Tools
News & Features
Session 2002

This issue usually pits rural and metropolitan legislators. Rural legislators will seek to find more money for roads, metropolitan legislators will look for more money for mass transit. But all of that debate will occur in the framework of declining state revenues. The larger debate will first be on raising the state's 20-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax, and then on how that tax money is spent. Ironically, one year ago, House Republicans asked Gov. Ventura to call a special session to suspend the state's gasoline tax, as per-gallon prices approached $2.

AUDIO

•Is the transportation package dead? Listen (Midday - 5/15/02)

•The transportation debate. Guests: Sen. Dean Johnson, Rep. William Kuisle. Listen (3/29/02)
•The proposed increase in the gas tax. Listen (Midday - 3/15/02)

•Minnesota's transportation policy. Guest: Elwyn Tinklenberg. Listen. (Midday - 2/26/02)

•Transportation plan. Guests: DFL Senate Transportation Finance Chairman Dean Johnson and House Republican Transportation chairman Tom Workman. Listen (Midday - 2/7/02)

•Rep. Carol Molnau, Chair Transportation Finance Committee. Listen . (Midday - 1/29/02)

•Ted Mondale, chair of Met Council discusses growth estimates and impact on transit and other needs.Listen. (Midday - 1/22/01)

(See complete Session 2002 audio)

RESOURCES AND LINKS
Are We There Yet: Minnesota's transportation quandry
MnDOT

House Research Dept., transportation publications

SESSION ISSUES
Transportation
At-A-Glance The issue died in the final days of the session after the House conceded it didn't have the votes to pass a gas tax increase. The Senate had offered to raise the gasoline tax by 5 cents per gallon, spending part of the money on transit, and the House had initially countered with a 3-cent increase that would be spent entirely on roads. But Gov. Jesse Ventura, who has proposed a nickel increase, rejected a "roads-only" approach.
Latest News at the Capitol

More Capitol Reports
House may be warming to gas tax (4/17/02)
The rail debate (4/8/02)
House passes transportation bill (3/26/02)
Senate approves transportation plan; raises gas tax (3/21/02)
Debate over diesel fuel additive reaches climax (3/12/02)
Gas tax increase gets OK from House committee (3/8/02)
Senate announces $7.5 billion transportation proposal (2/27/02)
Commuter rail stalls at Capitol stop (2/12/02)
GOP, DFL lawmakers join forces for transportation plan (2/7/02)
Gas tax proposal panned (1/22/02)
Ventura proposes spending cuts, tax increases to fix deficit
Gov. Ventura's budget fix proposals call for increased taxes on gasoline.(1/10/02)