Center not included in bills, By LAUREL BEAGER, Editor

Senate bill doesn’t include center and House bill doesn’t yet include it

A request for $6.5 million from the state to help International Falls develop a Voyageurs Heritage Center on city-owned property along Rainy River is not yet included in the House or Senate bonding bill.
Rep. Tom Anzelc, who described himself Wednesday at frazzled, fried and busy, said he’s disappointed that neither bill include any money for the center.
The Senate approved its version of a nearly $1 billion bonding bill Tuesday which focuses on construction at colleges, prisons, flood zones and other public property.
A House bill may be acted on today, but Anzelc said he’s not sure it’s “ready for prime time. We are having to reduce and discussing strategically how to pass a bonding bill.
“The Senate and House would like to stimulate the economy with a large bonding bill and the governor’s of a different opinion,” he said. Gov. Tim Pawlenty has said he expects the House and Senate bills to seek about $835 million.
Anzelc said the money for the Voyageurs Heritage Center was in direct competition with Pawlenty’s desire to create a new state park at Lake Vermilion would need at least $15 million in a bonding bill.
“I was hopeful that we would get some money in either the Senate or House, but as of yet, we have done that,” he said. “Unfortunately, the governor’s insistence and desire to have this new state park at Vermilion funded appears to be winning.”
However, Anzelc said “it’s never over until it’s over.”
In addition, Anzelc said many of the more than $4 billion requests for bonding have been heard in at least three different bonding cycles. “Competition is fierce,” he said, noting that this year marks the center’s first official request for money.
Anzelc said the request for money to develop the center could be brought to the Legislature again, but it remans the decision of the Falls City Council. “They have other options, so we’ll just wait and see.”
In other House action, Anzelc said he’s been criticized for his vote in favor of a transportation bill, in which a Pawlenty veto was overridden.
“I have told people that without that transportation bill, Highway 11 from the Falls to Baudette, Highway 53 from the Falls to the park and Highway 169 on the Range really and truly had no chance for funding and now they do,” he said. “In fact, Highway 11 is part of a project to be done this summer and totally done by 2012. The tourist and logging community needs 11.”
Anzelc also said a wetland credit bill he’s authored will go to the House floor with the support of the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources. “It provides relief in the heavily wetland counties — the 16 that are 80 percent wetland counties. It will be an easier way of obtaining credits. For the Falls, it will make the hospital project easier. Never easy, but easier.”
He called an estimated $120,000 cost to mitigate wetland disruption to build a public facility outrageous.
A number of fishing and hunting provisions have been brought to the table. Anzelc said he will support two lines for summer fishing; will not support reducing the statewide limit of walleye to four; and pretty sure he won’t support moving the walleye opener back a week because he’s concerned about the spawn in northern lakes.
A tax bill has been approved by the House, but Anzelc said he had no provisions specifically for the Falls or Koochiching County. And, because of the state deficit, Anzelc said he doesn’t expect much will happen to improve reimbursements to nursing homes or the student school funding formula. “That’s unfortunate, but we’ve got to deal with the deficit,” he said.
Meanwhile, Anzelc says he’s discussed an opportunity between the Boise paper mill and the University of Minnesota to do a cellulosic ethanol project at the mill. He said he’d work with Sen. Tom Saxhaug to appropriate money to begin the project.
“It’s exciting because it has to do with sludge and the chemical make up of waste at Boise and Abitibi-Bowater (in Fort Frances). Of all the waste materials in all the paper plants in Minnesota, our stuff is most conducive to developing this technology.”
In the meantime, Anzelc said many local people have visited with him on a variety of issues and he said he had fun the first night of the session at a state chamber dinner.
“I haven’t had much fun since,” he said laughing. “But that’s what I signed up for.”