By Rep. Paul Anderson
In action on the House floor last week, a measure was passed calling for a special review by the Legislative Auditor of the over-cost, plagued Southwest Light Rail Project. Originally forecast to cost just over $2 billion when the plan was approved in late 2018, the price tag for the 14.5-mile line from Eden Prairie to downtown Minneapolis has swelled to around $3 billion. That represents a cost over-run of nearly 50 percent, in addition to seeing the completion date pushed back three years to 2027.
Doing the math reveals some pretty eye-opening figures. For example, using the figure of $3 billion as a final cost (and it could go even higher), that breaks down to $3,225 per inch of the line, or $38,700 per foot, or nearly $207 million per mile.
The way things stand now, there is not enough money appropriated by either the state or the city of Minneapolis to finish the project. It's estimated that another $450 to $550 million will be needed to complete work on the line. And officials don't know yet where this additional money will come from. Responding to those of us who want the project halted, Met Council officials say they have come too far and spent too much already for the project to be stopped.
Where this all ends is still to be determined. If this special audit bill is signed into law, it will still take months to complete the audit. By that time, how much additional money will be poured into this boondoggle project? We tried to add amendments to the bill that would have halted construction until the audit was completed, but they were not allowed. With more people working from home, and that trend likely to continue into the future at some level, the underlying need for this type of mass transit must be addressed.
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The drought aid bill for agriculture is scheduled for action this week on the House floor. It will provide $10 million in grants and loans to producers who suffered losses from last summer's dry weather. I succeeded in having an additional $100,000 added to the bill to compensate farmers for the first 25 miles of transportation cost for hay they purchased. With Sauk Centre having a large hay auction, many producers in our area were able to purchase hay close to home but were not eligible for federal dollars for those first 25 miles.
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Restrictions around the Capitol Complex are slowly being eased. While the State Office Building is still closed to the public, the Capitol itself is open again and visitors are making their way back. I have met in-person with several groups in the past week, but the meetings have all been held at the Capitol. We are getting our exercise walking the tunnel several times a day for meetings, and can't wait for the official re-opening of our offices in the State Office Building to the public on March 21.
Evening receptions are also slowly returning, and most attendees are not wearing masks. Thankfully, COVID-19 numbers are declining rapidly, and life is beginning to return to normal. I watched the BBE wrestling team in action Thursday at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul. The place was nearly full and there were not many masks to be seen.
By the way, congratulations to the Jaguars wrestling team on getting to the state tournament and having a great season!
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