Gov. Dayton, GOP In Stalemate Over SWLRT, Transportation Bill
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- No matter where they live, Minnesota lawmakers agree that state highways and bridges are in desperate need of upgrades.
But they are paralyzed with the politics of paying for it.
The Dayton administration and top Democrats say without a gas tax hike, there is no ongoing way to pay for the $6 billion in repairs Minnesota needs in the next 10 years.
And Lt. Gov. Tina Smith, who has traveled the state inspecting roads and bridges, says time is running out.
"We have 24 days to pass a comprehensive transportation funding bill, and there's always going to be excuses about why we can't get it done. But I don't think that excuses are good enough," Smith said.
Gov. Mark Dayton is also pushing a now-or-never Southwest Light Rail Line plan in Minneapolis to the western suburbs.
With the population expected to grow by about three-fourths of a million people, Dayton says light rail is the only plausible solution.
"To overload the metropolitan area with 750,000 more people all using our highways is madness," Dayton said.
He is urging lawmakers to come up with $135 million dollars in the next 24 days to pay for the state share of the line, and the federal government would kick in $895 million more.
But the powerful Republican House Speaker, Rep. Kurt Daudt, said Friday it is a waste of money -- and his members will not support it.
"Road and bridge funding has 70- or 80-percent support across the state, where the Southwest Light Rail has far less than 50-percent support," Daudt said. "So let's not miss an opportunity to do what Minnesotans want and expect us to do with the resources that we have, and that's fund our road and bridge infrastructure."
Republican leaders said Friday they will not provide a single vote to approve new money for SWLRT. The total cost of the project is $1 billion. Supporters say without the state contribution, the federal dollars will go away and the project is doomed.
The legislature must adjourn by law on May 23, and all of the biggest issues are still waiting until the last days of the session, even though they have been at work since early March.
