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House passes bill to fund state construction; no money for River's Edge ramp

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May 7, 2012 at 2:26 pm

ST. PAUL, Minn. (KNSI, AP) - The Minnesota House has voted to borrow $496 million for construction projects including college building upgrades, flood prevention work and improvements to the Capitol.

The House approved the beefed-up version of its original bonding proposal on a 99-32 vote on Monday.

The package would provide $44 million to start fixing up the Capitol. That's a fraction of the total cost of renovating the historic building.

It would send $64 million to the University of Minnesota and $132 million to the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The bill would spend $30 million on flood prevention and $49 million on roads, bridges and other transportation projects.

The bill does not include $10 million requested by St. Cloud to finish a parking ramp and other renovations to the River's Edge Convention Center. However, the city would be eligible to apply for a portion of $50 million in grant money to be dispersed by the Department of Employment and Economic Development.

The package also does not include any money for a St. Paul Saints ballpark.