Dayton--High Speed Rail

Governor Mark Dayton says there is no government money right now to build high-speed rail lines in Minnesota. Speaking at the Minnesota Newspaper Association annual conference Thursday, Dayton cast doubt on taxpayer dollars being available anytime soon for high-speed rail.

Dayton noted that the proposed Northern Lights Express linking Duluth and the Twin Cities was not in his construction proposal last year. He also spoke of a proposed high-speed rail line linking Rochester and the Twin Cities that could bring patients quickly to Mayo Clinic.

But while calling the high-speed rail proposals "good ideas," the Democratic governor says the state and the federal government don't have the money right now. It's unclear which projects Dayton will back until he releases his scaled-down construction bill in March.