Dayton, DFL leaders apply full-court press on bonding

The state’s top DFLers on Wednesday dialed up the pressure on House Republicans to make public their $600 million bonding proposal.

With less than three weeks remaining in the 2016 session the Republican-controlled House has yet to put forward its bonding proposal, with key GOP lawmakers saying the capital investment package is closely tied to the outcome of negotiations over comprehensive tax and transportation finance bills.

READ MORE Capital investment chair: bonding bill outcome tied to taxes, transportation

That has Gov. Mark Dayton and DFL leadership in the House and Senate asking when, with little time left to legislate before the constitutionally-mandated May 23 adjournment date, Republicans plan to offer their plan so negotiations can begin.

“We cannot begin negotiating on this bill until we know what’s in it, until the cards are on the table,” House Minority Leader Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) said during an afternoon news conference.

WATCH Wednesday's news conference on YouTube

Dayton has proposed a $1.4 billion bonding bill, calling for huge investments in rail-grade crossing safety and water quality infrastructure. Senate DFLers have released an even larger bill, proposing $1.5 billion in infrastructure spending funded by state-backed bonds.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook) expects the Senate will pass that bill Thursday.

LEARN MORE How does a bonding bill work?

Rep. Paul Torkelson (R-Hanska), chair of the House Capital Investment Committee, repeated during Wednesday’s floor session that his committee is not yet ready to release its bonding bill.

“We don’t have a date set,” he said. “We are digesting the Senate proposal — and it will take us a long time to digest that, because it is very large.”

Dayton called a bonding bill “a must-have for Minnesotans,” during Wednesday’s meeting with reporters, and stood alongside Bakk and Thissen in leaning on Republicans to produce their bill.

“I think they’re afraid for people to see how little $600 million will do,” he said.