Minnesota House Approves Bonding Bill

The Minnesota House approved a bonding bill on Thursday. The vote was 99-34. Brainerd lawmaker John Ward said he likes the bill. It includes money for Central Lakes College projects, money for the Brainerd-Baxter wastewater treatment plant and a mountain bike training park in the Cuyuna Regional Recreation Area. Bemidji lawmaker Frank Moe said the bill includes $15-Million to fix classrooms at Bemidji State University and $20-Million for the Bemidji Regional Events Center. House Republican Leader Marty Seifert said the bill includes too many "want" projects that may be great to fund but not during tough ecnomic times. The $965-Million bonding exceeds the 3% of state income benchmark. Economic forecasters state coffers will get roughly $1-Billion less than predicted and the 3% rule would yield about $825-Million. The House bill would pay for a gorilla exhibit at St. Paul's Como Zoo, a new brass band sheet music museum in Chatfield and a high-speed train to Chicago. The bill also includes libraries, university and college buildings and other wastewater treatment infrastructure. The Senate passed a nearly $1-Billion bill with different projects earlier this week. A conference committee will come up with a bill that combines the two.