ST. PAUL, MN—After months of negotiations, Democrats announced Thursday their intention to walk away from special session talks over an impasse on Southwest Light Rail. The controversial project, which is facing multiple lawsuits and has a jury trial expected to begin in 2017, was the last remaining obstacle of disagreement for a special session to re-pass the tax bill vetoed by Governor Dayton and a major transportation & bonding bill that would benefit communities across Minnesota.
Representative Roz Peterson (R- Lakeville) issued the following statement:
"In spite of agreements being reached on 99% of the issues addressed in negotiations, Senate Democrats and Governor Dayton chose to make SouthWest Light Rail their only goal. I'm extremely disappointed that important middle-class tax relief, as well as bonding projects and transportation infrastructure across the state, were not prioritized by officials across the aisle. It's unfortunate that instead of choosing to act on the legislation that both sides agreed on, Governor Dayton prioritized a project that costs millions in general fund dollars, making less money available for our schools and other essential health and human services needs in our state. This is not the outcome my House colleagues and I had hoped for, and Minnesotans deserve more."
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