ST. PAUL – Although the Senate’s bonding proposal includes $14 million for the development of Lake Vermilion State Park, neither the House nor the governor earmarked any funds for the park.

Even so, state Rep. David Dill, DFL-Crane Lake, expects the final bill to include some funds the park.

The issue, according to Dill, is the Republicans want a smaller bonding bill than has been proposed by each body. “The number gets pretty big when you throw in $14 million for Lake Vermilion State Park,” he said.

But Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk said he plans to dig in pretty hard on that $14 million. “The Department of Natural Resources has said that’s the minimum it needs to keep development of the park moving until the next bonding bill in two years,” he said.

The Senate’s version of the bonding bill includes $850 million in borrowing and $200 million in cash. The cash would mainly be used for the state Capitol renovation and transportation projects.

The House bill also calls for borrowing $850 million and using $125 million in cash to complete other projects while Gov. Mark Dayton’s plan calls for borrowing $986 million.

But Bakk cautioned that negotiations are ongoing and the bonding bills’ final shape is still a moving target.

Republicans have been critical of the bonding proposals, arguing that some projects are less necessary and should be removed.

Rep. Matt Dean, Republican lead on the House Capital Investment committee, released a statement saying the Democrats have confused their priorities. “It’s kinda like they went to Cub for a loaf of bread and got stuck in the candy aisle,” he stated. “We’re just here to remind them where the bread’s at.”

Gov. Dayton pushed back at the criticism, saying Republicans were picking on little projects that “are inconsequential in terms of the whole budget.”

“The bonding bill is really constrained by the Republicans’ ideological obsession with spending and doing as little as possible,” Dayton told reporters. “We just have a fundamental difference of opinion on that.”

Dill said the state’s bonding house has assured legislators that they could spend over a billion dollars without any hesitation, thanks to the state’s healthier financial picture.

Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, said a number of projects were delayed during Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s administration and the state has a chance to respond to some of that pent-up demand.

Lake Vermilion State Park

Dill said development of Lake Vermilion State Park would assure it becomes one of the cornerstones of the state’s park system.

The Department of Natural Resources had requested $25 million for the ongoing development of the park, including the Cable Bay Campground, remote backpack and boat-in campsites, camper cabins, a welcome plaza and recreational vehicle dump station.

Plans also call for the development of a Stuntz Bay picnic area and boat launch, a Cable Bay family adventure area and a road connecting Soudan Underground Mine to the park and Lake Lodge road.

The Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota had supported the request.

Meanwhile, the Senate and House bills also include some funding for other parks and trails. The Senate bill adds an additional $14 million for other parks and trails while the House version sets aside nearly $31 million for parks and trails, but earmarks no funding for Lake Vermilion State Park.

The Senate bonding proposal unveiled this week also includes:

‰$255 million for state-run colleges and universities to fix and modernize their facilities as well as build new ones. The most expensive project on the list is $56.7 million to build a University of Minnesota science building in the Twin Cities.

‰ $18 million in flood prevention efforts, mostly for the Moorhead and Montevideo areas.

‰ $1.5 million for ice rinks used by youth hockey players and figure skaters around the state that in coming years must replace ice-making equipment that use outlawed coolant.

‰ $40 million each for local bridge and local road needs.

Both chambers will need a supermajority to pass their bills, but will only require a majority to support projects paid for with cash. After the bills advance, they will be sent to conference committee to hammer out the differences.

There’s a slim chance, however, that the session will end with no bonding bill. Rep. Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, who heads bonding in that chamber, voiced her concern with getting enough Republicans to join DFLers in getting the legislation through.

“I do not see a path forward, and I think there’s a really good chance we don’t have a bonding bill this year…because of the House,” she said.