Friends.
Thank you to everyone who came out to my May Town Hall earlier this week. It was another wonderful event. It's so great to have these opportunities to meet with constituents and discuss the issues important to our community in person. If you haven't made it to one yet, please stay tuned for details on my next one in June. Have a great weekend!
Rep. Smith and daughter, Lillian, in front of an oversized American Flag in Duluth
Bonding Bill Signed into Law
This week we learned that Governor Dayton had decided to sign the bonding bill. This is great news as the bonding bill is an infrastructure-heavy, geographically balanced capital investment package featuring $825 million in general obligation bonding to fund construction projects throughout the state.
The majority of funding is dedicated to bricks-and-mortar projects, such as roads and bridges, school safety, water infrastructure, and statewide asset preservation. In addition, the bonding bill includes $32 million for the construction of new veterans homes in Bemidji, Montevideo, and Preston, as well as $10 million for the renovation of existing homes.
I co-authored the two key projects for our area in the Bonding Bill:
- Brockton Interchange - $13.5 million has been dedicated to building an exchange on I-94 near the city of Dayton. This stretch had previously been the longest stretch without an exit or on-ramp in the area. Part of this project will be a new lane from 610 to the Brockton Exchange. This will help with both traffic safety and the flow of traffic in Maple Grove and the surrounding area.
- Highway 169/101st Ave Interchange - $4 million has been dedicated to rebuild and reconstruct the Highway 169/101st Ave in Brooklyn Park. This will help to improve traffic flow and safety in the west metro, especially coming and going from Maple Grove.
Another top priority in the bill is $25 million for school security facility grants, making critical improvements for student safety. This was a top priority for me and all of my colleagues in the legislature.
Channel 12 Session Recap
I sat down with Channel 12 News last week to discuss the end of the 2018 Session. In the interview, I highlight a number of the great things in the bonding bill as well as a few other tidbits from the session. Click here or below to watch the interview.
Please continue to share your thoughts with me about our state government; bill ideas and concerns are welcomed! I am honored to serve you at the Capitol. If you are going to be at or around the Capitol, please stop by or schedule a meeting. My email address is Rep.Dennis.Smith@house.mn, phone number 651-296-5502, and by mail: 375 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155.
Have a great weekend!
Dennis