Last year’s bipartisan infrastructure bill, also known as the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, will funnel a historic $1.2 trillion into states—about $7.3 billion of which has been tentatively allocated to Minnesota. These funds could go toward much-needed investments in electric transportation infrastructure, electric transit, weatherization assistance, energy efficiency, power and grid—all of which play a major role in our climate future and as we seek energy independence. However, in order to secure the Federal funding that Minnesotans are entitled to, the Minnesota Legislature must immediately convene a special session and approve state matching funds.
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Most of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, or IIJA) funding comes in the form of either formula funded grants, which require a specified matching component from the state, or competitive grants that will disproportionately go to projects that are able to leverage additional funding sources. Despite a record budget surplus, the Minnesota Legislature ended the 2022 regular session without allocating any state resources toward securing Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding.
Now, it is imperative that the Legislature gets back to work and finishes the job of securing Minnesota’s rightful share of this historic Federal investment in our communities. Even relatively modest investments now will unlock access to billions of dollars in additional federal funding – building the infrastructure we need for the Minnesota of tomorrow.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law includes funding for an incredibly wide swath of public infrastructure needs, including but not limited to the following:
- Transit systems and development of electric transit
- Road and bridge improvements
- Electric vehicle charging infrastructure
- Water and wastewater infrastructure
- Electric grid reliability and resiliency
We urgently need your help! We can’t let political dysfunction stand in the way of Minnesotans receiving their fair share of this historic investment. The State of Minnesota has the largest budget surplus in state history. Meanwhile, Minnesotans are feeling the effects of inflation and the ongoing disruptions to our global economy from COVID-19 and war abroad. Legislators and Governor Walz must come together to finish their work and ensure Minnesotans get access to these urgently needed Federal resources.
Minnesotans need to reach out to their legislators and Governor Walz and urge them to set aside partisan differences and immediately ensure that Minnesota receives its full entitlement of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
