Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D), selected by presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris as his running mate, has been known as a staunch supporter of infrastructure spending during his two terms in the state capital.
Walz, who was elected governor in 2018 and up for re-election in 2022, also served in the U.S. House from 2007 to 2019, and is considered a strong supporter of organized labor, which fueled his selection for the Harris ticket.
Tim Worke, CEO of the Associated General Contractors Minnesota Chapter, tells ENR that “he’s been a stalwart for infrastructure investment of all kinds.”
Worke says that in Walz’s first term as governor, starting in 2019, he did not have a majority in the Legislature. He proposed a gas tax increase and “took some blows, saying we needed to improve our transportation infrastructure, according to Worke.
But in the end, the Legislature approved the largest capital bond issue in Minnesota history, totaling just over $2 billion, Worke says.
In Walz’s second term, with the Legislature in Democratic control, he was able to go further, resulting in a $2.6 billion infrastructure package, a state record for such legislation.
The bill, signed into law on June 1, 2023, covered a wide range of infrastructure.
The components include $501 million for water infrastructure, $403 million for transportation, including local roads and bridges, $78 million for a veterans home, and $120 million for community organizations and organizations without profit.
Walz has also been a strong advocate for legislation and policies aimed at addressing issues of climate change and environmental justice. Policies and programs enacted during his tenure include legislation to increase access to electric vehicles, assess cumulative impacts on environmental justice communities, and replace lead drinking water pipes.
In February 2023, Walz signed legislation requiring all Minnesota electric utilities to produce carbon-free electricity by 2040. This June, he signed legislation to speed up permitting for energy projects in Minnesota by creating two tracks for environmental reviews: standard reviews for small lots, wind and power line projects; and more intensive studies for larger projects, such as large transmission lines or power plants.
Organized labor praised Walz’s selection. Kenneth W. Cooper, international president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, cited the union jobs created by the state infrastructure law and said Walz “has run one of the most union- and worker-friendly state governments of the country”.
But builders and associated contractors sharply criticized Harris’ choice.
in a joint statement, Ben Brubeck, ABC vice president of regulatory, labor and state affairs, and Adam Hanson, ABC president of Minnesota/North Dakota, said, “As a trusted partner to organized labor, Walz has led several misguided efforts that small business owners and their ability to run their businesses effectively excluded the vast majority of construction workers from public works projects and gave unions unfair advantages in their pursuit of ‘expand its membership, all at the expense of small business owners and taxpayers.’
