Governor Approves Bonding Bill Supported by Local Legislators
State Senator Gary Dahms (R – Redwood Falls) announced that several area bonding projects were approved today when Governor Mark Dayton signed the 2018 Capital Investment bill into law.
“I am glad the governor saw the value of these projects and what they mean to Southwest Minnesota,” Senator Dahms said. “We legislators gave him a bonding bill that was balanced and within the state’s budget.”
The following projects were approved for our area:
- $700,000 for the Minnesota River Basin Area II. $1 million for the Minnesota Valley Regional Rail Authority.
- $3.1 million to design, construct, furnish, and equip the driver training and road course expansion of the Minnesota Emergency Response and Industrial Training (MERIT) Center in Marshall.
- $7.3 million to predesign, design, construct, and equip the reservoir reclamation and enhancement of Lake Redwood.
- $9.4 million for a new veterans home in Montevideo.
Other projects that will have local and regional impact:
- $45 million for Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR).
- $64.35 million for the Public Facilities Authority (PFA) including $25 million in Wastewater Infrastructure Funding (WIF) grants.
- $400 million for the Corridors of Commerce including $144 million for Highway 14 and $100 million for Highway 23.
Senator Dahms stated, “Several of these projects have been considered for bonding over the past several years. It is good that we were able to get these projects included in this year’s bonding bill as they are very important projects for not only our local communities but our entire region.”
According to the Minnesota Constitution, general obligation (GO) bonds can only be used for projects that have a public purpose and/or are specified in law.
The bonding bill requires a 3/5 vote of the Senate and a 3/5 vote of the House of Representatives to pass. The legislature approved the bonding bill on May 20, sent it to the governor, and he signed it today.