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Heading into an election year legislative session, Minnesota House Democrats are telling rural residents that they’re on their side.

DFL lawmakers released a proposal Tuesday that would help rural parts of the state with investments in transportation, broadband, property tax relief, workforce housing, oil train safety and dementia care. They estimate the proposal will cost at least $240 million.

Rep. Paul Marquart, DFL-Dilworth, said the package of proposals could improve the economy and the quality of life in rural Minnesota.

“There’s nothing flashy about any of these,” Marquart said. “Most of the proposals are not new. This is an agenda we can get done this year.”

Republicans won control of the House in 2014 by claiming that Democrats had ignored rural Minnesota. But House Minority Leader Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, said last year’s session under GOP control was a “monumental flop” on many important rural issues.

“Republican legislators absolutely have been spending too much time listening to people in corporate boardrooms, listening to people in country club dining rooms more than they’ve been listening to constituents across the state of Minnesota,” Thissen said.

He insisted that the primary goal of the agenda is to help rural communities, as opposed to winning control of the House.

Parts of the DFL plan are in line with what House Republicans already have in mind for 2016. Rep. Ron Kresha, R-Little Falls, said he is glad Democrats are talking about rural Minnesota.

“Rural Minnesota needs attention,” Kresha said. “As I look at what they have, there are a lot of areas that we should be able to work together in a bipartisan way.”

Kresha said one shared priority is transportation funding, although Republicans and Democrats still have unresolved differences on where the money will come from. House GOP leaders are also pushing for a package of tax cuts this session.

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Tim Pugmire

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DFL lawmakers want to spend $240 million to help rural parts of the state with transportation, broadband, property tax relief, workforce housing, oil train safety and dementia care.

House Dems want rural MN focus in 2016 session

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