Today, Governor Tim Walz released his 2020 capital investment recommendations. The proposal would provide $224.2 million for University of Minnesota capital projects.
Today, Governor Tim Walz released his 2020 capital investment recommendations. The proposal would provide $224.2 million for University of Minnesota capital projects, including:
- $125 million for Higher Education Asset Preservation and Replacement (HEAPR)
- $29.2 million for the Child Development Building Replacement at the Institute of Child Development on the Twin Cities campus
- $4.4 million for the A.B. Anderson Hall Capital Renewal on the Duluth campus
- $65.6 million for the Chemistry Undergraduate Teaching Facility on the Twin Cities campus
President Gabel issued a statement in response to the governor’s recommendations.
The second session of the 91st Minnesota Legislature begins at noon, February 11. In the weeks that follow, both the House and Senate will release their own capital investment recommendations. The governor, House, and Senate will then need to reconcile the differences to pass and enact a final bonding bill.
Most bills at the legislature require a simple majority to pass either the House or Senate. However, a capital investment bonding bill needs to reach a 60% threshold to pass. Neither the DFL House majority nor the Republican Senate majority have 60% of the members in their respective caucuses. This means Republican minority members in the House and DFL minority members in the Senate must provide enough votes to reach the requisite 60% threshold. Without those minority party votes, the bonding bill cannot pass.
The legislative session must end before midnight on May 17, 2020, as required by the Minnesota Constitution.