Dive Brief:

• In Minnesota, Gov. Mark Dayton has issued a call for the state to borrow $986 million in the current fiscal year for a wind-ranging fix-up effort that he portrays as a jobs program.
• The plan would provide money to finish Capitol renovations and do work at the University of Minnesota, state colleges, prisons, parks and some downtown business districts, creating more than 27,000 jobs in the process, the governor said.
• Before contractors start hiring for state contracts, though, there is a political fight brewing because borrowing requires three-fifths majorities in the legislature, and minority Republicans could block any approvals if they choose to.

Dive Insight:

In addition to political disagreements that GOP leaders may have with Dayton, the House and Senate minority leaders said there was an agreement among legislative leaders not to borrow more than $1 billion over a two-year budget cycle. The state borrowed $156 million last year, so Dayton's plan would bust that limit. Of the total he asked for, $104 million would go to communities, which could not hurt in an election year.