Coalition Demands Special Session Action After Years of Legislative Inaction
SAINT PAUL, MN – Today, a coalition representing workers, contractors and communities across Greater Minnesota launched a campaign urging lawmakers to pass a large infrastructure jobs bill during the forthcoming Special Session. The campaign includes radio and digital advertisements targeting legislators as the state faces more than $7.6 billion in unmet capital investment needs.
The Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) Minnesota and North Dakota, the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota (AGC of MN), and the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities (CGMC) are jointly demanding action after the Legislature failed to pass infrastructure legislation for four of the last five years.
It has been 746 days since the Legislature passed an infrastructure jobs bill on May 22, 2023 – a delay tracked by the Fix MN Failure counter at www.fixmn.org. Since April 30, the coalition has generated thousands of phone calls and emails to lawmakers from workers and residents demanding infrastructure investment.
Capital investment requests total $7.6 billion statewide, including $4.7 billion in state agency requests and $2.9 billion from local governments for roads, bridges, water systems and public buildings. The coalition supports a $700 million bipartisan construction jobs bill to address the most critical needs. These requests address critical needs including:
- Deteriorating roads and bridges
- Lead pipe replacement, wastewater and drinking water infrastructure
- Public building maintenance and modernization
- Transportation safety improvements
Joel Smith, President and Business Manager of LIUNA Minnesota and North Dakota: "There is time for the Legislature to correct this failure. LIUNA members are ready to fix Minnesota's infrastructure, but lawmakers must end the political games and pass a large bonding bill. Each passing day means worsening conditions, lost economic opportunities, and Minnesota falling further behind."
Tim Worke, CEO of the Associated General Contractors of Minnesota: "There is a cost of inaction. Inconsistent investment by our state leaves projects on the shelf, costs escalate, and our contractors and their workforce can’t plan for their future. The construction industry is ready to deliver projects that will serve communities for decades, but we need lawmakers to stop the delays and act. Minnesota's economic competitiveness depends on infrastructure investment.”
Bradley Peterson, Executive Director of the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities: “Greater Minnesota cities are drowning in unmet infrastructure needs. Further delay by lawmakers will endanger the health of our residents, make our roads less safe, and make these projects more expensive in the future. From failing water systems to crumbling roads, our communities can't wait another year for action. The Legislature must pass a meaningful bonding bill immediately.”
The coalition demands lawmakers pass a substantial infrastructure bonding bill as soon as Special Session convenes, without political conditions or further delays. Minnesota workers, businesses and communities have waited long enough.
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LIUNA Minnesota & North Dakota was chartered in 1968 and represents 14,000 members and retirees across five Local Unions serving the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metro, Greater Minnesota, and North Dakota in construction and public sector work.
Associated General Contractors of Minnesota is a nonprofit trade association formed in 1919 as the first recognized AGC chapter in America. The organization represents general contractors, specialty contractors, and affiliated businesses in highway, building, and utility construction throughout Minnesota.
Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities is a nonprofit, nonpartisan advocacy organization representing over 100 cities outside the Twin Cities metropolitan area, educating legislators on issues important to Greater Minnesota communities.