The Minnesota Senate has approved a $329 million public works bill to fix up college buildings, renovate St. Paul’s Como Zoo and expand the St. Cloud Civic Center.

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, said the bill includes $26 million in flood hazard mitigation grants. Albert Lea is one of 13 cities that can apply for those grants.

Albert Lea can also apply for funds out of a $15 million fund for local bridge replacement and rehabilitation.

There has also been asset preservation and renewal money appropriated for Riverland Community College, Sparks said.

The bill passed easily, with only eight no votes, after senators narrowly turned back an attempt to strip $11 million from the zoo and spent it instead on housing programs.

That amendment fell three votes short.

DFL Sen. Keith Langseth said the bonding bill will create about 5,000 jobs because most of the projects are repairs and renovations that can begin quickly.

Republican Sen. David Hann said the state shouldn’t be borrowing more when it’s already over its self-imposed debt limit.

Pawlenty to update budget

As of press time, Gov. Tim Pawlenty was set to release his revised budget this afternoon.

The Republican governor issued his original plan in January, but he has to update it in line with a new economic forecast that was released earlier this month.

While Pawlenty insists he won’t approve a state tax increase to close the state’s $4.6 billion deficit, his Revenue Department projects that property taxes will increase $626 million over the next three years.