Capital Improvement Bonding Bill Stalls

With a requirement of 41 votes needed to pass a bill authorizing the sale of general obligation bonds, the Senate failed to advance the capital improvements bonding bill on a party-line 34-33 vote Wednesday, May 16. Following the floor vote, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka and Senate Capital Investment Chair David Senjem met with the media.

As sent to the Senate floor, the bill would have authorized the sale of $825 million dollars in general obligation bonds. Among the projects funded, $344 million dollars would have been dedicated to roads and bridges; $120 million for construction projects at Minnesota State and $95 million dollars for the University of Minnesota. About $37 million dollars would have been dedicated for drinking and wastewater projects. Another $32 million dollars would have built three new veterans homes in Minnesota, and $30 million dollars would have helped create regional mental health centers.

An amendment offered by Senator Sandy Pappas, DFL lead on the Capital Investment Committee, would have raised the amount of the bill to $1.5 billion dollars and included several projects offered by Governor Mark Dayton; however, the amendment failed on a party line 33-34 vote.