1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to local government; creating the Koochiching 
  1.3             county economic development commission; amending 
  1.4             Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 298.17. 
  1.5   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.6      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1998, section 298.17, is 
  1.7   amended to read: 
  1.8      298.17 [OCCUPATION TAXES TO BE APPORTIONED.] 
  1.9      All occupation taxes paid by persons, copartnerships, 
  1.10  companies, joint stock companies, corporations, and 
  1.11  associations, however or for whatever purpose organized, engaged 
  1.12  in the business of mining or producing iron ore or other ores, 
  1.13  when collected shall be apportioned and distributed in 
  1.14  accordance with the Constitution of the state of Minnesota, 
  1.15  article X, section 3, in the manner following:  90 percent shall 
  1.16  be deposited in the state treasury and credited to the general 
  1.17  fund of which four-ninths shall be used for the support of 
  1.18  elementary and secondary schools; and ten percent of the 
  1.19  proceeds of the tax imposed by this section shall be deposited 
  1.20  in the state treasury and credited to the general fund for the 
  1.21  general support of the university.  Of the moneys apportioned to 
  1.22  the general fund by this section there is annually appropriated 
  1.23  and credited to the iron range resources and rehabilitation 
  1.24  board account in the special revenue fund an amount equal to 
  1.25  that which would have been generated by a 1.5 cent tax imposed 
  2.1   by section 298.24 on each taxable ton produced in the preceding 
  2.2   calendar year, to be expended for the purposes of section 
  2.3   298.22.  The money appropriated pursuant to this section shall 
  2.4   be used (1) to provide environmental development grants to local 
  2.5   governments located within any county in region 3 as defined in 
  2.6   governor's executive order number 60, issued on June 12, 1970, 
  2.7   which does not contain a municipality qualifying pursuant to 
  2.8   section 273.134 or (2) to provide economic development loans or 
  2.9   grants to businesses located within any such county, provided 
  2.10  that the county board or an advisory group appointed by the 
  2.11  county board to provide recommendations on economic development 
  2.12  shall make recommendations to the iron range resources and 
  2.13  rehabilitation board regarding the loans.  Payment to the iron 
  2.14  range resources and rehabilitation board account shall be made 
  2.15  by May 15 annually. 
  2.16     Of the money allocated to Koochiching county, one-third 
  2.17  must be paid to the small business development center/economic 
  2.18  development office currently located at the Rainy River 
  2.19  community college for its operations Koochiching county economic 
  2.20  development commission. 
  2.21     Sec. 2.  [ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION.] 
  2.22     Subdivision 1.  [CREATION.] The Koochiching county economic 
  2.23  development commission consists of: 
  2.24     (1) two Koochiching county commissioners, appointed by the 
  2.25  chair of the commission; 
  2.26     (2) two members of the International Falls city council, 
  2.27  appointed by the mayor; 
  2.28     (3) two residents of Koochiching county, appointed by the 
  2.29  other members of the commission; 
  2.30     (4) one state legislator representing Koochiching county, 
  2.31  appointed by the other members of the board. 
  2.32     Members serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. 
  2.33     Subd. 2.  [DUTIES.] The commission shall: 
  2.34     (1) hire economic development staff; 
  2.35     (2) establish economic development priorities for 
  2.36  Koochiching county; and 
  3.1      (3) approve economic development projects for Koochiching 
  3.2   county. 
  3.3      Sec. 3.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
  3.4      Section 2 is effective upon approval of the Koochiching 
  3.5   county board and compliance with Minnesota Statutes, section 
  3.6   645.021, subdivision 3.