Senate Office Building Gets Legal Green Light

ST. PAUL (AP) - A Minnesota Supreme Court ruling has removed a legal barrier that threatened to block or delay a new government office building for state senators.

The decision Thursday effectively ends a court fight that could have delayed an early July groundbreaking.

Former Republican lawmaker Jim Knoblach of St. Cloud was suing to stop the project. But he couldn't convince the courts to let the case proceed without his guarantee to cover the cost of delays if he lost.

The building to be erected near the Capitol is projected to cost $90 million, with taxpayers covering all but $13 million.

The building has been a political flashpoint. Republicans say it represents misplaced priorities while Democrats say the structure is needed to relieve crowding in the Capitol, which is undergoing a massive renovation.