SENATE CAPITAL INVESTMENT COMMITTEE TO CONDUCT FIRST METRO AREA TOUR, NOV. 27-30

US Fed News Service, Including US State News November 21, 2007 Minnesota State Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-9th District, issued the following news release:

A bipartisan delegation of more than 20 state senators and staff will be visiting several potential capital investment projects in the Twin Cities from Nov. 27-30. Led by State Senator Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, the chair of the Senate Capital Investment Committee, the group will get a firsthand look at a number of projects seeking state funding in the 2008 Legislative Session. Among the communities and sites included on the tour will be Minneapolis, St. Paul, Fort Snelling, Bloomington, Eden Prairie, Shakopee, Jordan, Burnsville, Apple Valley, Eagan, Rosemount, Inver Grove Heights, Cottage Grove, South St. Paul, St. Louis Park, Brooklyn Park, Osseo, Fridley and Columbia Heights.

“After taking five extensive tours of Greater Minnesota, this is the first of two tours of the Twin Cities metro area that we are taking prior to the start of the 2008 session,” said Sen. Langseth. “The information we gather will be very important once the legislative session starts and tough decisions need to be made about which projects will be funded.” The tour begins the morning of Tuesday, Nov. 27 with visits to: go to site hennepin technical college

* University of Minnesota, Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses (8:30 a.m.) * James J. Hill House in St. Paul (1:45 p.m.) * Alexander Ramsey House in St. Paul (2:45 p.m.) * St. Paul College (3:30 p.m.) * Metro State University (4:30 p.m.) The agenda for Wednesday, Nov. 28, includes:

* Minneapolis Veterans Home (8 a.m.) * Fort Snelling historic site (9:15 a.m.) * Mall of America (10:45 a.m.) * Normandale Community College (11:45 a.m.) * Hennepin Technical College, Eden Prairie (1:15 p.m.) * Minnesota Correctional Facility, Shakopee (2:30 p.m.) * Scott County Public Safety Training Center in Jordan (3:30 p.m.) The delegation will continue the tour on Thursday, Nov. 29, with visits to:

* Burnsville City Hall (8:15 a.m.) * Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley (9 a.m.) * Lebanon Hills Visitor Center in Eagan (10:15 a.m.) * Dakota County Technical College (11:30 a.m.) * Inver Grove Heights City Hall (1:15 p.m.) * Inver Hills Community College (2 p.m.) * Cottage Grove City Hall (3 p.m.) * Kaposia Park in South St. Paul (3:45 p.m.) The tour concludes on Friday, Nov. 30, with visits to: go to site hennepin technical college

* Camp Edenwood in Eden Prairie (8:30 a.m.) * St. Louis Park City Hall (9:45 a.m.) * Perpich Center for the Arts (10:30 a.m.) * North Hennepin Community College (11:45 a.m.) * Northwest Hennepin Regional Family Center in Osseo (1 p.m.) * Hennepin Technical College (1:45 p.m.) * Springbrook Nature Center in Fridley (3 p.m.) * Columbia Heights City Hall (4 p.m.) Please note: All times listed are approximate and subject to change.

“We always look forward to meeting with people and viewing firsthand the projects where state dollars may be invested,” said Sen. Langseth. Committee members expect roughly $4 billion in capital investment requests by the start of the 2008 session in February. Because of debt service limitations, the Legislature is likely to approve $1 billion worth of borrowing; so many tough funding decisions will have to be made. In 2007, the House and Senate passed a capital investment package which funded $334 million in state investment projects, only to see the bill vetoed by Gov. Pawlenty.

For more information on the tour or to arrange interviews at individual site visits, contact Jess Myers of Senate Majority Research via cell phone at 612-910-3058. For radio actualities and other interview information, contact Eric Steen at 651-296-4870.