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FL-4. Mandates <br />Two legislative pi..posals, H.R. 1087 and S.585, would provide stich <br />relief from the costs of mandates imposed after the date of <br />enactment of the bills. LMC joins the National League of Cities in <br />supporting approval of such measures. <br />LMC also urges congress to continue to provide a transition for <br />imposition of Medicare coverage for city employees. Proposed action <br />to extend coverage to all such workers not currently covered, imposes <br />a new payroll tax on employees while increasing city expenses for <br />basic services. <br />G, <br />Congress is currently considering a number of proposals that would <br />increase local government costs. Among them are mandatory drug <br />testing (S.1041) which requires cities to test all transportation <br />employees, including transit and sanitation wore--4rs; parental and <br />medical leave requirements (H.R. 925); minimum health benefits (S. <br />1265/H.R. 2508), and mandatory medicare coverage for al) local <br />employees. <br />Cities also face increased costs for public safety as a result of <br />emer-1--nCY Planning re direments ir, Title III amendments to Superfund, _- <br />enacted by the 1986 Congress, as well as the threat of severe and <br />costly penalties for failure to comply with difficult and confusing <br />record -keeping and reporting requirements. <br />When coupled with cut -backs in federal programs for cities of as <br />much as 70 percent and the loss of General .Revenue sharing funds in <br />1987, increased costs from federal mandates have a particularly <br />serious and damaging affect on cities' fiscal capacity. <br />The federal government must direct increased attention to ways in <br />which such costs can be reduced. Regulatory relief measures must be <br />made a part of the federal -local relationship. <br />FL-5. Rural Development Priorities <br />The League of Minnesota Cities continues to support the concept of <br />targeted fiscal assistance to cities as part of a federal response to <br />the need to assist rural cities to overcome the effects of the loss of <br />tax base and the decline in property values resulting from the <br />�ricultural crisis and t-e loss of industry and lobs in m{Wing areas <br />of Minnesota. , <br />-G4- <br />