Friends and neighbors,
This year’s transportation budget totals more than $9.9 billion across various transportation-related funds. It includes $650 million in federal money for the Blatnik Bridge in Duluth, $454 million for state road construction, $97 million for a new State Patrol headquarters, and $66.5 million in priority project funding for road improvements around the state. It also delays more than $94 million in auto parts sales tax revenue from going into the Highway User Tax Distribution Fund (HUTDF) through 2029 and eventually pushes full implementation out to 2037.
While the bill funds several important infrastructure needs, it also relies heavily on shifting money around to balance the general fund. Unfortunately, that comes at the expense of core road and bridge funding.
As the lead Republican on the Senate Transportation Committee, I’ve worked with Senator Scott Dibble, the committee chair, for many years. We don’t agree on everything, but we’ve built a strong, respectful working relationship. I appreciate how seriously he takes his role and how often he has made space for Republican bills and ideas in his transportation packages.
Still, this year’s version of the bill was deeply disappointing. My biggest concern was how much money is being taken from HUTDF, which is supposed to be used for roads and bridges. For example, nearly $100 million is being used to build a new State Patrol headquarters. I support the project itself, but it should be funded the right way -- with the bonding bill. We need more money for local roads and bridges. We shouldn’t be pulling from that fund to build buildings.
The delay of the auto parts sales tax transfer is another issue. When Republicans had the Senate majority, we worked hard to dedicate that money to road funding. Pushing the full transfer out to 2037 sets a bad precedent. Especially when we could have canceled funding for expensive, inefficient, and likely ineffective rail projects instead.
One provision I was especially glad to see removed was a surprise, last-minute proposal to take away nearly $93 million in local transportation sales tax dollars from the counties and give it instead to the Met Council. I also appreciate that the bill includes funding for the I-35 and County Road 50 interchange, a project I drive through every day I go to St. Paul. It also finally fixes long-overdue reimbursements for deputy registrars and includes my autonomous mowers pilot project for MnDOT. Those are wins.
There are pieces of this bill Minnesota can be happy about. But in the end, too much money was pulled away from roads and bridges, and I couldn’t support it.
As always, if you have any questions please reach out any time. It is a privilege to serve you!