Government Affairs News from AGC
Special Session Update

The 2017 regular session closed on Monday night without the passage of a biennial budget. After a signed agreement between legislative leaders and the Governor, a special session was convened immediately at 12:01am on Tuesday morning to adjourn at 7:01am on Wednesday morning.

That deadline was not met, and both bodies of the legislature continue to meet periodically to pass the remaining budget bills. As of this afternoon, all of the bills have been released, as well as a bonding agreement, although not all bills have been passed by both bodies. The Governor has yet to sign any of the budget bills at this time. 


Transportation Bill

The 2017 Omnibus Transportation Finance Bill includes $246 million in the 2018/19 biennium from the general fund in additional road and bridge funding, and $456 million in general fund dollars for the 2020/21 biennium. It will also authorize $940 million in trunk highway bonds over the next 4 years. It removes language that would prevent the build-out of the Southwest Light Rail Transit project, but requires local sources to pay for operating costs of the line. It also addresses rail liability issues needed to help secure the federal funds for the project.

Additionally, the bill includes a truck weight increase for the hauling of construction materials. 

Capital Investment Bill

Neither body has heard nor passed a Capital Investment bill, but an agreement has been released in the amount of $995 million, of which $166 million would go to local roads and bridges, and $117 million in Public Facilities Authority grants.

A spreadsheet for the bonding bill can be found here.

Tax Bill

A tax bill in the amount of $650 million has passed in both the House and Senate. The bill includes the School Building Bond Agricultural credit, and prohibitions on using GO bonds for LRT extension as well as studying passenger rail between the Twin Cities and Rochester. A sales tax refund for construction materials on local government projects was dropped from the original bill. 

Preemption

Bill language that would prevent municipalities from setting local minimum wages and labor standards was inserted into the Omnibus Pensions Bill. Governor Dayton has promised to veto the bill.

Freeway Landfill

Language that would give the PCA more authority to pull eligible landfills into the closed landfill program was included in the Omnibus Environment bill. This process will encourage the USEPA to defer to the MPCA to mitigate landfill cleanup and indemnify potential responsible parties. 

Contact AGC Legislative Staff:
Abbey Bryduck,
Director of Highway/Heavy
and Government Affairs
abryduck@agcmn.org


Tim Worke, CEO
tworke@agcmn.org




Lisa Frenette, Policy Analyst
frenettela@gmail.com




Tom Murphy, Policy Analyst
murphysolutions@comcast.net