If there's one thing that illustrates the divided, if passive-aggressive, nature of the Minnesota character, it's highway construction season. We want good roads and bridges, but moan beneath the burden of paying for them as well as grouse about the constant detours created by construction.
We joke about there being two seasons: winter and highway construction.
Throw in a highly charged partisan climate along with this statewide character flaw, and it's no wonder that a transportation fix built on more than duct-tape failed miserably during the session.
Fortunately, legislative relief might finally be in the works that would actually pay for the roads, bridges and mass transit that the state needs.
Via his Facebook page, Minnesota Senate Transportation Committee chair posted this note along with an embedded news release:
It is vital that Minnesota's investments in transportation (another way of saying investments in our economic future...social and economic opportuity and justice for Minnesotans of every stripe, income and location) be take up in the upcoming special session. It was at the top of everyone's list of the most important work to be done going in to the 2015 session. When we ended on May 18 having not dealt with transportation, it remained the topmost item identified as remaining undone by everyone in leadership. To that end, DFL legislative transportation leaders, Rep. Frank Hornstein, Rep. Ron Erhardt and I, with the support of our colleagues, have fashioned a compromise plan that will get the job done. Here's to unyielding hope, determination and diligence. Counting on our partners in the Republican House to respond.
Here's the news release, posted to Scribd by Senator Dibble:
Compromise Transportation Bill for Special Session by Scott Dibble
We're told that Representative Tim Kelly and Senator Dibble are cordial to each other; let's hope that friendship helps craft a compromise on this one. We're hearing rumors of some immoderate ultimatums some House Republicans are making to their leadership, but so far that's only scuttlebutt.
On the other hand, there's Senator Scott Newman and Representative Glenn Gruenhagen still playing the urban v. rural game of roads during a recent town hall in Glencoe, casting the Met Council as the ravenous White Walkers of transportation funds. The McLeod County Chronicle reports:
Newman said Highway 212 could receive funding from two sources — the transportation bill and the bonding bill.
But, said both legislators, there is a lot of competition throughout the state for those dollars.
In particular, the Met Council in the metropolitan area has been pushing to keep those dollars for the 494/694 beltway in the Twin Cities area.
Those fiends!
Photo: Highway 12 west of Willmar, the proposed Tim Miller Memorial Goat Trail.
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