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 earlier today (watch video from the first portion of his news conference above).  He's proposing $685 million in state bonding for public works building projects.  He called his bill "austere" and said it prioritized the state's needs.

But DFL Rep. Alice Hausman of St. Paul said she thinks the bonding bill should be $1 billion, especially since there are low interest rates a it's cheaper to build right now.

Pawlenty also said the state has reached a 

 to buy land on Lake Vermilion from U.S. Steel but that plan needs legislative approval to lift a cap on the purchase price.  If they don't get approval, Pawlenty said U.S. Steel is prepared to move forward with their development plans this summer.

Politics and Government News

Capitol View®

Tom Scheck

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Pawlenty proposes a $685 million bonding bill.

Time to build or time to cut back?

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