Overview
- Filed in late September, the lawsuit asks a court to stop MnDOT from reallocating the funds and argues the diversion violates the Minnesota Constitution’s restrictions on special legislation.
- The transportation bill passed in June orders $4.9 million to be sent in 2026 and $1.3 million in 2027, and reporting says MnDOT plans to proceed with disbursements beginning next year even without county consent.
- Republican Rep. Harry Niska’s amendment to remove the Rum River pedestrian bridge language failed on the House floor during the special session.
- DFL House Leader Zack Stephenson defended the move as vetted and routine staged funding, citing a similar reallocation for Hennepin County’s Washington Avenue pedestrian bridge.
- The bridge is an early piece of a city proposal to rebuild the Rum River Dam into an estimated $55 million complex with a navigation lock and whitewater features, which county officials say would divert money from broader county projects.