Gov. Walz Visits Henderson Thursday, Urges Legislature To Pass Bonding Bill

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The city of Henderson, Minnesota has its eye on this most recent Special Session at the State Capitol.

The major roads leading to town flood several times a year. On Thursday, Gov. Tim Walz visited Henderson to urge the legislature to pass the $1.35 billion infrastructure, jobs and bonding bill.

The bill has $24 million to help Henderson.

"This town has suffered enough," Meghan Graham said. It's a really good project and I think we should get it passed."

When the roads flood, Meghan Graham's kids spend an hour longer on the school bus each day.

"It's not just a one in every five years trend -- its every year, multiple times a year," Graham explained.

The $24 million in the bonding bill would elevate a three-mile stretch of Highway 93.

"This is exactly the type of project that should be done," Walz said. "We should accelerate the completion of this."

The bonding bill is just one of the big-ticket items left unfinished in the regular legislative session as well as the first special session that ended last month.

As part of a second special session, negotiations are underway on a bonding bill, police reform, a tax bill and more. But first, Republicans want the governor to give up some of his emergency COVID-19 powers.

"We would like get some kind of negotiation with the governor to modify his emergency powers act," Rep. Glenn Gruenhagen said.

Walz wasn't announcing any agreements on the Henderson roadside but he did say this, "I would be more than happy to get the legislature to  take on some of this responsibility and make these decisions because the way it is set up right now, every decision that works out well everybody is happy about and if doenst they are going to blame me."

We should know more about whether there is an agreement on the bonding bill, police reform and other important issues on Monday.

That's when both houses of the legislature will hold floor sessions.