The Minnesota Legislature overwhelmingly passed a state construction bill Wednesday night that is expected to bring more than $21.5 million in building projects to south-central Minnesota.
That total for area projects was nearly double the amount that appeared to be headed to the region a week ago - largely because the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center is now slated to be the recipient of $8.6 million for a forensic nursing home for elderly convicts and court-committed psychopathic personalities.
"It's my understanding that that will be going to St. Peter," said Rep. Laura Brod, one of five members of the House serving on a conference committee that negotiated an $886 million compromise bill with five senators.
Sen. John Hottinger, DFL-St. Peter, said bill summaries provided to senators said the facility will be constructed at the St. Peter treatment center. That's good news for the St. Peter economy while also serving the state's interests, according to Hottinger.
"It's consistent with the work that's being done there," Hottinger said of the up-to-50-bed facility. "It will create short-term (construction) jobs and long-term jobs. It's the logical place for it to be."
The House bonding bill had included language earmarking the forensic nursing home for the northern Minnesota town of Walker, something the Senate opposed. The conference committee ultimately dropped the Walker provision during give-and-take that ended Tuesday night when a final compromise was signed.
The massive bill to fund construction at colleges, prisons, state parks and local government facilities statewide was then sent to the full House and Senate on Wednesday, passing the House 115-16 before sailing through the Senate on an even more overwhelming 61-3 vote.
The tallies demonstrated the popularity of the bill. But the lopsided margins also showed the strong desire among lawmakers to complete a bonding bill that's nearly a year overdue and constitutes the first major accomplishment by the Legislature in nearly two years.
"Overall, it's a great bill," said Brod, R-New Prague. "In addition to it being a good bill, we've heard a strong message from our constituents that we want you to get the bill done. That's the message we heard over and over again."
Despite the nearly universal desire to finish the bill, it hit a last-minute snag Wednesday afternoon that threatened to a stall it once more.
The hang-up involved language sought by the Senate allowing the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission to lease land at its Blaine sports complex.
The House negotiators agreed to the Sports Commission language as part of final negotiations Tuesday night. In return, the senators agreed to accept language providing $500,000 in state funds for the Rapidan Dam - rather than a 50-50 match with half the money coming from Blue Earth County taxpayers, said Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Vernon Center.
When the compromise bill came to the full House, some members said the Sports Commission provision broke legislative rules because it hadn't been in either the original House or the original Senate bonding bill.
Cornish worried throughout the afternoon that if the Senate was forced to remove that provision, then senators would insist that the Rapidan Dam provision also be removed.
After delaying a vote for more than three hours and unsuccessfully seeking to get the Senate to drop the provision, House members chose to not pursue the issue further and both provisions remained.
"We don't want that one thing to jeopardize the bonding bill," a relieved Cornish said.
Only a pair of major local projects were excluded from the bill, but both may still receive funding. More than $16 million for a new MnDOT district headquarters in Mankato was left out of the Senate and House bills even though Gov. Tim Pawlenty supports the project.
Lawmakers may still fund that project through a separate transportation funding bill to be dealt with later in the legislative session.
And Gaylord didn't get the $372,000 it sought for a new library and multicultural center to make the library more useable for the town's growing number of Spanish-speaking residents. The bonding includes $1 million for capital projects at libraries statewide, however, and Gaylord officials are confident that the state agency responsible for the money will provide a grant for their project.
"There's a strong perception that Gaylord is going to get their $372,000 out of that," Hottinger said. "But I'm never comfortable unless it says 'Gaylord' (in the bill.)"
At a Glance:
More than $21.5 million of Mankato-area projects were included in a compromise bonding bill passed by the House and Senate Wednesday night. Gov. Tim Pawlenty is expected to sign the bill.
The bill includes:
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