Infrastructure package is dead this year, MN legislative leaders say

This story was originally published by the Minnesota Reformer.

A bill to fund critical public works projects — including upgrading the state’s roads, protecting Minnesota’s drinking water and expanding city sewers — is dead this year, legislative leaders said Thursday.

The Minnesota Legislature in even years typically passes an infrastructure package — known as a “bonding bill” around the Capitol because it’s funded with borrowed money — that costs hundreds of millions and sometimes billions of dollars. But partisan tensions appear to have won out this year and killed the bill’s prospects.

Bonding bills require a 60% supermajority in both the House and Senate to pass, meaning it needs robust bipartisan support.

Legislative leaders and Gov. Tim Walz are working to button up budget bills in hopes of convening a special session next week to pass the biennium budget, after failing to complete their work before the constitutionally mandated May 19 adjournment. If lawmakers fail to pass a budget by June 30, the government will shut down.

The DFL-controlled Legislature passed a $2.6 billion infrastructure package in the 2023 session, including $1.5 billion in bonds, following three legislative sessions without an infrastructure deal.

The 2023 package included more than $317 million for upgrades to college buildings in the University of Minnesota and Minnesota State systems, $9 million for security upgrades at the State Capitol and $443 million for economic development initiatives, much of which went to Twin Cities metro nonprofits that assist people of color.

Last year, the Legislature failed to pass a bonding bill. Democrats at the time blamed Republicans for making their necessary votes contingent on Democrats killing the Equal Rights Amendment.

House DFL caucus leader Melissa Hortman on Thursday told reporters that Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks, is trying the same tactics this year.

“Johnson has a price tag that includes lots and lots of other things far outside the bonding bill, and so I think he’s going to overplay his hand, exactly as he did in 2024 and there will again not be a bonding bill,” Hortman said, laying the blame on Senate Republicans.

Asked what kinds of demands Johnson is seeking, Hortman said, “He just wants to rewrite every other bill.”

In a statement, Johnson said Democrats refused to compromise.

“Democrats are the only ones unwilling to work together to pass (a) bonding bill and are playing political blame games to appease their activist base,” Johnson said.

A lack of bonding bill this year could also cost Minnesota more money in the long run. Republicans in Congress are considering eliminating a tax break that lowers the cost of public infrastructure projects across the country, as they try to gather savings to pay for a major tax cut that would especially benefit the wealthy.

If passed, the cost of borrowing for state and local governments would increase, meaning taxpayers would foot the bill.

Minnesota Reformer is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Minnesota Reformer maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor J. Patrick Coolican for questions: info@minnesotareformer.com.