On Friday, the 2013 Omnibus Bonding Bill (HF270) failed to pass off the Minnesota House floor by a vote of 76 to 56. Unlike most bills, bonding bills require a two-thirds majority vote in both the House and Senate to pass.
The bonding bill would have been a boon to the Minnetonka-Plymouth area. I helped secure funding in the bonding bill for the Southwest Corridor Light Rail project and the St. David’s Center for Children.
These provisions would have been the first time in decades that Minnetonka and Plymouth received state bonding money. It’s unfortunate that the bill was killed, despite the fact that it included important statewide projects.
St. David's Center serves nearly 2,000 children, adults and their families in the west metro area. The center provides a variety of services including early childhood education, pediatric care, mental health services, special need services, and a wide array of support and resources for in-need families.
The $3.75 million in state bonding for St. David’s Center would have been matched by $8 million in private funding to renovate and expand the Minnetonka-based center. This expansion would have allowed St. David’s Center to better serve at-risk children and their families. The proposed center expansion would have been a great example of public/private partnership.
MORE ON THE BONDING BILL:
The bonding bill allocated $800 million in general obligation bonds for statewide infrastructure improvements including in higher education, transportation, housing, economic development, clean water and wastewater systems.
Citizens from across the state provided input and testimony on this bill, making the case for the funding of projects for safety improvements and enhancements to their communities through economic development projects. The bonding bill was designed to take advantage of historically low interest rates and low construction bids – maximizing the impact of taxpayer dollars.
The Minnesota Constitution requires that a bonding bill receive a two-thirds House majority (81 votes) to pass. All 73 House Democrats and 3 Republicans: Reps. Tama Theis (St. Cloud), Chris Swedzinski (Ghent), and Mark Uglem (Champlin) voted for the bill.
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