The state’s forecast 1.3-billion-dollar budget surplus has ramped up debate at the State Capitol over the size of a 2020 bonding bill for public works projects. Governor Tim Walz won’t say what number he’ll propose, but notes there are 5.3 billion dollars in requests. “We can’t do all 5.3 billion. I will give that as an answer,” Walz says. “With that being said, that need is still there.”
House Majority Leader Ryan Winkler says Democrat’s bonding committee point-person, Representative Mary Murphy of Hermantown, “has been exploring a bill in the range of three-and-a-half billion dollars. At least two of the budget standards would permit a bill of that size.” House Republican Minority Leader Kurt Daudt responds even *two* billion is too high, but says he does want a “reasonable size” bonding bill. “I would do that bonding bill a little bigger, as long as it was really focused on the projects that were important — and my ‘bigger’ is gonna be different than the governor’s ‘bigger’,” Daudt says.