St. Paul – Families struggling to pay their heating bills will have continued access to energy assistance thanks to a bipartisan bill authored by State Rep. Deb Kiel, R-Crookston.
Legislators voted unanimously today to appropriate $20 million to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The state’s propane shortage, combined with a long, cold winter and skyrocketing heating costs, led to an increased number of applications for heating assistance. Prior to Kiel’s legislation, existing LIHEAP funds were expected to run out by next week.
“Minnesota families, especially in rural parts of the state, have been hit hard this year by frigid weather and high heating costs. Now, folks can have peace of mind as we head into another round of extreme cold,” Kiel said.
Kiel explained that remaining LIHEAP funds will be restored to the state’s General Fund at the end of June. She says that more work needs to be done now in order to prevent a future energy crisis.
“I plan to work with my colleagues on pro-active steps to prevent another propane shortage and the high heating costs that come with it,” Kiel explains. “One critical element is to ensure the availability and accessibility of propane on site. We can incentivize businesses to increase propane storage capacity by eliminating the new, job-killing tax on warehousing services. Additionally, the legislature can encourage policies to help free-up railway capacity for the transportation of propane.”
Kiel urges families struggling to pay their heating bills to contact the State Emergency Operations Center at 800-657-3504, Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Additional questions and concerns can be directed to Rep. Kiel’s office at rep.deb.kiel@house.mn or 651-296-5091.