State Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Acton Township, on Tuesday accepted an appointment from fellow House Republicans to serve as chairman of the House Capital Investment Committee for the 2017-18 biennium.
Urdahl currently serves as head of the House Legacy Funding Finance Committee, a position he has held for two nonconsecutive terms. His switch to capital investment ?Äì aka bonding ?Äì comes as House Republicans shuffle their personnel deck following the November election. Urdahl has been a member of the Capital Investment Committee for most of his seven terms in office.
?ÄúI am proud of having earned the reputation in St. Paul as someone who is able to bridge the gap between parties,?Äù Urdahl said. ?ÄúA prime example of that was when I was able to find bipartisan agreement on bonding for the Capitol restoration, just when it appeared that important project may fall through. That type of leadership will be a major help in my new position.?Äù
Tradition is for the state?Äôs largest capital investment bills to be completed in even-numbered years. The House approved bonding legislation in the waning stages of the 2016 session, but that package stalled when the Senate altered the bill after the House already had adjourned.
Urdahl said asset preservation and infrastructure such as roads and bridges will be the focus of bonding bills he works to assemble this biennium.
?ÄúI am grateful for the opportunity to serve as bonding chairman and look forward to crafting good legislation when we return to the Capitol,?Äù Urdahl said. ?ÄúIt is my job to produce bills that adequately support our infrastructure while remaining responsible to the taxpayers in our state.?Äù
The Legislature is scheduled to convene at the Capitol in St. Paul Jan. 3, with Republicans gaining a Senate majority this month in addition to retaining control of the House.