 For more than a decade, the Northern Minnesota Veterans Home Task Force has been advocating for the construction of a facility that would serve thousands of veterans living in the Beltrami County area. Bemidja area legislators, along with Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka from the Brainerd Lakes area, heard from county commissioners and area veterans about the urgent need for the home. The discussion centered around what it would take during the upcoming legislative session to get a veterans home built. With the next session being a bonding year, the project is expected to have the support it needs. As we move into the next February 20th when we start again, that's the normal year for a bonding bill and so we have to work with the governor and see if we can come to some agreement about what we might want to do, but then this would be a project that would be high up on the list. One potential roadblock for the veterans home and many other projects seeking bonding is the ongoing dispute between Governor Mark Dayton and Republicans who have been locked in a legal battle for months over the governor's decision to veto the legislature's operating budget. This could hinder the whole bonding bill because if we don't have time to get through and look at all the projects it means it's a smaller bonding bill. So my hope is that we get through this in the next couple weeks. The mediation process between Governor Dayton and Republicans begins tomorrow. If you've enjoyed this segment of Lakeland News, please consider making a tax-deductible contribution to Lakeland Public Television.