Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton on Tuesday said he wants the Legislature to quickly approve $15 million in spending to help alleviate Minnesota’s persistent racial disparities.

“It’s just a beginning. But it is a beginning,” Dayton said after a ceremonial “groundbreaking” for a new North Minneapolis workforce and resource center on Broadway.

Dayton and the DFL-controlled Senate have backed using a potential special session to focus, in part, on reducing the major economic gaps between Minnesotans of color and white Minnesotans. Republican leaders of the House have, so far, resisted signing on.

“We just have no idea what he wants to spend that on. I’m not sure that he does, so we are looking forward to specifics,” House Speaker Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said Tuesday evening.

The governor and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, have also pushed for lawmakers to meet before their March regular session to extend unemployment benefits to out-of-work Iron Rangers.

“At the end of the day, what those people want are jobs. Rangers need jobs,” House Majority Leader Joyce Peppin, R-Rogers, said Monday.

Bakk, who hails from the Range, countered: “What they need is a bridge until they figure out where they’re going to work. There’s not a job down the street.”

Republicans have said Dayton has stood in the way of creating those jobs by delaying or making proposals that would delay the building of a PolyMet copper-nickel mine, near Hoyt Lakes, and Sandpiper oil pipeline, slated to flow through central Minnesota. In November, Republicans said they wanted a guarantee the delays would stop. Both projects are in some stage of regulatory review.

By letter Tuesday, Dayton promised the delays never existed.

“Regarding the proposed Sandpiper and PolyMet projects, neither I nor anyone in my administration has attempted to obstruct either of those proposed projects or to prolong the timetables for their review,” he said in a plea to Republicans to support a special session. “Neither will my administration be rushed into short-circuiting and short-changing any of those careful reviews.”

On the $15 million plan, the Democratic-Farmer-Labor governor said he does not have specific programmatic goals for the money to reduce disparities. He would rather that be determined by the community, he said. Nor is he locked into the dollar amount.

“That number might change, but I think it’s important that we recognize the urgency of the situation,” Dayton said. “We can make a commitment that shows people we recognize the urgency of the situation here and we are prepared to join together….It’s going to be a concerted effort over time.”

Bakk said the Senate has proposals to spend $3.4 million for workforce programs with the aim of reducing unemployment among people of color.

“It seems to me those programs are established programs and a place to start,” he said.

For two weeks, protesters have demonstrated outside North Minneapolis’ 4th Police Precinct after the fatal police shooting of Jamar Clark, who is African-American. Dayton has said he is hopeful the protestors will realize their calls are being taken seriously and personally by the head of state.

Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges, U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison and others have said it is time to end the protests. They said the ongoing encampment is interfering with other neighborhood activities.

Dayton said he agreed with the call to end the protests.

“We need to move on,” Dayton said. “Let’s build together.”

Dayton, Hodges and other dignitaries gathered Tuesday morning to celebrate a symbol of that community building in the form of the redevelopment of an old eyesore at 800 W. Broadway.

The building will become a workforce development, health and education resource center for the community. It will also house a new assistant commissioner of career and business opportunity from the state’s Department of Employment and Economic Development.

“Job one for all of us is making sure we have jobs for all of us. And this today, sparks a new beginning and process forward on that commitment that we have,” Hodges said. “The challenges that we have had for the last couple of weeks….This building represents what we get to do together.”

On Tuesday morning, shortly before Dayton and Hodges spoke, protesters were posting photos and video of their concurrent demonstrations in Minneapolis City Hall.

Follow Rachel E. Stassen-Berger at twitter.com/RachelSB.