Making job creation the first priority of the 2010 Legislative Session, the Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive capital investment package this week. State Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, said that economic experts predict the bonding bill could create as many as 10,000 much-needed jobs throughout Minnesota. The bill was passed by the Senate with a strong bipartisan 52-14 vote.
The capital investment bill will provide support for important infrastructure projects all over the state, including roads, bridges, wastewater treatment facilities, parks and trails, and college campuses.
“It seems to me that the best way to grow Minnesota’s economy is to get folks back to work,” said Sen. Kubly. “By making improvements to our state’s infrastructure, we’ll not only improve Minnesotans’ quality of life, but create jobs and generate activity in every corner of the state. While there are a lot of blue-collar jobs created, there are also a lot of white-collar jobs for architects, engineers, and planners”
Sen. Kubly was especially pleased that the Senate’s capital investment package included $67 million for local bridge improvements.
“Most of these local bridge-improvement funds are spent on bridges in rural Minnesota,” explained Sen. Kubly. “The support provided in this year’s bill is at least $30 million more than what is included in normal bonding bills. These funds will go a long way to help our rural townships and counties replace or make safety improvements to their bridges.”
Sen. Kubly noted that the Senate bill also included $70 million in support of flood mitigation efforts.
“Communities in our area typically receive state support for flood mitigation efforts. Given the significant snowfall this winter, who knows what sort of flooding this spring could bring,” said Sen. Kubly. “We need to complete these projects so we don’t have to deal with flooding issues so often.”
Sen. Kubly noted that this package is affordable, citing figures from the Tax Foundation that show Minnesota’s per-capita debt level is just 42nd in the nation.
“In our struggling economy, labor and material costs are low, so now is the time to complete this work,” said Sen. Kubly. “Beyond providing the needed boost to job creation and economic activity, taxpayers will get more for their money by doing these projects when costs are down.”
The Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to take up their capital investment bill in the near future. Differences between the two versions will then be worked out in a conference committee. Sen. Kubly expressed hope that this bill would be presented to the governor in time to take advantage of the spring construction season.
Anyone with comments or questions on this legislation can contact Sen. Kubly at 301 State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1606, sen.gary.kubly@senate.mn or 651-296-5094.
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Making job creation the first priority of the 2010 Legislative Session, the Minnesota Senate passed a comprehensive capital investment package this week. State Sen. Gary Kubly, DFL-Granite Falls, said that economic experts predict the bonding bill could create as many as 10,000 much-needed jobs throughout Minnesota. The bill was passed by the Senate with a strong bipartisan 52-14 vote.
The capital investment bill will provide support for important infrastructure projects all over the state, including roads, bridges, wastewater treatment facilities, parks and trails, and college campuses.
“It seems to me that the best way to grow Minnesota’s economy is to get folks back to work,” said Sen. Kubly. “By making improvements to our state’s infrastructure, we’ll not only improve Minnesotans’ quality of life, but create jobs and generate activity in every corner of the state. While there are a lot of blue-collar jobs created, there are also a lot of white-collar jobs for architects, engineers, and planners”
Sen. Kubly was especially pleased that the Senate’s capital investment package included $67 million for local bridge improvements.
“Most of these local bridge-improvement funds are spent on bridges in rural Minnesota,” explained Sen. Kubly. “The support provided in this year’s bill is at least $30 million more than what is included in normal bonding bills. These funds will go a long way to help our rural townships and counties replace or make safety improvements to their bridges.”
Sen. Kubly noted that the Senate bill also included $70 million in support of flood mitigation efforts.
“Communities in our area typically receive state support for flood mitigation efforts. Given the significant snowfall this winter, who knows what sort of flooding this spring could bring,” said Sen. Kubly. “We need to complete these projects so we don’t have to deal with flooding issues so often.”
Sen. Kubly noted that this package is affordable, citing figures from the Tax Foundation that show Minnesota’s per-capita debt level is just 42nd in the nation.
“In our struggling economy, labor and material costs are low, so now is the time to complete this work,” said Sen. Kubly. “Beyond providing the needed boost to job creation and economic activity, taxpayers will get more for their money by doing these projects when costs are down.”
The Minnesota House of Representatives is expected to take up their capital investment bill in the near future. Differences between the two versions will then be worked out in a conference committee. Sen. Kubly expressed hope that this bill would be presented to the governor in time to take advantage of the spring construction season.
Anyone with comments or questions on this legislation can contact Sen. Kubly at 301 State Capitol, 75 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1606, sen.gary.kubly@senate.mn or 651-296-5094.
