ST. PAUL, Minn. – Governor Tim Walz laid out a near $1 billion spending plan to build, upgrade and maintain state facilities. The plan will be on the Legislature’s agenda at its biennial infrastructure session that begins February 12. The governor seeks $40 million for local government projects and $5 million in grants to construct and renovate early childhood facilities. These facilities, he said, will help ensure that early childhood programs are safe. The governor’s capital investment recommendation also includes water infrastructure, transportation infrastructure, housing, and public safety. These projects will create good-paying jobs in the trades, the governor said. The total Walz proposal: $982 million. The usual practice is to use the state’s good credit rating to borrow construction funds long-term at low interest rates. Big-ticket items include $61 million for the Minnesota State colleges system, which includes Winona State aad Southest State. Projects in the separate University of Minnesota system total $45 million.
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Walz: “The infrastructure bill hits the heart of what legislators know. They go home they’re hearing from their city council, they’re hearing from their county commissioners, tthey’re hearing from their neighbors about things that need to be done and smart investments that need to go forward.”