Minnesota proposes a $907 million infrastructure plan
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz presented his $907 million infrastructure plan ahead of the state’s planned legislature session next month. This funding is apart of a bonding bill which allows the state to take on the debt necessary for projects. They often have a higher threshold for passage and require bipartisan support.
This proposal includes an estimated $172 million for water and road improvement projects. The funds also plan to allocate $52 million for outdoor recreation, environmental protection projects including dam safety repairs. This funding also extends to improvements to the Department of Natural Resources’ aviation facilities at the Brainerd airport.
This proposal is gaining in popularity with many in Minnesota’s infrastructure community. “Every year is the year to keep up our infrastructure. Gov. Walz’s bonding proposal will continue to fix our crumbling roads, bridges, water infrastructure and public buildings,” said Joel Smith, president and business manager of Laborers’ International Union of North America (LIUNA) in a statement to MPR. He noted that the jobs created by those projects “allow LIUNA members to put food on the table, protect their healthcare and secure their pensions.”
