logo
Proposed Walz bonding bill falls short of flood control needs in Red River Basin, managers say

Proposed Walz bonding bill falls short of flood control needs in Red River Basin, managers say

Yahoo08-02-2025

Feb. 8—Watershed managers in northwest Minnesota say they're concerned and frustrated with the level of funding Gov. Tim Walz has recommended for flood-control projects in his proposed infrastructure bill.
Walz's Capital Budget recommendations
include $5.6 million for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources' Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program (FHMGAP), which provides financial aid to local governments for flood control projects. That's far short of the need, according to Rob Sip, executive director of the
Red River Watershed Management Board.
The board, which is made up of several watershed districts in northwest Minnesota, helps fund and support projects to mitigate flooding and improve water quality along with addressing a variety of water-related needs.
Statewide, there's a current need for $139 million in FHMGAP funding to address flood mitigation projects, Sip said, including $48 million just in the Red River Basin.
That's a "far cry" from the $5.6 million Walz has recommended, he says.
Considering last summer's flooding in southern Minnesota, the failure of the Rapidan Dam near Mankato, flooding in northeast Minnesota and wet conditions last spring in the northwest part of the state, Sip says the "Red Board" — as it's informally known — was hoping for a better outcome in the Capital Budget.
"We were just hopeful with all (the flooding), the need would have been recognized and that maybe there would have been a bonding bill recommended of $30-some million, maybe $40 million — whatever," Sip said. "It's just frustrating, and it's like we can't get the agencies and the governor to listen to our needs."
Bonding sessions to fund infrastructure projects historically happen every other year, with funding coming from money the state borrows by issuing bonds for investors to purchase. Lawmakers failed to pass a bonding bill during the last legislative session.
In 2023, the Legislature allocated nearly $62 million to the Flood Hazard Mitigation Grant Assistance Program, Sip says, the largest allocation since the program's launch in 1987.
"But then we've had several other years, since like 2019 or so, where there hasn't been a bonding bill," he said.
Between the Red Board, member watershed districts, state funding and "some limited federal funding," more than $70 million has been invested in recent water storage and flood mitigation projects in the Red River Basin, Sip said.
"None of these projects are done," Sip said. "So, we have a bunch of bridges to nowhere. None of them are operational. None of them function yet.
"I guess if the state's OK with just not getting projects done, well then fine, but we need to get to a point where these projects are done because we have all the state investment," he added. "And I don't think there's enough awareness out there that these projects aren't done, and there's been a lot of state money pumped into them."
Among the unfinished projects in the Red River Basin is a flood control project in Newfolden to remove homeowners living on the east side of U.S. Highway 59 from the 100-year flood plain.
Work on the $12.2 million project, which includes a 396-acre impoundment north of Newfolden city limits, began last spring and is nearing completion, but $2 million is needed "to take us to the finish line," said Morteza Maher, administrator of the Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District in Warren, Minnesota.
The Red River Watershed Management Board has agreed to contribute the remaining funds necessary to complete the project, but that's money that won't go to other projects in the basin, Sip said.
Other needs outlined in the Red Board's bonding request include the Nelson Slough Improvement project, also in the Middle-Snake-Tamarac Rivers Watershed District, $2 million; the Redpath Flood Impoundment in the Bois de Sioux Watershed near Wheaton, Minnesota, $13.7 million; and the Roseau Lake Rehabilitation Project in Roseau County, $9 million.
"Because there was no bonding bill (in the last legislative session), we've been planning and working through the project of, 'What can we actually fund and how can we do that?' " Sip said. "We have a lot of other financial commitments, so we fund as much as we can with the funds that are available."
Given the shortfall facing flood control projects in Walz's proposed capital spending bill, Sip said he's met with numerous Red River Valley legislators to highlight the needs.
"Our Red River Valley legislators know what we need. They get it — they understand it," Sip said. "We've done a lot of interaction with them.
"The challenge is, the bonding bill includes roads, bridges — all kinds of public infrastructure. So, we're competing against all that. It's hard to get funding when people's feet are dry."

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Trump sends clear message federalizing National Guard for LA riots: This is not 2020
Trump sends clear message federalizing National Guard for LA riots: This is not 2020

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

Trump sends clear message federalizing National Guard for LA riots: This is not 2020

As riots and immigration protests grip Los Angeles, President Donald Trump is determined not to repeat the violence of 2020. In recent days, Trump administration officials have pointed to the riots that broke out in Minneapolis in 2020 after the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, singling out Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, a Democrat, for slow-walking the activation of the National Guard. Now, Trump is at odds with another Democratic governor — this time California's Gavin Newsom — as the president moves to deploy and federalize thousands of National Guard troops along with hundreds of Marines in an effort to prevent Los Angeles from suffering the same fate as Minneapolis. While Trump has said he is dispatching troops to prevent the destruction of Los Angeles, Newsom has accused Trump of "turning the U.S. military against American citizens." Federal Officials Slam Democrats For 'Dangerous' Rhetoric As Ice Agents Face Violent Mobs In La, Nyc But Trump and his allies have persisted with a clear message for Democrats: This is not 2020. Read On The Fox News App Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who previously served as governor of South Dakota, defended the Trump administration's decision to deploy and federalize troops and override state authority, claiming Minnesota is an example of what happens when a "bad governor" is in charge. "I was a governor of a neighboring state to Tim Walz and watched him let his city burn," Noem told reporters Tuesday. "And the president and I have talked about this in the past, and he was not going to let that happen to another city and to another community where a bad governor made a bad decision." National Guard To Be Deployed In Los Angeles County As Anti-ice Protests Rage: Border Czar Tom Homan Other administration officials expressed similar sentiments. "This isn't the Summer of 2020 2.0," DHS Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar said in a statement Monday. "I thank the brave men and women of the National Guard defending federal buildings so that immigration officials can keep us safe." Walz was first elected governor of Minnesota in 2019, leading the state as protests broke out after the death of Floyd. While Walz has said he takes the blame for a delayed response activating the National Guard in his state, he has also said he is proud of how Minnesota reacted. "I'm proud of Minnesota's response; I'm proud of Minnesota's first responders who were out there, from firefighters to police to the National Guard, to citizens that were out there," Walz said in a 2022 gubernatorial debate. Walz's office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital. Trump Gives Blunt Response To Newsom Daring Homan To Arrest Him: 'I Would' The political climate is also different for Trump this time around. Whereas in 2020 Trump faced an upcoming election, he no longer has a second term on his mind, influencing his actions, according to political columnist Kristin Tate. "Trump has learned a lot in the last five years. … Trump no longer cares about political consequences. He cannot run again. So, he's just doing what's right," Tate told Fox News Digital. "He's instilling law and order, regardless of the consequences. And that's what should've been done all along. But the rioters in the Golden State are shocked to see that law and order is being implemented, and the good old days of burning down the city with impunity are over." Trump has also moved to exert greater authority over the National Guard than he did in 2020, bypassing Newsom's authority. While Republicans like Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas pushed Trump to invoke the Insurrection Act in 2020 to pave the way for Trump to federalize the National Guard, Trump ultimately chose not to. Although separate from the Insurrection Act, Trump has invoked another law to place National Guard troops under federal command this time around, prompting ire from Newsom and other Democrats. Additionally, Newsom has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for federalizing the National Guard, labeling the move an "unmistakable step toward authoritarianism." "Donald Trump is creating fear and terror by failing to adhere to the U.S. Constitution and overstepping his authority," Newsom said in a statement Monday. "This is a manufactured crisis to allow him to take over a state militia, damaging the very foundation of our republic. Every governor, red or blue, should reject this outrageous overreach." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Original article source: Trump sends clear message federalizing National Guard for LA riots: This is not 2020

What to expect as Walz testifies at GOP-led hearing on immigration, sanctuary policies
What to expect as Walz testifies at GOP-led hearing on immigration, sanctuary policies

Yahoo

timean hour ago

  • Yahoo

What to expect as Walz testifies at GOP-led hearing on immigration, sanctuary policies

What to expect as Walz testifies at GOP-led hearing on immigration, sanctuary policies originally appeared on Bring Me The News. Minnesota's Tim Walz is one of three United States governors who will be questioned Thursday at a hearing before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. The event, dubbed "A Hearing with Sanctuary State Governors," will feature Walz, Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. The chairman of the committee, James Comer (R-Kentucky), has accused the Democratic governors of running states with sanctuary policies that "shield criminal illegal aliens from immigration enforcement." The hearing comes at a time of civil unrest in the country, namely in Los Angeles, following a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that have led to President Donald Trump deploying the National Guard and Marines to California. Locally, a Mexican restaurant in south Minneapolis was the subject of an ICE raid earlier this month that drew a crowd of protestors, some of whom became unruly. Local and federal officials have since confirmed ICE was not conducting a deportation raid but rather carrying out search warrants related to a large-scale drug and money laundering investigation. The series of raids included the seizure of 900 pounds of methamphetamine — valued between $22 and $25 million — at a storage unit in Burnsville. However, the action in south Minneapolis was criticized by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, who said federal officials failed to notify MPD of the raid until it was already underway. The Minneapolis Police Department has since sent a memo to its officers as a reminder that they are not allowed to respond or assist in any "immigration enforcement-related activity," nor can they "assist with crowd control at an immigration enforcement related activity." The aforementioned MPD policy appears to meet the standard for what has drawn the ire of Comer, who will be joined on Thursday's panel by Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Georgia), and Lauren Boebert (R-Colorado), all of whom are conservatives with a history of backing Trump policies. 'Sanctuary policies only provide sanctuaries for criminal illegal aliens," Comer said in a statement announcing Thursday's hearing. "The Trump Administration is taking decisive action to deport criminal illegal aliens from our nation but reckless sanctuary states like Illinois, Minnesota, and New York are actively seeking to obstruct federal immigration enforcement. The governors of these states must explain why they are prioritizing the protection of criminal illegal aliens over the safety of U.S. citizens, and they must be held accountable." MinnPost referred to Comer as "a Trump loyalist and political attack dog who is weighing a run for governor." Walz has not publicly commented ahead of the hearing, but spokesperson Teddy Schann said in an emailed statement that 'Governor Walz is happy to work with Congress, but since Minnesota is not a sanctuary state, one can't help but wonder if this is, perhaps, politically motivated." Minnesota is not a sanctuary state by definition, which would require a state law prohibiting law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement. Minneapolis, however, is a known sanctuary city, as noted by the aforementioned MPD policy. According to the Star Tribune, GOP Rep. Pete Stauber, who represents Minnesota's 8th Congressional District, will also attend the hearing and plans to question Walz. On his Facebook page, Stauber wrote that "Minnesota has become a magnet for illegal immigrants" under Walz. It's unclear how many undocumented immigrants live in Minnesota. The latest data from the PEW Research Center goes back to 2022, when Minnesota had an estimated 75,000 to 175,000 undocumented immigrants. California led the nation with an estimated 1.8 million, while Texas (1.6 million), Florida (1.2 million), New York (650,000), New Jersey (475,000), and Illinois (400,000) rounded out the next five largest populations. Trump announced a travel ban on June 5 that restricts people from a dozen countries from entering the U.S., with Somalia joined by Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Sudan, and Yemen. Minnesota has the largest Somali population in the U.S., with more than 85,000 residents of Somali descent currently living in the state. The federal ban has been criticized by Democrats, including Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who herself is a refugee from Somalia, calling Trump's ban racist and "a stain on our country." 'Because of this decision, our country will lose out on incredible contributions that people from these countries would've otherwise made to our neighborhoods and our society," Omar said. 'For some Americans, it will mean their fiancés, or spouses or children will be banned from reuniting with them here." As for Walz, this isn't the first time Comer has set his sights on the Minnesota governor. In August 2024, after Walz was named as then-Vice President Kamala Harris' running mate, Comer urged the FBI to investigate Walz regarding his relationship with China. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. CT on Thursday, and you can watch it live here. This story was originally reported by Bring Me The News on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.

Now and then: How Trump's response to LA riots has changed from 2020 Black Lives Matter and Antifa
Now and then: How Trump's response to LA riots has changed from 2020 Black Lives Matter and Antifa

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Now and then: How Trump's response to LA riots has changed from 2020 Black Lives Matter and Antifa

President Donald Trump quickly reacted to fledgling riots in Los Angeles County over the weekend by activating the National Guard, a response that drew comparisons to the summer of 2020, when widespread violence and destruction arose from Black Lives Matter and Antifa riots. Trump's decision to federalize 4,100 National Guard soldiers and deploy hundreds of Marines came in the face of forceful objections from Gov. Gavin Newsom, who is now suing Trump over the move. Trump's deputies, however, say the National Guard was a necessary step to quash riots lest they reach the scale of the ones that occurred across the country in the aftermath of George Floyd's death on May 25, 2020. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Trump's decision would prevent a scenario like the one in Minnesota that year, when Democratic Gov. Tim Walz waited two days to call upon the National Guard to address unrest in his state. "That's one of the reasons why these National Guard soldiers have been federalized, so they can use their special skill set to keep peace," Noem said in a recent television interview. "We're not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen, and if you remember, it all happened in Tim Walz's state, in Minneapolis… and Governor Tim Walz made very bad decisions." David Marcus: Two Ways Trump 2.0 Quelled The Would-be La Riots Walz tried to get Trump to "bail him out" after the governor "let his city burn for days on end," Noem said. Read On The Fox News App Walz activated the National Guard in Minnesota on May 28, after looting and arson had already cropped up in the state in response to Floyd's death. Within hours of Walz announcing he had mobilized National Guard soldiers, rioters set ablaze Minneapolis' Third Precinct police station. Although Walz ended up activating Minnesota's entire National Guard, his hesitancy prompted Trump to threaten on May 29 to federalize the soldiers "to get the job done right." 'State Of Rebellion': Expert Weighs In On Newsom Challenge To Trump Deploying National Guard By May 30, Minnesota's National Guard announced that the governor had fully mobilized it, marking the "largest domestic deployment" in its history. During these riots, Trump was far more deferential to governors, several of whom saw their cities ravaged by rioting, looting, arson, violence and death. The Democratic governors struggled at times to balance a law-and-order posture with their sympathy for those frustrated by police brutality. The National Guard is a military force based in each state, and governors and presidents have shared authority over it. Governors typically have purview over their respective National Guard units, but presidents can call them into federal service in certain scenarios. On June 3, 2020, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., pressured the Trump administration in a New York Times op-ed to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow the president to federalize the National Guard. The prospect was so controversial at the time that the newspaper retracted the op-ed, citing fierce blowback from its readers. Jonathan Turley: Democrats' Rabid Anti-ice Resistance In La Against Trump Could Backfire By June 4, governors in 32 states and Washington, D.C., activated a total of more than 32,000 National Guard soldiers as the chaos transpired across the country. Click Here For More Immigration Coverage DHS Deputy Secretary Troy Edgar echoed Noem's remarks in a statement online on Monday, saying Trump moved so quickly because he did not want the same level of violence and damage as in 2020. Trump and Noem "will not allow violent radicals to intimidate and shut down law enforcement in LA," Edgar said. "This isn't the Summer of 2020 2.0. I thank the brave men and women of the National Guard defending federal buildings so that immigration officials can keep us safe."Original article source: Now and then: How Trump's response to LA riots has changed from 2020 Black Lives Matter and Antifa

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store