St. Paul, MN - Today, Representative Fue Lee (DFL-Minneapolis) and Senator Sandy Pappas (DFL -St. Paul), the House and Senate Chairs of Minnesota’s Capital Investment Committees, unveiled a $1.298 billion all-cash capital investment bill prior to their joint informational hearing on the legislation.
The new proposal comes after months of Senate Republicans’ refusal to pass a traditional bonding bill, like the bipartisan bill passed in the House on March 6.
Rep. Lee and Sen. Pappas released the following statement:
“Minnesotans are in dire need of the infrastructure projects that the House and Senate Capital Investment Committees have considered this session. Shovel-ready projects have been waiting months for Senate Republicans to come to the table and help deliver—not only for their own communities but for communities across the state who need vital investments in their drinking water facilities, waste management, roads and bridges, and state colleges and universities. Without Senate Republican support, the DFL is determined to provide support to as many projects as we can.
“With time in the session running short, the proposal we’ve unveiled today isn’t our first choice when it comes to passing capital investment legislation this session, but it’s the most effective and accessible option available to us. It takes care of existing infrastructure, creates good-paying jobs, and includes communities that are too often left behind when it comes to state investments in jobs and infrastructure. We hold out hope for Senate Republican support, but Minnesotans can’t afford to wait for them to have a change of heart and accept the hundreds of millions of dollars we have offered for their communities, and we are moving forward with the proposal unveiled today.”
Video of today’s joint informational hearing can be found on the Senate YouTube page.
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