A belated capital investment package will direct $370 million to various projects throughout Minnesota, but lots of projects were left off the final bill.

Without much fanfare in the recently adjourned 2015 legislative session, we joined the pack of 32 states with a specific higher-ed attainment goal written into state law.

The general obligation bonding bill will advance $373.4 million in funding for projects ranging from flood relief and pipelines to highways and higher education.

The Minnesota Department and Economic Development developed a “career profile tool,” a searchable database that allows users to see wages, demand and regional growth for virtually every job in the state.

Against the backdrop of brimming post-recession optimism, the worker shortage looming for years is beginning to sting as baby boomers retire and the pipeline of new workers undershoots demand.

The higher education omnibus bill became yet another case study in the poisonous style of debate that now seems a given in the House.

The two bills are so utterly different that neither is likely to hold its current shape after the two sides negotiate in a conference committee.

The governor said the timing is right for another borrowing bill, given the state’s surplus and low interest rates, although he conceded that he faced an uphill battle over bonding with Republican leadership in the House of Representatives.

Governor’s proposal to spend the $1.9 billion surplus faces resistance from the GOP.

Lawmakers spent week digesting economic forecast data and planning strategies for the looming budget battle.