has boasted of voting no on every omnibus budget bill brought before the Minnesota State Legislature’s 2021 session. By voting no on some of these bills, you shortchange your constituents, many who work as caregivers in nursing homes and other very needed services. He also shortchanged transportation funding which covers road and bridges statewide, with his no vote. There is a proven need to improving bridges statewide, and farm to market roads as well as roads for workers traveling to work each day.
Did you know what part of the rural economy, Rep. Rasmusson voted against Sen. Torrey Westrom’s bill that provided drought relief for farmers? . . .
That drought bill was rolled into the omnibus agriculture and drought relief package.
Rasmusson voted no, whether the broadband package in it was his, Ecklund's, or some conference committee stew of the two. Update: According to several sources, Ecklund was responsible for most of the language and budget, while $15 million of the $210 million worth of new investments in broadband can be attributed to language from Rasmusson's bill. [end update]
DL Tribune article closes with news of Miller write in
The article closes with news of Nathan Miller's write in campaign:
Rasmusson faced an August primary challenge for the Senate District 9 Republican nomination from Nathan Miller, who alleges Rasmusson was complicit in a delegate reassignment cover-up involving the Otter Tail County Republican Party following their February caucuses. Rasmusson defeated Miller 51.6% (5,738 votes) to 48.4% (5,385 votes) in the primary to become the official Republican candidate, but Miller is now mounting a write-in campaign for the Nov. 8 general election.
Two Rocks and Cows of Minnesota posts about the write-in campaign are embedded--including one focused on the February 1, 2022 precinct caucus selection of delegates for local Republican conventions. Rasmusson breezes by that in his response:
When asked for comment on the alleged Otter Tail County Republican delegate controversy, Rasmusson said, "I'm honored to be the Republican endorsed candidate for Senate District 9 and I was also humbled to receive support from Republican primary voters across the five counties that are in Senate District 9 and it's 35 days until election day and I'm focused on talking with voters about the issues that they care about."
Okay then. We'll continue to keep an eye on this one.
Related posts
- MN9 LTE: Cornel Walker isn't a fan of Jordan Rasmusson's Minnesota House voting record
- "Not done yet" in MN9: Fergus Falls Journal covers Nathan Miller write-in candidacy
- MN9: Yep, Miller is running a write-in campaign, area conservatives organize against Rasmusson
- After losing primary, has Miller launched write-in campaign, attacking "establishment GOP"?
- Will Westrom family support for Rasmusson primary challenger ruffle MNSenate GOP unity?
- Rocks and Cows' Facebook post author Carol Hexum walks back anti-LGBTQ rally frame
- Fergus Falls Pride: GOP Senate primary challenger Miller schedules anti-LGBQT event
- Will 2020 redistricting plan boundary adjustment get snuck in to let Westrom live in lake house?
Image: From Rasmusson's campaign site.
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