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The fight for a piece of state bonding money is on.
As the second week of the 2024 Minnesota legislative session unfolds, Iron Range lawmakers over the first week of the session introduced a number of bills in support of area projects.
It’s a bonding year at the legislature.
That means lawmakers from across the state will be pushing to secure funding for projects in their home districts.
Last year, a $17.5 billion state budget surplus was spent with a $2.6 billion infrastructure bill approved.
A new state budget forecast to be announced soon, is expected to project a budget deficit for the next two-year budget.
A “significant structural imbalance” constrains the budget outlook due to higher spending estimates in health and human services and education, resulting in a negative structural imbalance in the next biennium, according to Minnesota Management and Budget.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has proposed a $982 million bonding package in this legislative session.
W ith a limited tax base across much of the Iron Range compared to some other parts of the state, bonding or other forms of assistance from the state are critical in supporting community infrastructure projects and making other improvements on the Iron Range.
Maintaining infrastructure at state-held assets is another priority of bonding.
Many of the bonding bills introduced by area legislators are bipartisan.
Here’s a look at some of the bills introduced by Iron Range area legislators so far this session to help fund area projects:
• $12 million for construction of a new drill core building and associated facility components at the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Drill Core Library in Hibbing (Bill authors Sen. Rob Farnsworth, R-Hibbing and Rep. Spencer Igo, R-Wabana Township; House co-authors Rep.’s Dave Lislegard, DFL-Aurora, Roger Skraba, R-Ely, Ben Davis, R-Merrifield, Natalie Zeleznikar, R-Hermantown, Jeff Dotseth, R-Kettle River).
• $6.5 million from the state’s general fund to predesign, furnish and equip a facility at the YMCA Camp Northern Lights on Bear Island Lake (Sen. Grant Hauschild, DFL-Hermantown and Rep. Roger Skraba, R-Ely).
• $6 million for design and construction of a new St. Louis County Integrated Solid Waste Management Campus in Canyon. (Sen.’s Hauschild, Jen McEwen, DFL-Duluth, Farnsworth, Lislegard).
• $2.15 million from the state general fund for International Wolf Center maintenance, ventilation system replacement and visitor enhancements (Hauschild and Skraba).
