Committee advances bill to rename Minnesota library construction grant program for Mary Murphy

The Minnesota House Capital Investment Committee voted to refer House File 1090 to the general register after brief testimony supporting a proposal to rename the Public Library Construction Grant Program for former Representative Mary Murphy.

Representative Lee introduced the bill and said, “The bill does not appropriate any money,” and that funding for the program would be handled later during budget negotiations. Testimony in support came from library leaders who described the program’s statewide reach and impact.

Karen Punczak, director of Great River Regional Library, told the committee that Representative Mary Murphy “was the longest serving female legislator in Minnesota, serving from 1977 to 2022,” and that Murphy’s leadership helped make more than 120 libraries more accessible across the state. Punczak said that from 1994 to 2024 the Public Library Construction Grant Program secured approximately $6.27 in local investment for every $1 of state investment. She also said “over 45 public libraries across the state need repairs, expansion or new construction totaling over $175,000,000.”

Margaret Stone, director of Dakota County Library, said the program supports projects ranging from small accessibility improvements to full renovations and expansions, and described projects in West St. Paul and Hastings that addressed restroom accessibility and meeting-room capacity. “That’s what makes this program so key,” Stone told the committee, stressing the partnership between local entities and the state.

Several committee members offered brief remarks in support. Representative Perez Vega recalled Murphy’s welcome to new members and said Murphy’s memory “will live on” in efforts to promote literacy. Representative Scrabble called Murphy a “huge supporter of libraries” and voiced wholehearted support for the name change.

The committee recorded a voice vote on the motion to refer House File 1090 to the general register. There was no roll-call tally in the transcript; the chair announced, “Motion prevails and the bill is on its way to the general register.”

The bill, as presented to the committee, only changes the program name and does not authorize new appropriations. Any future funding requests for library construction projects would be considered as part of subsequent budget or capital investment proposals.