Facing deadline, Minnesota lawmakers spar over size, scope of possible bonding bill

Sen. Sandra Pappas (DFL-St. Paul) is a “Nervous Nelly” about the state of the bonding bill.

At a press conference on lead line replacement Wednesday, Pappas, alongside the House Capital Investment Committee Co-Chairs Rep. Mary Franson (R-Alexandria) and Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Mpls), highlighted the importance of bonding — especially for drinking water projects — but said that negotiations for the size and scope of the bonding bill were still ongoing.

“We still are 10 days until the end of session, and I have to say I’m a really Nervous Nelly about the whole thing. It’s really important to all of Minnesota that we get this infrastructure bill passed,” Pappas said.

“We are looking at different sizes of the bill that we could really do … but right now we’re having discussions and having conversations about what should be included,” Lee said.

Franson noted the then-record breaking $999 million 1998 bonding bill which funded projects like the creation of the Walter Digital Technology Center at the University of Minnesota’s Minneapolis campus and upgrades to the Minneapolis Convention Center.

“Our bonding dollars don’t go as far as they once did,” Franson said.

That nearly $1 billion package from 1998 translates to more than $2 billion in today’s dollars, far larger than the $1.4 billion bonding target Pappas has been advocating.

Because of that diminished buying power, Franson sponsors HF4948 that would impose an excise tax on water bottle distributors to create a dedicated water infrastructure account for projects like lead line replacement.

“I think we’re going to have to start looking at dedicated funding,” Franson said.

The total cost of the lead line replacement in Minnesota is estimated at $1.5 billion, based on a 2025 estimate from the Department of Health. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has set a 2037 goal for replacing all lead service lines nationwide.

“That’s why we need to keep ahead of the game here and keep these investments going,” said Bradley Peterson, executive director of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities.

DFL Caucus leadership has set a self-imposed deadline of this weekend for negotiations, Lee said. “I think that will tell you if we will be able to move forward or not.”