Minnesota House Republicans unveiled details of their expanded 800-million-dollar bonding proposal today, and 335 million of it would go to transportation projects — a point of contention with Governor Mark Dayton and Democrats who want money for road and bridge improvements to come from tax increases. Among a number of other transportation projects, Republicans’ bonding bill would fund railway crossing safety improvements in Red Wing and Anoka County.
There’s 70 million dollars for upgrades at the state Security Hospital in Saint Peter and about 2 million for the Anoka Regional Treatment Center. Upgrades at state correctional facilities in Saint Cloud and Moose Lake are also included.
Water projects around the state would receive 150 million dollars, with 11 million earmarked for the Lewis and Clark system in southwest Minnesota, plus about 13 million for cleanup of the St. Louis River in northeast Minnesota.
Republicans’ bonding proposal appropriates 65 million dollars to the U-of-M — including a Chemical Sciences building on the Minneapolis campus — and 72 million to state colleges and universities.