DFL lawmakers want bonding bill soon
With less than a month left in the 2017 session, Democrats in the Minnesota House are warning that a bonding bill is needed soon to avoid a repeat of last year’s final-night chaos.
Last year, a dispute between the House and Senate over light rail prevented a package public construction projects from crossing the finish line. The last time a bonding bill was signed into law was 2015.
During a news conference Tuesday, Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, said last session’s hastily-written bill was full of errors. Hausman urged House Republican leaders to release their 2017 bonding proposal now to allow time for proper scrutiny.
“It would be foolish to head down this failed, rushed path again,” Hausman said. “We’re here because the closer we get to the end of the session, that’s what we fear, that we’re heading down that same path.”
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Republicans will need some DFL votes to reach the super majority threshold needed to pass bonding bills. Without a bill, Hausman couldn’t predict the DFL support.
“It has to be fair, and you don’t know if it’s fair if you don’t have time to look at it,” she said.
Hausman noted several local projects remain in limbo due to the lack of a bonding bill. She said some are in jeopardy of losing federal money.
One of the projects is an airport runway reconstruction in Duluth.
"We really need to get this done," said Rep. Liz Olson, DFL-Duluth.
House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Zimmerman, said Tuesday that bonding bill will likely be released in the next seven days.
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton released his $1.5 billion bonding proposal back in January. The Republican-controlled Senate has a smaller plan ready to go.