ST. PAUL, Minn. (KTTC) -- In Wednesday's State of the State Address, Governor Mark Dayton outlined his bonding bill, and stressed that it is urgent the get the bill passed.
21,700 jobs will be created through the Governor's bonding bill. He said more than 168,000 Minnesotans are still without work and they must be the number one priority.
He says his proposed bonding bill would add those jobs by financing revitalization in several cities including here in Rochester.
"Every year the city of Rochester and Olmsted County send almost $90 million more to the state treasury in taxes than they receive back in LGA, school Aid, and other assistance. Why wouldn't we want to help make these and other keys cities as successful as possible?"
Rochester Mayor Ardele Brede was in attendance four other Minnesota Mayors who were acknowledged for their achievements.
Gov. Dayton said his bill would repair buildings, upgrade classrooms, improve state parks, and finance downtown revitalization projects.
So, as expected, the governor's focus was on job growth. An issue both sides could agree on.
Mayor Brede said he was pleased with how Rochester was portrayed a work engine of Minnesota.
Minnesota lawmakers of both parties say they share Dayton's call for a constructive tone for the rest of the legislative session even if they part ways on what can or should be done.
Republican legislative leaders say they want to work with Dayton on bonding plan to pay for construction projects. But they say they probably won't speed it through this month as the governor requested.
Senate Majority Leader David Senjem and House Speaker Kurt Zellers declined to give odds on another item on Dayton's wish list: a publicly subsidized Vikings football stadium. Zellers says details are still too sketchy.
House Democratic Leader Paul Thissen says he saw the State of the State speech as hitting "reset" on a session off to an acrimonious start.
