Bonding Bill 2/23/23

>> Barry: YES, AND OF COURSE THE SPEED WILL PICK UP VERY SOON BECAUSE WE WILL GET THE FINANCE REPORT, THE BUDGET STATUS, I THINK, IN THIS NEXT WEEK, WEEK TO 10 DAYS ANYWAY AND THAT WILL ACCELERATE MATTERS SUBSTANTIALLY.

REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE UNEMPLOYMENT BILL.

>> I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT CERTAINLY CAN BE LOOKED AT, BUT THERE ARE QUESTIONS ABOUT IT.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST IS.

I HAVEN'T SEEN A FISCAL NOTE.

THE COMMITTEE THAT I SERVE ON, EDUCATION POLICY, NOTHING HAS COME FORWARD THERE YET.

MAYBE IT WOULD BE EDUCATION FINANCE BEFORE US ANYWAY.

SO IT'S SOMETHING TO CONSIDER.

BUT I THINK WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THE VARIOUS FACTORS INVOLVED BEFORE A DECISION IS MADE.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI, I WANT TO GO BACK TO AN ISSUE YOU RAISED, AND THAT'S CAPITAL INVESTMENT, BONDING BILLS, FACILITIES, TYPICALLY THE BUDGET YEAR IS NOT A YEAR FOR MAJOR PONDING BILL, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ONE LAST YEAR FOR VARIOUS REASONS.

THAT MAY CHANGE THE DYNAMICS OF THIS SOME, AND OF COURSE THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THAT AWAIT FURTHER ACTION.

TELL OUR VIEWERS ABOUT WHAT THE STATUS MIGHT BE OF CAPITAL INVESTMENTS, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS BONDING.

>> FIRST OF ALL, REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL IS ON THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT, TOO, AND HE'S REPUBLICAN LEAD.

I WANT TO CONGRATULATE REPRESENTIVE URDAHL, BECAUSE HE MAKES SURE THERE'S MINORITY INPUT.

IN A TRADITIONAL BILL WE NEED REPUBLICAN VOTES.

WE NEED 11 REPUBLICAN VOTES TO PASS THE BILL.

THEY ARE IN WAYS AND MEANS AND WILL BE GOING TO THE FLOOR.

WE DON'T HAVE YET THE MINORITY PROJECTS IN THE BILL AND I KNOW REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL IS WORKING ON THAT.

THIS IS UNIQUE TO HAVE CAPITAL INVESTMENT BILLS THIS EARLY BUT I THINK IT'S ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US PASS -- BASICALLY THIS BILL IS FULL OF PROJECTS FROM PREVIOUS LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS.

SO THIS IS GOING TO BE A PICK ME UP BILL.

THERE'S LIKELY TO BE, PERHAPS, ANOTHER BILL LATER THIS SESSION THAT WILL BE FOR NEWER PROJECTS.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US GET AT LEAST THIS BILL OUT OF THE WAY AND INCLUDE THE NEWER PROJECTS.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL, CAPITAL INVESTMENT.

>> THANK YOU.

AND WHEN HE SAYS WE ARE MOVING FAST, THIS BILL THAT WE ARE TRYING TO GET THROUGH RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON FOR OVER A YEAR AND SOME OF THE PROJECTS IN THIS BILL WERE VETTED TWO YEARS AGO.

SO WE ARE TRYING TO CATCH UP.

WE DIDN'T DO A BILL LAST BIENNIUM AT ALL.

IT'S IMPORTANT.

WE DO THESE BILLS TO TAKE CARE OF THE PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA.

THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF THIS.

OUR LOCAL ROADS AND BRIDGES, WATER PROJECTS, THE DNR, COLLEGES, UNIVERSITY, BUILDINGS, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

SO IT'S AN IMPORTANT BILL TO DO.

WHERE WE ARE IS REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI SAID, LAST WEEK IN COMMITTEE, THE BILLS ARE SENT OUT AND ACTUALLY WE HAVE TWO BILLS.

THE IDEA IS TO HAVE A SEPARATION, ONE, OF CASH PROJECTS AND THE OTHER OF THE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDING PROJECTS.

IT LOOKS LIKE THE FIRST WEEKEND IN MARCH THOSE WILL BE COMING FORWARD.

WE HAVE A 1.5 BILLION DOLLAR BONDING BILL THAT'S MADE UP OF THE AGENCY DEPARTMENT PROJECTS AND BUDGETS BUT ALSO WE HAVE 180 MILLION OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS IN THAT FOR 1.5 BILLION TOTAL.

WE HAVE BEEN WORKING PRETTY WELL WITH EACH OTHER.

DEMOCRATS AND REPUBLICANS, CHAIR LEE HAS BEEN VERY FAIR.

WE DIVIDED THE MONEY, THE GO BONDS 50/50, DEMOCRAT, REPUBLICAN.

THE CASH IS $380 MILLION.

THAT ALSO IS DIVIDED 50/50.

THESE ARE THE LOCAL PROJECTS THAT MOST LEGISLATORS ARE VERY ANXIOUS TO SEE PASSED.

SO THOSE ARE TWO BILLS, ONE WITH THE CASH, ONE WITH THE GO, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL GET THEM BOTH ON THE HOUSE FLOOR, AND THEY WILL GO OFF TO THE SENATE.

NOW, IN THE SPRING, AS REPRESENTATIVE PELOWSKI MENTIONED, WE VERY WELL MAY BE DOING ANOTHER BILL.

IT WOULD BE HIGHLY UNUSUAL TO DO TWO BONDING BILLS THE FIRST YEAR OF THE BIENNIUM, WHICH IS TRADITIONALLY THE BUDGET BIENNIUM.

NEXT YEAR IS THE SECOND YEAR, AND THAT'S TRADITIONALLY THE BONDING, AND WE PROBABLY WILL BE DOING ANOTHER BONDING BILL NEXT YEAR.

VERY UNUSUAL IN THE SITUATION THAT WE ARE IN TO DO POTENTIALLY 3 BONDING BILLS.

IT'S UNUSUAL IN THAT WE DID NOT DO ONE LAST BIENNIUM AND ALSO THAT WE HAVE SO MUCH MORE MONEY THAN USUAL IN THIS BIENNIUM.

THE NEED IS THERE.

THE REQUESTS ARE MUCH GREATER THAN THE MONEY THAT WE WILL BE DISBURSING.

I THINK WE HAD $5 BILLION IN REQUESTS FROM VARIOUS AGENCIES AND LOCAL PROJECTS.

SO THE NEED IS THERE.

THE DESIRE IS THERE TO DO THESE PROJECTS, AND SENATOR HOWE AND THE SENATE ARE KEY PLAYERS IN THIS.

>> SENATOR HOWE, BONDING BILLS, CAPITAL INVESTMENT.

>> WELL, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'M ANXIOUS TO GET A BONDING BILL, TOO.

BUT I AM STILL GETTING REQUESTS FROM MY LOCAL AREA FOR BONDING REQUESTS, FOR ROAD PROJECTS.

WE JUSTIFIED THAT THE ROAD BETWEEN AVON AND ALBANY IS FALLING APART, AND WE NEED BONDING FOR THAT.

WE NEED MONEY FOR THE TRANSPORTATION PIECE.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE GOT THOSE IN THE PIPELINE AT THE REVISORS OFFICE, AND AS REPRESENTATIVE URDAHL SAID, VERY UNUSUAL TO DO TWO BONDING BILLS IN ONE YEAR.

AS TOUGH AS THEY ARE TO GET DONE, REMEMBER WE WORKED ON THIS LAST YEAR THE ENTIRE YEAR, COOPERATE BRING IT TO THE PLATE.

SO WHEN YOU TELL ME I'M GOING TO GET ANOTHER BITE AT THE APPLE, AT THE BONDING APPLE THIS YEAR, SORRY THAT I'M NOT THAT FAITHFUL THAT THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

MY VIEW IS I WANT TO GET AS MUCH INTO THE THIS BONDING BILL AS I POSSIBLY CAN, BECAUSE THERE'S NO GUARANTEES I'M GOING TO GET ANOTHER BONDING PROJECT, BONDING BILL.

I HAVE GOT AIRPORT PROJECTS, ROAD PROJECTS.

I HAVE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT NEED, YOU KNOW -- SEWER PROJECTS THAT NEED MONEY TO GET DONE.

UNLESS WE GET THEM INTO THIS BONDING BILL, I DON'T HAVE HIGH HOPES WE ARE GOING TO GET ANOTHER BONDING BILL.

SO I WANT TO GET AS MUCH INTO THIS BONDING BILL AS I POSSIBLY CAN.

I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THE SIZE OF IT.

I KNOW THE NEED IS THERE.

WE NEED TO GET IT DONE.

THIS IS GOING AT A RAPID PACE.

I THINK WE ARE GOING TOO FAST.

I THINK WE NEED TO SLOW THE BUS DOWN AND FILL THE BUS UP COMPLETELY BEFORE WE SEND IT DOWN THE ROAD.

THAT'S MY OPINION.

I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT IS WHERE THE REPRESENTATIVE CAUCUS IS.

I HAVE GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THE DEAL, AND I WOULD LOVE TO GET FUNDED THIS YEAR BEFORE WE SEND THAT BILL DOWN THE ROAD.

>> I MARKED DOWN ALL THE PROJECTS HERE.

WE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT.

>> Barry: ALL RIGHT.

LET'S MOVE ON TO A CONTROVERSIAL