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| SENATOR TED LILLIE APPLAUDS CONGRESSIONAL PASSAGE OF ST. CROIX RIVER CROSSING LEGISLATION | ||||||
St. Paul - The House of Representatives passed the St. Croix River Crossing legislation Thursday by a vote of 339-80. The St. Croix River Crossing legislation, S.1134, passed the Senate with unanimous consent on January 23, 2012 and is now headed for the President’s desk for his signature. State Senator Ted Lillie (R-Lake Elmo) gave the following the statement in response to these developments.
“This is fantastic news – after decades of obstacles, the St. Croix River Crossing has broken through the log jam and is heading to the President’s desk for approval. If signed into law, construction can begin and folks can get to work. Moreover, this is a signal to job creators that we are committed to providing a clear channel for commerce, tourism and recreation in the area, ending the annual uncertainty and inconvenience of bridge closings,” said Senator Lillie.
Senator Lillie has worked extensively to secure congressional approval and necessary funding from the states of Wisconsin and Minnesota. On multiple occasions, Senator Lillie has toured the bridge site with Governor Dayton, Congresswoman Bachmann and local officials from Minnesota and Wisconsin to assess the condition of the bridge and flood preparation. He has also studied the concerns of environmental groups and others opposing the legislation, looking for ways to ensure preservation of the scenic waterway. He helped facilitate cooperation between government, stakeholders and the public through the Coalition for the St. Croix River Crossing.
“We have been so fortunate to have many gifted and dedicated people working on this issue. It is a bipartisan, multi-state effort. I am grateful for Senator Klobuchar, Congressman Kind and Congresswoman Bachmann for their leadership at the federal level. I am also thankful for the cooperative efforts of Governor Dayton and Governor Walker, our neighbor in Wisconsin. Most of all, I am incredibly appreciative of all of the local officials and hometown supporters who dedicated a tremendous amount of time to this project's success. I hope President Obama recognizes the merit of the St. Croix River Crossing and acts without delay to ensure this bill becomes law,” concluded Senator Lillie.
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