A bill replenishing the Minnesota Public Finance Authority (PFA) was heard by the Senate Capital Investment Committee on Wednesday. The legislation, authored by Senator Gary Dahms (R-Redwood Falls), appropriates $167 million in bonding to the PFA, which funds wastewater and sewer projects across Minnesota. The bill, which has bipartisan support, received a favorable response from the committee. It was laid over for possible inclusion in the forthcoming bonding bill.

“Communities across Greater Minnesota are struggling to afford needed upgrades to their wastewater and sewer infrastructures. For many of those communities, this funding cannot come too soon,” said Senator Dahms. “Many of the projects on the state’s priority lists are in our rural communities. The legislature should step up to the plate and help as best we can – and that’s what this legislation does.”

The legislation appropriates $25 million to match federal grants for infrastructure projects related to clean water, along with $55 million for wastewater projects listed on the Pollution Control Agency’s priority list and $25 million for drinking water projects listed on the Department of Health’s priority list. The remaining $62 million is allocated to the Point Source Implementation Grant program, which assists communities with the cost of water infrastructure projects necessary to meet standards set by the Pollution Control Agency.

“In the face of ever-increasing government regulation, a real burden has been placed on local municipalities. We cannot leave these communities behind,” Senator Dahms continued. “With such bipartisan support, I am optimistic this legislation will be included in the final bonding bill.”

Senator Gary Dahms is in his third term representing District 16, which includes communities in Brown, Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, Renville, and Yellow Medicine counties in southwestern Minnesota. He serves as chair of the Commerce and Consumer Protection Committee.