Senate Republican Leader David Hann
Senate Democrats’ 1.5-billion-dollar bonding proposal rolled out today is getting thumbs-down from Republicans in both the Minnesota Senate and in the House. Senate Minority Leader David Hann says he doesn’t think the proposal is serious — particularly because seven Democrats say they won’t vote for the bill unless it has money for the Southwest Light Rail line. “They don’t have the votes in their own caucus for this bill,” Hann says, “and I think until we know where their votes are, I don’t think we’ll see it on the floor until we see they get their problem solved.” Hanska Republican Paul Torkelson, who chairs the House bonding committee, says Senate Democrat’s 1.5-billion-dollar number “far exceeds the amount Minnesotans have deemed financially reasonable.” Republicans are talking about a 600-million-dollar bonding bill, which Democrats say is totally inadequate.