Minnesota House passes capital investment bill (House File 18) 116–15

The Minnesota House on the floor passed House File 18, a general obligation capital investment bill, after members voted 116–15 to adopt the measure as amended.

The House first suspended its rules under the Constitution (Article IV, Section 19) to declare urgency and allow House File 18 to receive a final reading and vote. Representative Nyska moved the suspension, which passed on a voice vote. The clerk then read House File 18 and the House took up debate and amendment before final passage.

Representative Lee, the bill author, described HF 18 as the session’s general obligation (GO) bonding bill and urged support, saying, “This is the GO bill,” and that it was “a product of bipartisan compromise.” Lee said the bill prioritizes maintaining existing infrastructure across the state and highlighted investments in public housing rehabilitation, parks and tree-planting, and mental health funding. Lee noted a specific appropriation in the bill: "$3,000,000 for the Greater Minnesota Manufacture Housing Grama."

Representative Torkelson offered amendment A2, which he said would make projects in Alexandria and Redwood Falls easier to complete. Representative Lee and others supported the amendment; Lee said the amendment “exempt[s] the 2 projects from the b 3 requirements.” The amendment was adopted on a voice vote.

Representative Frederick, speaking for the committee from Blue Earth, detailed provisions affecting the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center: $55,000,000 is included in the bonding bill for the Miller Building project and $20,000,000 is included in the human services bill along with an operating adjustment beginning in 2029. Frederick said the package will allow demolition and rebuilding at Anoka and argued the work would expand the state’s safety net for people who are civilly committed, adding that people are currently “sitting in jails. They're sitting in hospitals for weeks and weeks, perhaps months and months, without being able to go to a facility to get the needs, to get the treatment that they need and deserve.” He urged members to support the bill.

Representative Kosnick described the measure succinctly, reading line 1.1 aloud and urging a “green vote,” calling it a bill that “helps better public land and buildings for the state of Minnesota and doing the maintenance work and programs that we need to do across the state.” Representative Long urged support of the rule suspension earlier in the proceeding.

After debate and the adoption of amendment A2, the clerk closed the roll and announced the final tally: 116 ayes and 15 nays. The bill passed as amended and its title was agreed to.

Votes at a glance - Motion to suspend the rules and declare urgency to give House File 18 a final reading: mover Representative Nyska; adopted (voice vote). - Amendment A2 (Torkelson): exempts two projects (Alexandria and Redwood Falls) from “b 3 requirements”; mover Representative Torkelson; adopted (voice vote). - Final passage of House File 18 as amended: yea 116, nay 15; passed as amended.

Context and next steps House File 18 is the House’s general obligation bonding bill for the session and the floor action completed the House’s passage of the measure. The bill includes investments the author and supporters described as addressing housing rehabilitation, parks and natural resources asset preservation, tree plantings and mental-health-related facilities. Representative Frederick linked part of the capital funding for the Anoka Metro Regional Treatment Center to additional funding and an operating adjustment in the separate human services bill scheduled to begin in 2029.