Bonding bill 3/9/23

SURE IT KEEPS PACE WITH WHERE WE ARE GOING IN THAT DIRECTION.

>> Barry: SENATOR WEBER, I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS THE LAST FEW DAYS.

THAT IS THE QUESTION OF THE STATUS OF A BONDING BILL.

THERE HAS BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BONDING BILL.

WE OFTEN GET QUESTIONS HERE ABOUT SPECIFIC PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS, INCLUDING CHEMISTRY BUILDING AT THE U AND WATER TREATMENT FACILITIES AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE OF CONCERN TO PARTICULAR COMMUNITIES.

CAN YOU BRING VIEWERS UP-TO-DATE ON THE STATUS OF THAT BONDING BILL DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE BEEN HEARING ABOUT OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS.

>> AT THIS POINT, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE, I BELIEVE, IN THE SENATE, AND I DO NOT SERVE ON THAT, IS SOON TO TAKE UP THE BONDING BILL THAT THE HOUSE HAS SENT OVER.

CERTAINLY THERE ARE MANY OF US THAT DO BELIEVE IN HAVING A BONDING BILL.

OBVIOUSLY WASTEWATER PROJECTS FUNDED THROUGH PFA ARE FUNDED THROUGH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, REPAIR AND IMPROVEMENT OF OUR COLLEGE BUILDINGS AND TRANSPORTATION FUNDS FOR OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES AND THERE'S JUST A MULTITUDE OF NEEDS AND USES OUT THERE FOR BONDING MONEY.

OUR POSITION HAS BEEN WE ALSO IN A PERIOD OF AN UNPRECEDENTED SURPLUS, WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT GETTING MONEY BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS OF MINNESOTA, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT GAVE US A $19 BILLION SURPLUS, AND KNOW IT'S QUOTED AT 17 1/2 BILLION BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN AN ACCOUNTING CHANGE TO ALLOW FOR INFLATION.

SO THEY REDUCED THAT BY 1 1/2 BILLION DOLLARS.

WE ARE CONCERNED THAT AS WE LOOK AT THE GOVERNOR'S PROPOSED BUDGET THAT INCREASED THE BIENNIAL BUDGET BY $11 BILLION AND LOOK AT THE MONEY THAT HAS BEEN SPENT, AT THE END, IT'S GOING TO BE THE TAXPAYERS THAT ARE LEFT OUT IN THE COLD WITHOUT ANY TYPE OF TAX REFORM OR TAX REBATES OR ELIMINATION OF SOCIAL SECURITY BENEFITS FROM TAXATION.

WE THINK THAT WITH THIS CONTAINED OF A SURPLUS WE HAVE THE CAPACITY TO DEAL WITH SOME TAX REFORM AND TAX RELIEF FOR OUR TAXPAYERS BEFORE WE START INCURRING ADDITIONAL DEBT.

THAT IS WHAT WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.

>> Barry: SENATOR MCEWEN, YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BONDING BILL DISCUSSION THAT'S NOW UNDERWAY IN THE SENATE?

>> GOSH, I SURE HOPE WE GET ONE.

I WAS QUITE SHOCKED ACTUALLY IN MY FIRST TERM AS THE SENATOR TO SEE ALL OF THE PREPARATION THAT WENT INTO THE BONDING BILL.

I REMEMBER BEING IN DULUTH AND SEEING SENATOR BAKK AT THE TIME WAS THE CHAIR OF THE SENATE BONDING COMMITTEE.

THEY CAME ON A TOUR, REALLY NICE CHARTERED BUS UP TO GLENSHEEN AND DULUTH AND ALL THE LOCAL PRODUCTS PUT TOGETHER THE LOCAL PRESENTATIONS, GOT ALL THEIR DUCKS IN A ROW AND PRESENTED TO THE LEGISLATORS THAT WERE ON THE COMMITTEE AND TO SEE AT THE END OF THE DAY THE BONDING BILL DID NOT GET ACROSS THE LINE WAS SHOCKING.

IT WAS JUST SHOCKING.

I'M SURE THERE'S PLENTY OF BLAME TO GO AROUND.

I WASN'T PART OF THOSE COMMITTEES, AND I DON'T MEAN TO ASSIGN ANY CERTAIN BLAME TO ANYONE, BUT THAT MEANS THAT THIS YEAR WE ARE LONG OVERDUE FOR A BONDING BILL, FOR BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.

AS SENATOR WEBER SAID, WE HAVE WATER TREATMENT INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS OVERDUE FOR FUNDING.

WE HAVE VERY BASIC PROJECTS.

THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF PROJECTS THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT ARE SOME SORT OF PET PROJECTS FOR PEOPLE.

THESE ARE BASIC COMMUNITY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT ARE OVERDUE THAT PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR.

I'M HOPING WE ARE GOING TO SEE IT COME THROUGH, AND I'M HOPING IT'S NOT GOING TO BE HELD UP BY POLITICAL GAMES.

>> Barry: REPRESENTATIVE BAKER, BONDING ISSUES.

REALIZE THE HOUSE HAS ACTED.

BUT WE WANT TO HEAR YOUR POSITION ON THAT.

>> WE ACTED, BARRY, AND IT'S NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE SENATE.

WE LET OUR COLLEAGUES KNOW IT'S ON THE WAY.

OVER ALL IT'S A GOOD BILL, 1.9 BILLION, BY FAR THE LARGEST BONDING BILL IN STATE HISTORY.

TWO BILLS.

BORROWING IN ONE OF THE BILLS WITH OUR GO BORROWING BILL THAT WAS ABOUT 1.5.

THE OTHER WAS WHAT WE CALL THE CASH BILL, WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO BORROW MONEY FOR THAT.

WE WILL JUST PAY CASH OUT OF THE BOTTOM LINE.

I ENDED UP NOT SUPPORTING EITHER ONE, NOT THAT I DIDN'T WANT TO SEE A BONDING BILL HAPPEN.

MY CONCERN WE HAVE SO MUCH MONEY ON THE BOTTOM LINE, I DIDN'T THINK WE NEEDED TO ACTUALLY BORROW THE MONEY.

I WISH WE WOULD ACTUALLY USE A LOT OF THAT ONE-TIME MONEY, WHICH IS WHAT BONDING BILLS ARE, THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO ACTUALLY USE IT AND PUT IT ON THE CREDIT CARD.

THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A UNIQUE TIME TO DO THAT, ALSO TO SENATOR WEBER'S POINT, WE MADE A LOT OF PROMISES TO PEOPLE WHEN WE CAME HERE.

I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE GET SOME OTHER WORK DONE LIKE TAX REFORM OR SOCIAL SECURITY TAX, SOME OF THE THINGS WE REALLY NEED TO WORK ON BEFORE WE DEALT WITH THE EXTRA BILL.

SOME PEOPLE REFER TO IT AS THE DESSERT BILL.

I WOULD SAY THAT WITH A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT DIDN'T GET DONE LAST YEAR, I'M HAPPY IT'S OVER THE SENATE.

THE SENATE WILL BE ABLE TO TEAR IT APART A BIT.

THERE WILL BE LAST MINUTE NEGOTIATIONS AND I'M SURE THE BILL WILL GET BETTER AS IT GOES ALONG.

I COULDN'T SUPPORT IT FOR THOSE REASONS.

IT WAS A GOOD BILL AND I SUPPORT A LOT OF THE PROJECTS THAT ARE