The $1 billion Minnesota House capital investment bill, introduced Thursday during the first day of the 2010 legislative session, includes funding for the development of two area trails, money for Albert Lea’s Riverland Community College campus and money to restore wetlands and reduce flooding in two local watershed districts.

Capital Investment Committee Chairwoman Rep. Alice Hausman said the bill reflects the sense of urgency lawmakers feel to focus on legislation that will stimulate Minnesota’s job market and get people back to work.

The bill, which has been a priority for House democrats, has the capability of translating into at least 10,000 jobs for workers across the state, said District 27A Rep. Robin Brown.

“We can really see that as a very positive thing for many residents in Minnesota to get our residents back to work,” Brown said.

It includes $322 million for higher education, $158 million for transportation and transit, $126 million for economic development and Department of Employment and Economic Development requests and $60 million in clean water and wastewater infrastructure.

For Freeborn County specifically, it includes $21 million to a variety of trails, of which the Blazing Star Trail in Freeborn County and the Shooting Star Trail in Mower County are a part, Brown said. For the Blazing Star Trail, the money would be used to develop a bridge across Albert Lea Lake and about one mile of trail, and on the Shooting Star Trail, funds would be used to develop the segment of trail between Adams and Rose Creek.

Under the proposal, about $1.8 million will go to the Albert Lea Riverland campus to do upgrades to the college’s heating, ventilating and air conditioning and fire protection systems, she said.

And about $2 million will go toward the Cedar River and Turtle Creek watershed districts — that cover Freeborn, Mower and Steele counties — to restore wetlands and reduce flooding.

“Once again, we’re represented well with our infrastructure needs,” Brown said.

Like recent bonding bills passed by the House, the proposal prioritizes “shovel-ready” projects that can get under way quickly to fully maximize the job creation impact.

The Fountain Lake dredging project presented to the committee last year was not included in the House bill.

The Senate Capital Investment Committee was slated to vote on a package later Thursday, and Brown said she had her fingers crossed it would be in there.

Brown said once the bills leave the capital investment committees, both houses will vote on their own bills. Then there will be a number of representatives and senators appointed to a conference committee. People will fight for their portion of the bills, and then it will come back to the House and Senate for a final vote.

After the bill has gone through the conference committee, legislators will not be able to make any amendments.

After the final bill is approved by both houses, it will go to Gov. Tim Pawlenty, where he can either approve the entire bill, veto the entire bill or line-item veto certain parts.

Lawmakers are hoping to take advantage of low interest rates and lower-than-projected construction bids for many of the projects.