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Legislative News and Views - Rep. Ben Lien (DFL)

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RELEASE: House GOP Bonding Bill a Failure for Greater Minnesota

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

House GOP Bonding Bill a Failure for Greater Minnesota

Critical rail safety upgrade in Moorhead absent from bill

St. Paul, Minn. – With only four days left in the legislative session, House Republicans finally released their Capital Investment bill at 9:00 p.m. last evening. Despite repeated offers by House Democrats to work with House Republicans to craft a bipartisan bill, House Republicans put together the bonding bill behind closed doors and without any input from the House Democrats.

"I'm very disappointed the House Bonding Bill did not include the Moorhead underpass project,” said Rep. Ben Lien (DFL-Moorhead). “I know the size of the House Bonding Bill kept some more expensive projects out of the bill. But that is the very reason Moorhead needs some state assistance in getting the project done - because it is a very expensive and needed project."

Moorhead is home to one of the most dangerous rail crossings in the state and was MnDOT’s number one bonding priority for grade separations in the state. The omission is a highlight that the bill is clearly designed not to adequately fund projects in areas of the state represented by DFL legislators. Elsewhere, it appropriates $70 million for four trunk highway projects, none of which are in DFL districts. It skips over four higher priority projects at MnSCU campuses in Bemidji, Hibbing, Rochester, and Winona which are all DFL districts, in favor of lower priority projects in Republican districts. No Democrats were consulted prior to the construction of this bill, which will require a super-majority to pass.

"I appreciate Gov. Dayton and the Senate's continued support for the Moorhead project and I remain hopeful we can secure funding this year for the project,” continued Rep. Lien. “With a healthy state budget, there is no reason we can't pass a substantial Bonding Bill to fund many projects around Minnesota. There is no reason to pick and choose projects that pit communities against each other."

Per the state constitution, lawmakers have until midnight Sunday night to pass bills.