Colonel Christina Bogojevic of the Minnesota State Patrol told the Senate Transportation Committee the agency seeks two equal cash appropriations from the trunk highway fund — $48.5 million in 2026 and $48.5 million in 2027 — to complete construction of a consolidated metro headquarters and workspace.

Colonel Bogojevic said the Patrol currently operates from “six antiquated offices” across the metro and that the offices lack security and modern law‑enforcement facilities. She said the $22.5 million appropriation for land acquisition and design was approved last year and the new request is for construction costs.

Funding source and question of origin: Committee members asked who decided to shift the construction funding to the trunk highway fund after previous indications that construction might come from general funds or bonding. The colonel said the agency was focused on advancing the project and that she could not identify the decision point that shifted funding sources.

Recruitment and academy capacity: Bogojevic also described a recruitment package aimed at restoring trooper ranks. The department said it is down about 91 positions, has 42 recruits in an academy class and expects roughly 100 known retirements over the next four years. The Patrol requested $1 million in FY2026 and $1 million in FY2027 for recruitment and marketing, and $10 million in FY2028–29 to support running two academies. The colonel told senators that running an academy costs about $350,000 per recruit, a figure that includes salary and equipment.

Excessive‑speed penalty proposal: The State Patrol proposed changing the statute that currently treats speeds over 100 mph as a license‑revocation offense, expanding the trigger to any speed 35 or more miles per hour over the posted limit and adding a six‑month revocation. Bogojevic cited highway fatalities and said “many of those” occur in greater Minnesota.

Reaction and next steps: Senators pressed for clarity on the funding source and for justification for recruitment amounts. Some members signaled concern about using trunk highway funds for facilities and about the budget‑impact estimates. The proposals will proceed through the committee and budget process.