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State Representative Tim Faust
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-0518
For more information contact: Michael Howard 651-296-8873
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HOUSE PASSES BONDING BILL, INCLUDES $1.9 MILLION FOR PINE CITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE
St. Paul, MN – The Minnesota House of Representatives passed its Capital Investment Bill today, funding $200 million in “paintbrush and shovel ready" projects which focus heavily on protecting health and safety, improving transportation, and preserving state assets. This year’s bill includes $1.9 for Pine City Technical College for important energy saving maintenance, a funding priority that was line-item vetoed from the bonding bill last year by the Governor. Rep. Tim Faust said the job-focused bonding bill was designed to create new jobs quickly and make effective use of federal dollars.
“The top priority this legislative session is to help Minnesotans recover from this recession and that means we need to create new jobs,” said Faust. “This bonding bill will get Minnesotans to work in a matter of weeks and I am glad the Pine City Technical College project was included in our bill.”
The primary task of the Legislature in the first year of a biennium is to craft the state’s two-year state budget, but traditionally the Legislature has passed a supplemental bonding bill. In 2007, the Governor vetoed a supplemental bonding bill, which created a backlog of public works projects. This bill was limited to basic projects like capital asset preservation for state colleges and universities in an effort to work cooperatively with the Governor. Rep, Faust said that given the current budget deficit and recession it was more important than ever to work together.
“We face significant challenge in Minnesota and the loss of jobs is the biggest,” said Faust. “If we want to balance our budget responsibly, create jobs, and move Minnesota forward we must be able to work together with the Governor and across party lines.
Faust supported the direction of the bill, which had few local projects and instead focused almost exclusively on repairs and replacements to existing public infrastructure.
“This bonding bill focuses on the basic, bread and butter projects which means they can begin in a matter of weeks once the bill becomes law,” said Faust. “Given our current economy, this is the responsible approach to take.”
Highlights of the House proposal include:
? $ 12.7 million for flood mitigation
? $ 20 million the University of Minnesota
? $ 30 million for Minnesota State Colleges and Universities
? $ 11 million for local bridge replacement
? $ 2.1 million for veteran’s homes
? $ 20 million to improve security at the state’s sex offender facility at Moose Lake
The House Capital Investment Bill now heads to conference committee to be reconciled with the bonding bill passed by the Senate earlier in the session. For more information, contact State Rep. Tim Faust at (651) 296-0518, or by email at rep.tim.faust@house.mn.
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