Senator John Jasinski (R-Faribault) secured a series of victories for southern Minnesota following passage of the 2026 bonding bill, which cleared the Legislature just before midnight on May 17. The bill includes Sen. Jasinski’s top priority of tab fee reductions as well as a number of infrastructure projects. As a member of the Senate Capital Investment Committee, Sen. Jasinski played a key role in delivering funding for projects that will improve water and sewer infrastructure, support local businesses, and keep rural roads and bridges in working order.
"These are real projects that communities in my district have been planning and working toward for years," Sen. Jasinski said. "I'm glad we were able to get this across the finish line and get money moving toward the things people actually need."
Tab Fee Relief: $245 Million in Savings for Minnesota Drivers
Sen. Jasinski's top priority during the 2026 session was reversing the tab fee increases Democrats passed in 2023, a victory that was achieved in the final bonding bill. The bill includes a one-year rollback of license tab fees to the pre-2023 tax rate, saving Minnesota taxpayers $245 million. The 2023 DFL formula raised the base tax rate and slowed how fast vehicles depreciate for tax purposes, meaning drivers were paying fees that barely dropped from year to year even as their cars lost real-world value. As a result, tab fees have stayed stubbornly high for many Minnesotans.
Sen. Jasinski introduced legislation early in session to reverse the increase and restore a formula that actually reflects what a vehicle is worth. The end-of-session agreement gets Minnesota drivers meaningful relief, but Sen. Jasinski has been clear that he intends to return in 2027 to fully repeal the 2023 increases.
Waseca Sewer System: $8.9 Million
The city of Waseca will receive $8.9 million to reduce inflow and infiltration in its aging sanitary sewer system. The problem is straightforward: when it rains heavily, clean water seeps into Waseca's old sewer pipes, overwhelming the system and pushing raw sewage toward area lakes and into home basements. The project will line deteriorating pipes, rehabilitate manholes, and reconstruct the worst sections of the system.
The fix helps Waseca comply with state environmental requirements and keeps sewage out of its lakes. It also supports ConAgra's planned year-round production at its $300 million vegetable processing facility in Waseca, which will send pretreated wastewater into the city's system as part of a public-private partnership.
Waseca's sewer rates are already well above neighboring communities. State funding helps the city address a serious infrastructure problem without piling even more cost onto residents and businesses.
Waseca Water Tower: $1 Million
Waseca will also receive $1 million to begin design work and land acquisition for a new water tower. The city's existing system struggles to meet peak demand, and the new tower will improve water pressure, strengthen fire protection, and support commercial development on the city's west side, including the ConAgra complex and the former Brown Printing/Quad Graphics industrial site.
Medford Fire Station: $400,000
The city of Medford will receive $400,000 to acquire property for and to predesign and design a fire station.
North Zumbro Regional Wastewater System: $12 Million
The North Zumbro Sanitary Sewer District will receive $12 million to help build a new regional wastewater treatment facility serving the communities of Goodhue, Pine Island, Wanamingo, Zumbrota, and the Prairie Island Indian Community. All four communities have wastewater treatment facilities that are nearing the end of their useful lives, and each faces tightening discharge requirements they can no longer meet with aging equipment.
Rather than having each city scramble to rebuild its own facility, the regional approach combines them into a single, modern system with one discharge point and shared operating costs. The estimated savings from operating one regional plant instead of four separate aging facilities is about $1 million per year.
Greater MN Business Development Public Infrastructure Grants: $2 Million
The bonding bill includes $2 million for the Greater Minnesota Business Development Public Infrastructure (BDPI) grant program. Sen. Jasinski has been a long-time proponent of this program, which provides competitive grants to local governments to build or extend public infrastructure like water, sewer, streets, utility lines to promote development across Greater Minnesota. The program is consistently oversubscribed, and communities across Minnesota have used it to generate economic growth.
Local Roads and Bridges
The bill includes significant dedicated investments in local transportation infrastructure:
The Local Road Improvement Program received $47 million statewide. LRIP helps counties, cities, and townships fund improvements on locally owned roads that carry heavy traffic but aren't part of the state highway system. Local governments apply for funding and put up a share of the cost themselves.
The Local Bridge Replacement Program received $25 million statewide. This program helps local governments replace or rehabilitate bridges that are structurally deficient. Major bridge projects are often too costly for counties and cities to handle alone, and this program covers a large share of the cost based on bridge condition and road importance.
Township Road Aid received $3 million statewide. This money goes directly to townships to help maintain rural roads and bridges. Townships have small tax bases and very limited ability to raise funds for major road work on their own, so this aid is often the only way they can keep rural roads in safe, passable condition.