Capital Investment Committee Meets for First Time this Session

The members of the committee that will be involved in a bonding bill, if one is developed, met on Thursday.
(Published Jan 10, 2013)

The House Capital Investment Committee met for introductions and a brief overview on bonding on Thursday. The committee is chaired by Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL- St. Paul). Deb Dyson, House Research, gave an overview on capital investment and state bonding. She explained the state’s limitations and obligations related to bonding for publically-funded projects.

Chair Hausman reminded committee members that General Obligation (GO) bonds cannot go toward projects that are already completed. She reminded the committee that bonding funds cannot be used for project planning, repairs, or maintenance. She also reminded legislators that a project will not be approved for bonding if any of the funding needed to complete the project is unspoken for.

The 21-member committee is made up of some long-serving legislators and also brand-new members; some that have served on this committee many times before, and some that are new to the committee. The vice chair is Rep. John Ward (DFL-Baxter) and ranking minority member is Rep. Matt Dean (R-Dellwood). Members were encouraged to participate in the travel to cities around the state to view proposed projects.

If your representative serves on this committee, please be sure to introduce yourself and your city’s priorities early in the session. See a list of committee members here. The committee is scheduled to meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8:15 a.m. in Room 200 of the State Office Building. The Office of Management and Budget is scheduled to present at the meeting on January 17th.

Questions? Contact Heather Cederholm (hcederholm@lmc.org or 651-281-1256) or Craig Johnson (cjohnson@lmc.org or 651-281-1259).

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