ST. PAUL – On Wednesday, Governor Dayton signed into law the bonding bill that includes funding for the Bemidji veterans home and renovations to the Northwest Angle Inlet's one-room schoolhouse and Red Lake's schools. The package as approved featured $825 million in general obligation bonds to fund construction projects throughout the state. Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbrook, released the following statement after enactment:
“Our nation's heroes have already spent too much time away from their families fighting for our freedoms, it's important that during their final days they can stay close to home. Having a veterans home in Bemidji will help veterans across northern Minnesota stay close to home,” said Grossell. “It was also important that we fund repairs and infrastructure updates for the Northwest Angle Inlet's one-room schoolhouse and Red Lake's schools. We toured these facilities and recognized the need to fund updates to these schools.
"School safety was another top priority and I am pleased we are providing $25 million to make safety improvements at our schools. I am proud of the work we did on this bill.”
The bonding portion of the bill as presented to the governor included:
- $178 million for asset preservation
- $123 million for water-related projects
- $20 million for flood work
- $208 million for higher education construction
- $541 million for transportation
- $32 million for veterans homes in Preston, Bemidji, and Montevideo
- $28 million for mental health crisis centers
With funding such as trunk highway bonds included, the bill provides an additional $416 million for transportation.
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