Sen. Rob Kupak outlines priorities: bonding, rural water, ag protection and local project support

Sen. Rob Kupak delivered a detailed legislative update to the Clay County Board of Commissioners, sketching priorities he said could affect the county in the coming session.

Kupak said he is working on legislation to protect prime agricultural land from being lost to solar developments and plans changes to the grain indemnity fund after a recent bankruptcy that affected local elevators. He described optimistic prospects for bonding this session, saying early "chatter" indicates bonding looks promising and listing flood mitigation and a non-secure juvenile facility among priorities.

On infrastructure, Kupak said he expects requests for funding for a rural water district serving northern Clay County and reiterated interest in making the rural water application process less convoluted. He also discussed IT modernization grant efforts for counties and expressed support for restoring Medicaid/Medicare chiropractic coverage that had been proposed for reduction in a governor's budget.

Kupak raised several other items of local interest: he said he had agreed to sign on to a bill to regulate kratom, expressed support for extending a sustainable aviation fuel tax credit to keep a proposed fuel plant "on track" for Clay County, and said stakeholders appear close to agreement on battery rules related to electronic-waste fire risks.

Kupak said he had not received direct contact from local residents about the DNR mapping concerns raised earlier in the meeting and offered to facilitate DNR participation or follow-up. "If I'm hearing that the DNR is somehow expanding this, that may be in their rules, but I am more than happy to dig in on that," he said.

What happens next: Kupak and county staff said they will continue coordination on bonding priorities and local projects; the senator flagged several items the board may be asked to support during the legislative session.