ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Minnesota Senate Republicans proposed a state building and infrastructure bill Wednesday that’s smaller than what Gov. Mark Dayton was hoping for, setting up a three-way negotiation with House Republicans and the Democratic governor on an issue he’s deemed vital to job creation.
The Senate Capital Investment Committee unveiled the $496 million GOP bill Wednesday morning and approved it not long after, with a vote by the full Senate possible as soon as Friday. The House bonding proposals, which total $500 million, are advancing quickly in that chamber.
Dayton wants a $775 million bonding bill. While Senate and House Republicans propose a similar amount of total spending, their approaches differ. Last week, the House GOP proposed a $280 million list of projects, and another $220 million to renovate the aging State Capitol building. The Senate puts a heavier emphasis on individual projects, including $179 million for colleges and universities and $125 million for state asset preservation — but only $25 million for the Capitol.
“This measure focuses on bricks and mortar, with an eye to the future,” said Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, who chairs the Capital Investment Committee.
The Senate Republicans come in higher than Dayton when it comes to projects at Minnesota State College and University system campuses, but considerably lower than what the governor proposed on University of Minnesota campuses. The Senate matches many of the governor’s MNSCU proposals, favoring projects in Brooklyn Park, Faribault, Willmar, Minneapolis and elsewhere; but does not include a $54 million renovation of the University of Minnesota’s Old Main building sought by Dayton.
The Senate proposal also includes $30.5 million for flood mitigation projects, $35 million for local road and bridge repairs and $20 million for waste water infrastructure projects.
Like the House bill, the Senate bill sets aside much less money than Dayton wants for local projects meant to stimulate economic development, with the governor seeking about $160,000 but the Senate proposing $78 million. The House wants even less, about $46 million.
Both the House and Senate ignored Dayton’s appeal to fund an expansion of the Mankato Civic Center, and reconstructions of Nicollet Mall and the Sculpture Garden in Minneapolis. The Senate did include money for an expansion of the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, which Dayton included but House Republicans didn’t; and all three support money for expansion of the St. Cloud Civic Center. Dayton and House Republicans are backing money to build a new St. Paul Saints stadium in downtown St. Paul, but that didn’t make it into the Senate bill.
Democrats on the Capital Investment Committee said they thought the Republican bill had a good mix of projects but criticized it as too small.
“I think the time is right for a big bill, with low interest rates and high unemployment in the construction trades,” said Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm.
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