Walz's $518M bonding bill includes money to rebuild cities

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz speaks from the Governor’s Reception room at the State Capitol, to discuss the latest steps in his response to COVID-19, Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020, in St. Paul, Minn. (Glen Stubbe/Star Tribune via AP, Pool)

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Gov. Tim Walz has proposed a $518 million capital investment package that includes $150 million for rebuilding neighborhoods hit by unrest after the death of George Floyd last May. It also includes $43 million in security upgrades for the state Capitol complex, which has been ringed by fencing since last summer’s protests. Walz visited a University of Minnesota health sciences building that the Legislature funded in 2017 to highlight how nearly half of his bonding bill would support asset preservation projects statewide. The governor acknowledged that funding to benefit Minneapolis and St. Paul has become contentious amid last summer’s upheaval.