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 (AP) - Construction crews, start your engines.

      Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday signed a $999.9 million public
works bill into law, giving the thumbs-up to projects ranging from
new university buildings to local bridge repairs.

      Projects in line for funds include the Northstar Commuter rail
line, an expanded sex offender lockup in Moose Lake, a bigger
Faribault prison, a medical bioscience building at the University
of Minnesota and expanded science facilities at Minnesota State
University Mankato.

      Pawlenty signed the bill at the University of Minnesota's
Carlson School of Management, which will get $26.6 million for an
expansion. He highlighted the bill's spending on college and
university buildings, which added up to $307 million.

      "The bonding bill was reflective of the overall session - it
was completed on time and with bipartisan cooperation," the
Republican governor said in a prepared statement.

      He signed the bill a second time at a park-and-ride
facility in Elk River - site of a future Northstar stop. The
bonding bill sends $60 million to the $307 million transit line
from Big Lake to Minneapolis, in what Pawlenty said would be the
final state payment.

      Last year's bonding bill funneled $37.5 million to the project.
The Northstar line is projected to start operating in 2009, serving
some 5,600 commuters.

      The bonding bill also contains money for water projects, parks
and trails, housing for the homeless, infrastructure for a steel
plant in Itasca County, a bioscience center in Rochester and event
centers in Marshall and Bemidji.

      The state borrows money to pay for the projects, backing most of
the loans with its general fund taxes.

Gallery

Lawmakers nail down bonding bill, aim to finish on time

Northstar commuter rail reaches major milestone

Pawlenty say's he'll support bonding for the DECC

Shubert Theater gets state money; is ready for renovation

Accusations fly over Duluth Entertainment Center money

Politics and Government News

Construction crews, start your engines.       Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Thursday signed a $999.9 million public
works bill into law, giving the thumbs-up to projects ranging from
new university buildings to local bridge repairs.


Pawlenty signs $1 billion bonding bill

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