Daily Herald editorial

As frustrating as it was to watch, the Minnesota Legislature deserves a note of thanks for getting its job done this session.

Austin, of course, was a big winner because lawmakers and the governor signed off on a state borrowing bill that will provide $13.5 million to help The Hormel Institute undertake another big expansion — an expansion that is expected to provide a major boost to Austin’s economy. Vikings fans can be happy, too, because the team seems to be locked into remaining in Minnesota for the long term now that a deal is in place to build a stadium. The borrowing bill is about all that legislators really have to get done during the “short” session of even-numbered years, so the stadium was a bonus.

Another notable accomplishment this year was a bill that will raise fees for hunting and fishing licenses. Not popular, perhaps, but necessary to ensure that Minnesotans continue to have quality opportunities to hunt and fish.

The session’s notable failures centered around major philosophical disagreements between the majority Republican lawmakers and Gov. Mark Dayton — disagreements that voters will have to take into consideration as they weigh campaign promises come November.

For now, however, Minnesotans — and Austin residents in particular — can be pleased that the legislature and governor got done the most important part of their job.