Lawmakers, administration spar over "municipally owned" language for three capital projects

Madam Chair and members of a joint Senate–House committee debated whether three projects in the governor’s proposed capital package should be limited to “municipally owned” infrastructure or broadened to “municipally supported” housing infrastructure, with the administration urging the latter and legislators pressing for clearer limits on the use of public dollars.

The distinction matters because committee members said the capital bill traditionally funds public infrastructure, while the administration said the three prioritized projects include heavy public investment but in some cases are not strictly municipally owned. The committee did not take a vote; members asked for clarification of recipients and agreed to pause negotiations to resolve language.

The administration told the committee it combined three items in the capital request and that the house’s proposed language represents a departure…