The House and Senate have voted overwhelmingly to approve almost $1 billion worth of building and maintenance projects. The capital improvements bill is the most significant piece of legislation to pass both bodies in the 2005 session. It comes almost a year after lawmakers hit an impasse during a similar debate in the last legislative session. (04/07/2005)

Gov. Pawlenty and legislative leaders have reached a deal on a package of public works projects. If the agreement holds up, it would mark the most significant breakthrough at the Capitol in more than a year. The Legislature failed to pass a bonding bill last session, in the midst of partisan gridlock. (03/30/2005)

Warning signs surfaced Friday that a construction projects bill all sides hoped to finish by Easter is stuck in its tracks and a Republican resolution to hold the line on state spending is in trouble. (03/18/2005)

House and Senate lawmakers began meeting this week to hammer out a bonding plan for some of the state's biggest building projects. Folks in northern Minnesota are upset that some of the projects they support were cut out of the House bonding bill. (03/03/2005)

The Minnesota House has overwhelmingly passed an $816 million package of public works projects. And as part of the legislation the House has, for the first time, approved some seed money for the proposed Northstar commuter rail line between Minneapolis and Big Lake. (02/22/2005)

With Republicans and Democrats predicting strong backing, House GOP leaders laid out a construction to-do list with hundreds of millions of dollars for new prison cells, college buildings, sewer upgrades and zoo exhibits. (02/16/2005)

The Senate approved a state borrowing bill Monday that would increase the state's long-term debt by nearly $1 billion. (01/24/2005)

The Minnesota Zoo is returning to the Legislature again this year for money to expand repair its Apple Valley grounds. Gov. Pawlenty has included more than $34 million in his bonding proposal for the zoo. But MPR's Art Hughes reports the money is a tougher sell for many legislators. (01/04/2005)

Gov. Tim Pawlenty put forward a beefed-up, $816 million proposal for state-backed construction projects Monday along with an invitation to hear out legislators who want to borrow even more. (01/03/2005)