ST PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota House late Wednesday broke through a political stalemate that had lasted through most of the year, passing a $1.9 billion public works construction bonding bill during a special session.
All 75 DFL members voted for the measure, but they needed at least six Republicans to join them in order to reach the 81-vote supermajority required for bonding bills. In the end, 25 Republicans crossed over to support the jobs package, rendering a final tally of 100 to 34.
The measure will deliver money to scores of infrastructure projects across the state, if it's approved Thursday by the Minnesota Senate. The chief author, Rep. Mary Murphy of Hermantown, said the bill reflects the best in Minnesotans.
"This bill connects Minnesota. This bill is full of Minnesota values," Rep. Murphy, who chairs the Capital Investments Committee, told her colleagues.
The lengthy list of projects found in House File 1 include building repairs and construction in state-owned facilities as well as projects that local communities across Minnesota couldn't afford without help from the state.
"The most important reason to pass this bill is the jobs the bonding portion of this bill creates," House Speaker Melissa Hortman told reporters.
"But every portion of this bill is essential for recovery in COVID-19."
The projects range from raising a flood-prone section of Highway 93 near Henderson to renovations the Institute of Child Development at the U of M.
There's money to replace the 3rd Street Bridge in St. Paul, fix dangerous rail crossings, help small cities upgrade their water treatment systems and assist the Hmong American Farmers Association to buy land the group has been farming in Dakota County.
The major infrastructure spending categories include:
- U of M: $75 million
- MnSCU System: $90 million
- Natural Resources: $104 million
- Public Safety: $50 million
- Miscellaneous Transportation: $324 million
- Trunk Highways: $300 million
- Econ Development: $159 million
- Public Facilities: $269 million
The package also includes very timely tax relief for farmers and business owners, by bringing the state's tax code into conformity with the federal tax laws relating to writing off the cost of new farm implements and business equipment.
The legislation passed Wednesday also includes a supplemental spending bill that will, among other things, help keep the state correctional centers open at Togo and Willow River. Both of those boot camp programs have been slated to be shut down permanently due to the state's budget crisis.
It was the culmination of hundreds of hours of work by staff and lawmakers from both parties on the Capital Investments Committee since January, which followed tours of many of the project sites across the state in 2019.
Republicans opposed to the bill said the timing was wrong, with the state facing a projected $2.4 billion deficit in the current two-year fiscal cycle and a $4 billion projected shortfall in the 2021-2023 biennium.
Lawmakers spent the first five hours of the debate hashing through proposed amendments, including one that would've made the bonding bill revenue neutral -- matching the current-year costs of the bill with cuts in other parts of the budget.
Assistant Minority Leader Anne Neu said bill will add $166 million to the current budget.
"Well, guess what folks? That money is not going to be there!"
None of those amendments ended up in the final bill. The final roll call came 10 hours after the debate began.
Lawmakers voting for HF 1:
Acomb, Patty (DFL) – Aye
Anderson, Paul (R) – Aye
Bahner, Kristin (DFL) – Aye
Becker-Finn, Jamie (DFL) – Aye
Bennett, Peggy (R) – Aye
Bernardy, Connie (DFL) – Aye
Bierman, Robert (DFL) – Aye
Boe, Greg (R) – Aye
Brand, Jeff (DFL) – Aye
Cantrell, Hunter (DFL) – Aye
Carlson, Andrew (DFL) – Aye
Carlson Sr., Lyndon (DFL) – Aye
Christensen, Michelle (Shelly) (DFL) – Aye
Claflin, Anne (DFL) – Aye
Considine Jr., John (Jack) (DFL) – Aye
Baker, Dave (R) – Aye
Davids, Greg (R) – Aye
Davnie, Jim (DFL) – Aye
Dehn, Raymond (DFL) – Aye
Demuth, Lisa (R) – Aye
Dettmer, Bob (R) – Aye
Ecklund, Rob (DFL) – Aye
Edelson, Heather (DFL) – Aye
Elkins, Steve (DFL) – Aye
Fischer, Peter (DFL) – Aye
Freiberg, Mike (DFL) – Aye
Gomez, Aisha (DFL) – Aye
Gruenhagen, Glenn (R) – Aye
Gunther, Bob (R) – Aye
Haley, Barb (R) – Aye
Halverson, Laurie (DFL) – Aye
Hamilton, Rod (R) – Aye
Hansen, Rick (DFL) – Aye
Hassan, Hodan (DFL) – Aye
Hausman, Alice (DFL) – Aye
Her, Kaohly (DFL) – Aye
Hertaus, Jerry (R) – Aye
Hornstein, Frank (DFL) – Aye
Hortman, Melissa (DFL) – Aye
Howard, Michael (DFL) – Aye
Huot, John (DFL) – Aye
Jordan, Sydney (DFL) – Aye
Jurgens, Tony (R) – Aye
Klevorn, Ginny (DFL) – Aye
Koegel, Erin (DFL) – Aye
Kotyza-Witthuhn, Carlie (DFL) – Aye
Kresha, Ron (R) – Aye
Kunesh-Podein, Mary (DFL) – Aye
Layman, Sandy (R) – Aye
Lee, Fue (DFL) – Aye
Lesch, John (DFL) – Aye
Liebling, Tina (DFL) – Aye
Lien, Ben (DFL) – Aye
Lillie, Leon (DFL) – Aye
Lippert, Todd (DFL) – Aye
Lislegard, Dave (DFL) – Aye
Long, Jamie (DFL) – Aye
Mahoney, Tim (DFL) – Aye
Mann, Alice (DFL) – Aye
Mariani, Carlos (DFL) – Aye
Marquart, Paul (DFL) – Aye
Masin, Sandra (DFL) – Aye
Moller, Kelly (DFL) – Aye
Moran, Rena (DFL) – Aye
Morrison, Kelly (DFL) – Aye
Murphy, Mary (DFL) – Aye
Nelson, Michael V. (DFL) – Aye
Nelson, Nathan (R) – Aye
Noor, Mohamud (DFL) – Aye
Nornes, Bud (R) – Aye
Pelowski Jr., Gene (DFL) – Aye
Persell, John (DFL) – Aye
Petersburg, John (R) – Aye
Pierson, Nels (R) – Aye
64B Pinto, Dave (DFL) – Aye
Poppe, Jeanne (DFL) – Aye
Poston, John (R) – Aye
Pryor, Laurie (DFL) – Aye
Richardson, Ruth (DFL) – Aye
Robbins, Kristin (R) – Aye
Olson, Liz (DFL) – Aye
Sandell, Steve (DFL) – Aye
Sandstede, Julie (DFL) – Aye
Sauke, Duane (DFL) – Aye
Schomacker, Joe (R) – Aye
Schultz, Jennifer (DFL) – Aye
Stephenson, Zack (DFL) – Aye
Sundin, Mike (DFL) – Aye
Tabke, Brad (DFL) – Aye
Torkelson, Paul (R) – Aye
Urdahl, Dean (R) – Aye
Vang, Samantha (DFL) – Aye
Wagenius, Jean (DFL) – Aye
Wazlawik, Ami (DFL) – Aye
West, Nolan (R) – Aye
Winkler, Ryan (DFL) – Aye
Wolgamott, Dan (DFL) – Aye
Xiong, Jay (DFL) – Aye
Xiong, Tou (DFL) – Aye
Youakim, Cheryl (DFL) – Aye
Lawmakers voting against HF 1:
Albright, Tony (R) - No
Backer, Jeff (R) - No
Bahr, Cal (R) - No
Daniels, Brian (R) - No
Daudt, Kurt (R) - No
Drazkowski, Steve (R) - No
Erickson, Sondra (R) - No
Fabian, Dan (R) - No
Franson, Mary (R) - No
Garofalo, Pat (R) - No
Green, Steve (R) - No
Grossell, Matt (R) - No
Heinrich, John (R) - No
Heintzeman, Josh (R) - No
Johnson, Brian (R) - No
Kiel, Debra (R) - No
Koznick, Jon (R) - No
Lucero, Eric (R) - No
Lueck, Dale (R) - No
McDonald, Joe (R) - No
Mekeland, Shane (R) - No
Miller, Tim (R) - No
Munson, Jeremy (R) - No
Nash, Jim (R) - No
Neu, Anne (R) - No
Novotny, Paul (R) - No
O’Driscoll, Tim (R) - No
O’Neill, Marion (R) - No
Quam, Duane (R) - No
Runbeck, Linda (R) - No
Scott, Peggy (R) - No
Swedzinski, Chris (R) - No
Theis, Tama (R) - No
Vogel, Bob (R) - No