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State Rep. Ben Bakeberg briefs council on bonding, education and fraud concerns
Summary
Representative Ben Bakeberg spoke to the Shakopee City Council about the recent state legislative session, highlighting priorities such as infrastructure in the bonding bill, education policy favoring local control and concerns about fraud in state programs.
State Representative Ben Bakeberg made a special presentation to the Shakopee City Council on Aug. 6, summarizing priorities and outcomes from the most recent Minnesota legislative session.
Bakeberg said his caucus emphasized infrastructure in the bonding bill—roads, bridges and water projects that many communities can only fund through bonding—and noted substantial work planned for the Highway 169 corridor that will affect Shakopee and Scott County. “If you're traveling south on 169 for the next couple of years, we'll just apologize in advance,” Bakeberg told council members.
Bakeberg also discussed education policy and the principle of local control: he told the council he does not favor a state-run school board and believes elected local officials are best placed to make zoning and development decisions that affect housing and schools. He reported the caucus focused on “raising standards and reducing mandates” in education and said paid-family medical leave and earned sick-and-safe time remain areas of policy action and concern.
On state fraud, Bakeberg said fraud across multiple programs has been a major constituent concern. “We're approaching a billion dollars in fraud in Minnesota,” he said, naming the Feeding Our Future case as an example and urging continued oversight and legislative fixes.
He opened the floor for questions and discussed local issues including the Marystown Road/Highway 169 improvements and the need for consistent funding for opt-out transit providers. Council members thanked Bakeberg for his outreach and for assistance on local projects.
