SAINT PAUL, MN – In an overtime session, the Minnesota House passed a $995 million building and infrastructure bill. The measure received the needed 81 votes to pass the House after negotiators spent weeks working toward a regionally balanced bill. Capital Investment DFL Lead, Rep. Alice Hausman, released this statement:
“This is not the infrastructure bill I would have written, but we did make some progress to ensure the bill is regionally balanced and will meet the needs of many communities. We are two years behind funding some deserving and long-awaited requests and this bill addresses those delayed projects. Additionally, there is $77 million in the bill for housing for those who don’t have a safe place to sleep at night. There are more crucial investments in higher education projects around the state.
“This bill is often the very last to pass the legislature. One Republican member described this important bill as “dessert.” I reject that characterization and instead make the case that the bonding bill is “meat and potatoes.” Higher Education, roads, wastewater infrastructure and other worthy projects are often the spine of economic development in communities across the state.
“We have been working on this bill for almost two years. Many projects in the 2017 version were included in the failed 2016 bonding bill and are ready to go. I am pleased this bill crossed the finish line today. "
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