1) Gov. Mark Dayton suggested abandoning a deal lawmakers reached last session to keep capital investment legislation under $1 billion for this biennium, with some ...

Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, proposed $850 million in capital investment projects that include $370 million for higher ed, investments in public safety and infrastructure and roughly $150 million for local projects.

Requests from the University of Minnesota and MnSCU far exceed Gov. Mark Dayton's recommendation.

Setting an ambitious target for state spending on construction projects, Gov. Mark Dayton said Wednesday that he’s contemplating a $975 million bonding bill in the coming legislative session.

Downtown Minneapolis is no stranger to battles at the state Legislature when it comes to major economic development projects. City officials and boosters fought hard at the state Capitol in 2012 to get legislation passed for a new publicly owned stadium for the Minnesota Vikings.

For DFL Rep. Alice Hausman, next year’s bonding bill is a take-two proposition. The House Capital Investment Committee chair from St. Paul pushed for an $800 million package of construction projects last year, but watched it fail by five votes the day before session adjourned.

With a fairly unceremonious motion in the Senate Taxes Committee this week, Democrats in the upper chamber turned negotiations on a bonding bill — and with that, end-of-session dealings — on their head.

When it comes to bonding in Minnesota this year, everyone can agree on one thing and one thing only: Capitol restoration. The slated set of repairs to the 108-year-old building has support from Gov. Mark Dayton and Republicans and Democrats in both the House and Senate.

House Capital Investment Chairwoman Alice Hausman is calling for an $800 million bonding bill this session that would take a big bite out of the Capitol restoration project and invest heavily in civic centers and construction projects on college campuses across the state.

As the House Capital Investment Committee reviewed higher education bonding requests during a Tuesday morning hearing, one legislative newcomer spoke up to pose a question. Freshman Rep. Jay McNamar, DFL-Elbow Lake, asked whether the projects under consideration had been “bid out” already.