A billion-dollar building projects bill won state Senate approval Tuesday, 52-14, on the strength of a lopsidedly DFL vote, and drew a fresh veto threat from GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty. In other words, bonding politics seemed to be playing out as usual at the Legislature.
Still, the day produced a few signs that lawmakers may be able to agree on a capital investment bill in time to put unemployed construction workers back on the job this spring and summer. The Senate has never before acted this early in a legislative session on a bonding bill. The House companion bill was moving apace through committees and is also on a fast track.
And some give was exhibited on both sides on what may be the bonding bill's most contentious issue, Pawlenty's proposal to borrow $89 million to enlarge a sexual offender treatment facility at Moose Lake. DFLers had omitted that facility from their bills, arguing that Minnesota's policy of housing in a $325/day facility an increasing number of offenders after their criminal sentences have been served is too costly, and needs review.
Pawlenty seemed to be responding to that criticism Tuesday when he proposed doubling the prison sentences of sex offenders, thereby keeping them longer in facilities with an average per-person cost of $63/day. For their part, Senate DFLers added to their bill a $1 million line for design work on the proposed Moose Lake expansion. Capital investment chair Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, said he wanted to "send a message to the governor that this is up for discussion." Those talks should commence very soon.
