Governor Mark Dayton today signed a 1.4-billion-dollar bonding bill for state public works projects with only one minor line-item veto — despite serious concerns with what the legislature passed in the final hours of the 2018 session. Dayton says, “The bill itself is so inadequate for funding that, to deprive projects and organizations of money which I think will be well-used, was ill-advised.” Dayton says higher education funding was insufficient, including for new medical buildings at the U-of-M, and says there’s no money for transit and road-and-bridge money is also inadequate.
Lawmakers tapped money from the Environmental Trust Fund, which Dayton calls a “dangerous precedent, but it’s part and parcel of this whole session’s disdain for good government.”
Republicans say Dayton made the right choice to sign the bonding bill, calling it a very good package that sticks to priorities and has geographic balance.