JULY 1, 2022

Dear Fourth District Constituent,

As we collectively process all of the news from this last week – especially the Supreme Court’s extreme decisions impacting reproductive freedom and environmental rollbacks, among others – I also want to take this opportunity to update you on some positive developments in my role as a senior member of the House Appropriations Committee.

This week, the Committee voted to advance all 12 of the annual bills that fund the federal government. You can read my statements on the successful committee passage of the Defense Appropriations bill here (which I led as Chair) and the Interior-Environment Appropriations bill here (as Vice Chair).

In addition, my office worked together with leaders from around the Fourth District to advance funding for community projects that will have a direct and tangible positive impact in our community. This is a big step forward in meeting these vital community needs! In total, I’m proud that more than $35 million for priority projects are included in the funding bills that now move to the full House of Representatives for approval.

Here's a recap of our Community Projects that made it into the FY 23 Appropriations bills:

• Gillette Children’s Hospital Research Investigative Lab ($1,500,000)
  The investigative lab would be used to conduct research related to assessment of motor control, movement disorders, spasticity, and pain, and would include a rehabilitation research and clinical care space.

• The Sanneh Foundation Youth Workforce Development ($1,000,000)
  This program would combine youth career exploration with local employers, tangible work experience, social capital building developmental relationships, and Social and Emotional Learning into a comprehensive year-long youth workforce development program to help bridge the opportunity gap for young people in Minnesota.

• Hamline University Pipers to Professionals Program ($1,000,000)
  This funding would be used to provide underserved students support services while they engage in a paid internship, to effectively promote student development for professional employment.

• Saint Paul North End Community Center ($4,000,000)
  This funding would be used to complete construction of the North End Community Center on Rice Street in Saint Paul, which will be a community space with amenities that encourage and promote relationship building and physical activities. 

• Familiar Faces: Engaging Frequent Users of Emergency/Shelter Services ($2,000,000)
  This project will be geared toward frequent users of emergency services who have cycled in and out of shelters, jails, and hospitals, for whom a much more targeted approach is necessary to ensure their needs are met and resources are allocated effectively.

• Como Park Zoo and Conservatory Hydro Geothermal Heat Pump ($2,200,000)
  This funding would help to replace an inefficient natural gas steam boiler with a Hydro Geothermal Heat Pump, a more energy efficient heating and cooling system. it is expected to reduce emissions by up to 50%, lowering facility operating costs so more resources can be used to enhance programs that serve our community.
  

• Washington County Hybrid Patrol Vehicles and River Patrol Boats ($1,600,000)
  This project would allow the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to invest in the latest hybrid vehicle technology to help reduce the fuel consumption and the impact the fleet has on the environment. Robust and safe watercraft are necessary to perform safety patrols, search and rescue, critical infrastructure protection, and responding to emergencies. 

• Latino Economic Development Center Plaza del Sol ($1,000,000)
  The funding would be used for the rehabilitation of Plaza del Sol, which would house at least eight small businesses on its first floor. Additionally, the commissary kitchen will be the launchpad for dozens of new Latino-owned small businesses annually. 

• Neighborhood Development Center Cybersecurity Information Center ($1,600,000)
  This funding would be used, in partnership with Metro State University, to build out space as a cybersecurity information center to assist small neighborhood businesses, and launch a program for budding cybersecurity professionals to hone their skills.

• City of Birchwood Village Lift Station ($480,000)
  This funding would be used for the replacement of the City’s current sewer lift station, which is subject to corrosion due to a neighboring community’s water main break that flooded and damaged the station.

• City of Woodbury Drinking Water Treatment Facility ($3,450,000)
  This funding would be used to connect to a new water treatment facility addressing PFAS contamination in order to improve drinking water quality for residents. 

• Ordway Center for Performing Arts Facilities Improvement ($3,930,000)
  This funding would be used to replace the roof above the Ordway’s Music Theater, upgrade its lighting infrastructure, and install LED light fixtures – so it can continue to provide opportunities to engage, entertain, and inspire our community.

• Penumbra Theatre Positive Racial Identity Development for Youth ($1,000,000) 
  This funding will support the development, testing, and early implementation of Penumbra Theatre’s PRIDE (Positive Racial Identity Development & Empowerment) curriculum, supporting children of all races as they learn about concepts and experiences of race, identity, and social justice at developmentally critical stages.

• Playwrights’ Center ($4,000,000)
  This funding would be used for the redesign and renovation of the Playwrights’ Center, which supports playwrights and promotes new plays to production at theaters across the country.

• Agricultural Research Service Cereal Disease Lab located at the University of Minnesota St. Paul Campus ($7,000,000)
  This initial funding will help lay the groundwork for the planning and development of a new next generation laboratory facility that will make gains in addressing emerging pathogenic strains in important agricultural crops in order to mitigate risks to U.S. agriculture and our global food supply.

You can find reactions from leaders of all of the above organizations at mccollum.house.gov. I’m proud to be delivering for Minnesota priorities and communities.

As always, thank you for being an informed and engaged constituent. Don’t hesitate to reach out to my office to share your thoughts or if you need help with a federal agency.

Have a wonderful and safe Fourth of July holiday. 

Sincerely,

Betty McCollum
Member of Congress