Key win for Senate building finance pkg.

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A new office building for the Minnesota Senate is one court ruling away from becoming reality after a state Senate committee approved financing for the proposed $90 million building Monday night.

The vote ends several months of partisan battles that will likely continue through the 2014 campaign. Republicans have questioned the need for the building and say the timing of Monday's vote is linked to another major issue at the Capitol.

After nearly a year of partisan attacks, financing concerns from their House counterparts and a broadside from Gov. Mark Dayton, Senate DFLers finally got approval for the new Senate Office building on an 8-5 party line vote in the Senate Rules Committee.

The plan relies on $77 million in taxpayer money. Another $13 million in parking fees will pay for the rest of the project. DFL Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, who has been the biggest backer of the building, said the only thing standing in the way of construction is a pending court challenge.

"I believe that the design work is going to proceed and has been going on despite the lawsuit. I do believe that once the lawsuit is resolved, the building will be ready for construction," Bakk said. He's been pushing for approval for the building because the renovation of the state Capitol will result in less space for Senators and staff.

The lawsuit was filed by a former state representative who contends the building should not have been included in the 2013 tax bill. A district court judge dismissed the suit, but an appeal is pending.

An official with the Department of Administration says construction is slated to start on July 1.

Republicans, who have repeatedly objected to the cost of the building, spent a large part of the hearing questioning the need for the building. Republican Senate Minority Leader David Hann says Democrats rammed the financing of the building through without any GOP support.

"This is all being driven by the DFL majorities in the House and the Senate and the governor to do this," he said. "It just doesn't make any sense. Why you would want to do this major restoration and build a new building and do that on a partisan basis? Why you would want to do this is a mystery to me. But they always had the votes to do whatever they want to do. Apparently they want to do this."

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Key win for Senate building finance pkg.