(ST. PAUL, Minn.) -The Minnesota Senate passed the Transportation Budget and Policy Bill, HF 2438 Thursday in a bipartisan vote of 37 – 28. The bill, chief authored by Senator Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis), responsibly reduces spending without compromising investments in or commitment to core infrastructure and the need for everyone to have access and mobility across the state, including roads, bridges, and transit.
“This budget is a responsible balance of spending cuts and funding increases that prioritizes core services, while aligning state policy to better reflect the needs of our modern transportation system,” said Senator Dibble. “All Minnesotans expect and deserve a safe, reliable transportation system that they can rely on to get to the everything they need in their lives. This budget will support this goal.”
While the bill does contain an overall budget reduction in funding, it does preserve full funding for transit throughout Minnesota, funding for biking and walking active transportation, authorizes $100 million in Trunk Highway bonding, supports the rebuilding of the Blatnik Bridge in Duluth, a base increase for the Corridors of Commerce program, and an increase for the state road construction and maintenance.
The bill funds additional aircraft for the State Patrol and also funds an additional state patrol academy for two years, in the hope that the additional academy will allow for recruiting and training additional State Patrol troopers.
New revenue is raised by aligning policy with driving trends by increasing the registration surcharge on electric and hybrid vehicles. This surcharge has not been raised for several years, and it represents a commitment to better aligning state policy with the shift towards electric vehicles.
This bill contains critical policy initiatives, including making reintegration drivers licenses work better for Minnesotans, reforming the overly restrictive state-aid street design process, improving MnDOT’s community engagement and transportation planning, and limiting the circumstances where a pedestrian can be cited for jaywalking to align Minnesota law with how people actually safely move through our communities.
In Thursday’s floor debate on the bill, Senator Zaynab Mohamad motioned to rename the 10th Avenue Bridge in Minneapolis to the Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic Memorial Bridge, in recognition of Dziedzic’s tireless advocacy and work on behalf of Northeast Minneapolis, including her success in securing funding for the historic bridge.
“Our beloved Senator Dziedzic spent her entire legislative career building bridges and working for the common good,” said Sen. Dibble. “Her unfailing kindness and her diligence left an incredible legacy for not only Minneapolis, but for our entire state, and this honor is just one small way to show our appreciation for her incredible work.”
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