Senate Capital Investment Committee to Hold Virtual Bonding Tour for Northeast Minnesota

Senate Capital Investment Committee to Hold Virtual Bonding Tour for Northeast Minnesota

ST. PAUL, Minn. — On Wednesday, October 15, members of the Minnesota Senate Capital Investment Committee, led by Chair Senator Sandy Pappas (DFL–St. Paul), will host a virtual “Bonding Tour” via Zoom to hear presentations from communities across Northeast and Central Minnesota about their proposed capital investment projects.

The meeting, which begins at 10:00 a.m., will feature 13 communities presenting 16 proposed projects that seek state matching funds through the bonding process. The virtual format allows committee members to meet with local officials, learn firsthand about community priorities, and better understand the infrastructure needs of the region.

“These tours give legislators the opportunity to hear directly from local leaders about the challenges and opportunities in their communities,” said Sen. Pappas. “It’s an important step in ensuring state bonding resources are invested where they can have the greatest long-term impact.”

Purpose of the Tour

The Capital Investment Committee oversees proposals for state-funded infrastructure projects, typically financed through general obligation bonds. These projects are required to serve a public purpose, be publicly owned, and involve long-term capital improvements such as water treatment facilities, transportation systems, or public buildings.

The bonding tour process allows committee members to evaluate each request in context before drafting recommendations for the next legislative bonding bill. Information about all proposed capital projects statewide is available through the Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) website at mn.gov/mmb.

Virtual Tour Itinerary

The Northeast Minnesota Senate Zoom Bonding Tour will proceed as follows:

Context and Next Steps

This hearing is part of Minnesota’s broader capital investment evaluation process, in which local governments submit funding requests for infrastructure and development projects. The committee uses information gathered from these tours — both virtual and in-person — to help determine which proposals may be included in an upcoming bonding bill.

Recent bonding tours have taken lawmakers to regions across the state, including Southeast and Central Minnesota, as legislators work to balance statewide infrastructure priorities with available bonding capacity.

Senator Pappas and committee members have emphasized that community engagement and equitable regional investment are central to shaping the 2026 bonding proposal.

MinneapoliMedia