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State Representative Sheldon Johnson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4201
For more information contact: Matt Swenson 651-297-8406
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LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTS AT BREAKNECK SPEED
ST. PAUL, MN – The Minnesota Legislature reconvened yesterday to begin the 2010 Legislative Session. With nearly 220,000 Minnesotans out of work and staring down the barrel of another $1.2 billion budget shortfall, state lawmakers have their work cut out for them again this session.
But state Rep. Sheldon Johnson (DFL – St. Paul) and House DFLers didn’t waste any time getting to work on a jobs-targeted bonding bill (HF2700) that will put as many as 10,000 Minnesotans back to work. The $1 billion public works proposal got out of the gates quickly Thursday, proposing hundreds of shovel-ready infrastructure projects aimed at getting construction crews off the bench and back on the job as quickly as possible.
“State government can’t single-handedly dig Minnesota out of recession," Rep. Johnson said. “But there are some things we can do to get people working again – and this bonding bill is one of our most effective tools in that effort.”
State Economist Tom Stinson, Minnesota’s most trusted economic expert, agrees. He told legislators several months ago that passing a significant jobs-focused bonding bill early in the session would position Minnesota to get thousands of people working again when the ground thaws this spring. With interest rates low and bids coming in at 20 to 30 percent lower than expected, the conditions are ripe for significant job creation.
“The buying power of state government for infrastructure improvements is ideal right now,” said Johnson. “This bonding bill is picking up these projects at a bargain, putting people back to work for a fraction of the price. When the state’s fiscal resources are stretched to the limit, this is the perfect formula for helping move Minnesota toward economic recovery.”
The bill itself is full of projects that will benefit St. Paul residents. In fact, HF2700 invests more than $26 million in local infrastructure projects, including:
• $9.2 million for classroom construction and renovation at Metro State University
• $11 million for asset preservation and exhibit renewal at the Como Zoo
• $5 million to renovate the Cedar Street Armory building
• $50 million is being dedicated to implement the Metropolitan Council’s 2030 Transportation Policy Plan, some of which will be dedicated to the Central Corridor project, and to renovate the Union Depot for use as a multimodal transit station in downtown St. Paul
• $1.1 million for improvements to the Phalen-Keller Regional Park, including channel restoration between Phalen, Keller, and Round Lakes, renovation of the waterfall at Lake Phalen, lighting and landscaping near the waterfall, and more
“The impact of this bill will be felt in every community throughout the State of Minnesota,” Rep. Johnson said. “And it will do more than help folks in the construction trades, many of whom have been on the bench for months waiting for work. These investments will get those workers spending again in our local businesses, and move Minnesota a step closer to long-term economic recovery.”
This year’s capital investment legislation is a signature piece of an overall jobs agenda being ushered quickly through the Minnesota House. HF2700 will be heard in the House Capital Investment Committee next Tuesday, February 9 and will be sent to the House floor for a full vote within the next two weeks.
Rep. Johnson strongly encourages all St. Paul residents to contact him throughout the session with any questions, concerns, or suggestions. Johnson can be reached by phone at (651) 296-4201 or by email at rep.sheldon.johnson@house.mn.
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