Sen. Leroy Stumpf (DFL-Plummer) chairs the Senate Capital Investment Committee
The 1.5-billion-dollar bonding bill Senate Democrats unveiled today is 100 million dollars more than Governor Dayton’s request and way over House Republicans’ 600-million-dollar figure. In previous years the Senate’s bonding number has generally fallen somewhere between the governor’s number and Republicans’ figure. By coming in with a higher number, Democrats have drawn even sharper battle lines as the legislature begins to wrangle in earnest over a bonding bill with three weeks remaining in the session. And while Senate Democrats propose 150 million dollars for local roads and bridges, they and Governor Dayton want the bulk of new money for transportation to come from a gas tax increase. Republicans say, no way.
Highlights from Senate Democrats’ bonding proposal:
$160 million for the U-of-M
$139 million for state colleges and universities
$70 million for local roads
$80 million for local bridges
$65 million for railroad grade separation projects in Moorhead, Red Wing and Anoka County
$5.9 million for Duluth Airport
$4.9 million for Rochester Airport
$80 million for wastewater/drinking water projects
$11.5 million for Lewis and Clark Regional Water System in SW MN
$70 million for upgrades at the MN Security Hospital in St. Peter
$14.5 million for upgrades to the Sex Offender Treatment Program
$2.2 million for upgrades at the Anoka Regional Treatment Center
Correctional facilities:
$5 million for Lino Lakes
$1.9 million for Moose Lake
$1.9 million for St. Cloud
$2 million for Togo
$1.5 million for Willow River
$5 million (each) for veterans homes in Bemidji and Montevideo
$14 million for Red Lake school
$3.5 million for Mille Lacs hatchery
$1.9 million for Lake Superior Zoo
$6 million for courthouse security upgrades
$5 million for National Sports Center expansion, Blaine