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Senate committee hears $25,000 proposal for 2 Harbors woodworking and arts center
Summary
Senate File 1637 would appropriate $25,000 from the Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund for Lake County to support the 2 Harbors Woodworking and Arts Center’s intergenerational programming and creation of benches for local parks; the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion.
Senate File 1637, a $25,000 appropriation to support the woodworking and arts community in Two Harbors and Lake County, was presented to the Senate Committee on Environment, Climate and Legacy and laid over for possible inclusion.
Sponsor Senator Houchard said the 2 Harbors Woodworking and Arts Center began as a seniors‑led initiative and has grown into a multi‑generational program that partners with schools and the county to teach woodworking and produce benches and other public‑use items for parks and trails. Committee members asked clarifying questions about whether Lake County would be the direct recipient and how the dollars would be administered; the sponsor and staff clarified the appropriation would be a direct grant to Lake County and that the state's arts board competitive process would be bypassed for this direct appropriation.
Senators expressed support for small direct appropriations to community groups and recognized potential administrative issues with concurrent competitive grants; staff noted such eligibility issues are typically resolved in the bill language. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion; there was no vote during the hearing.
