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US Senate Passes St. Croix Bridge Bill

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The U.S. Senate has unanimously approved a bill clearing the way for a new bridge over the St. Croix River near Stillwater.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a Minnesota Democrat, led efforts in the Senate to pass the bill. It now goes to the U.S. House.

Klobuchar says the bill has bipartisan support. The bill is co-sponsored by Democratic Sen. Al Franken of Minnesota and Wisconsin Sens. Herb Kohl, a Democrat, and Ron Johnson, a Republican.

The bill would exempt the proposed bridge from the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.

In a statement, Klobuchar says the current 80-year-old Stillwater Lift Bridge is "outdated for the needs of the region."

U.S. Reps. Keith Ellison and Betty McCollum of Minnesota say there's no need for such a big bridge as the one proposed.

(© Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)

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