ST. PAUL – Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee Chair Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Acton Township, issued the following statement regarding Gov. Mark Dayton’s enactment Wednesday of the capital investment bill presented to him after final passage in the Legislature May 20. The package as approved featured $825 million in general obligation bonds to fund construction projects throughout the state.
“It is good to see the governor made it official by putting his signature on a very good package which features geographic balance, sticks to the priorities and focuses on infrastructure – all while respecting the taxpayers,” Urdahl said. “It’s been a long process and, through it all, we operated under the notion that Minnesotans expect us to maintain public infrastructure, that we should take care of the property we own.
“School safety is another top priority and I am pleased we are providing $25 million to make safety improvements at our schools. It is satisfying to reach the finish line and I am proud of the work we did on this bill.”
Funding for work in District 18A includes a $5 million for Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School District Elementary School re-purposing and $100,000 for continued restoration of the Litchfield Opera House. Urdahl said several towns in the district are eligible to receive funding the bill provides for projects related to wastewater and clean water infrastructure.
The bonding portion of the bill as presented to the governor included:
- $178 asset preservation
- $123 million for water-related projects
- $20 million for flood work
- $208 million for higher education construction
- $541 for transportation
- $32 million for veterans homes in Preston, Bemidji, and Montevideo
- $28 million for mental health crisis centers
With funding such as trunk highway bonds included, the bill provides an additional $416 million for transportation.
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