The 2016 Session ended about 11:57 p.m. on May 22, 2016 amidst a clamor of representatives still trying to be recognized. Part of the fury had to do with the fact that the Bonding Bill was made available about 11:15 p.m. this gave the DFL representatives little time to digest the revised bill. The DFL Caucus went out into the hallway to discuss the bill, once it was determined that there were a number of significant projects included,the members returned to the Chamber to vote. The Bonding Bill needs a super majority to pass. The bill passed and was sent to the Senate. The Senate added an amendment and planned to return the bill to the House. However, since the House had adjourned early and could not vote on the amended bill and the Senate’s efforts to take off the amendment took too much time, the bill was not viable.
Earlier in the day, the Tax Bill, HF 848, passed 123-10. It does include the Burnsville TIF provision that I carried. This will provide the city with resources to prepare the landfill property for development.
But at the end of the day, the Republican majority did not present a comprehensive Transportation Bill and they fumbled on the Bonding Bill. The majority party has control over bills getting out of committee as well as being heard on the floor.
Given that Minnesota has a healthy surplus, it is disappointing to see so little get done when there are so many needs to be addressed. There were so many missed opportunities!
There is a possibility that the Governor could call the legislature back to get the Bonding Bill done. The Bonding Bill covers a lot of projects across the state, and the fact that our infrastructure is aging out is a problem that should be taken care of as soon as possible.