Chanhassen Villager - Minnesota Legislature 2008 - Comments

The Department of Natural

FAdams — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 19:12:31 -0500

The Department of Natural Resources inappropriately spent $300,000 in taxpayer money on a private game warden conference, according to the legislative auditor.

Thousands take House poll at

FAdams — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 09:50:33 -0500

Thousands take House poll at State Fair

Nearly 50 percent of those participating in the 2008 House of Representatives State Fair Poll support raising the state’s sales tax by three-eighths of 1 percent with the money dedicated to the environment and arts.

During the 12-day run of the Minnesota State Fair, 7,465 fairgoers took the poll conducted by nonpartisan House Public Information Services. It is an informal, unscientific survey on issues discussed in prior legislative sessions and may again be topics of discussion.

Voters will be asked the dedicated funding question at the Nov. 4 election. While 42.9 percent of fair voters oppose the measure, 8 percent were undecided or had no opinion. Not voting for the question at the General Election will count as a “no” vote.

Sportsmen and environmental advocates have pushed for dedicated funding for many years, with the original plan being to dedicate a portion of the existing sales tax. In the 2007-08 biennium, the plan evolved into one that would raise the sales tax, and include funding for clean water, parks and trails, and the arts. Opponents have wanted to keep the original proposal and are opposed to the idea of constitutionally dedicated funding.

Another environmental question found that 76 percent of voters support requiring grocers and large retailers who use plastic carryout bags to make in-store bag recycling available.

With the state looking at a potential multi-billion dollar deficit next fiscal year, voters narrowly support budget cuts as opposed to tax increases, 46.5 percent to 43 percent. However, 84.6 percent of voters do not want to have clothing subject to sales tax.

Just over 7,000 votes were cast on whether law enforcement should be able to stop a motorist solely for not wearing a seat belt. By five votes, fairgoers believe they should.

Thirty more people voted “yes” instead of “no” when asked if public school students should be required to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each day.

Two-thirds of polltakers said voters should be required to show a picture identification at the polls; 62.1 percent believe undergraduate students at a state college or university should have their tuition locked in so it cannot increase during a four-year period; 61 percent said the state’s nuclear power plant construction moratorium should be lifted; and 60 percent believe lawn care companies and other commercial applicators should post 48-hour advance warnings before spraying city yards or farm fields with weed killers or other pesticides.

Nearly 51 percent of polltakers say the state should set a maximum number of patients a nurse can care for during a shift, and 40.6 percent believe the state should offer an investment tax credit for bioscience business investments. However, 30.2 percent were undecided on the issue.

And, finally, 35.2 percent of polltakers said ice hockey should be designated the state sport, 6.9 percent more than fishing. But many fairgoers commented that the Legislature should not waste time on such "trivial" matters. More than 600 people did not vote on the question.
Here's a look at the questions and results. All percentages are rounded to the nearest one-tenth. Totals are for those that actually voted on the question.

1. This November, voters will be asked to vote for a three-eighths of 1 percent sales tax increase with the money dedicated for the environment and the arts. Do you support this?
Yes 49.0% (3,640)
No 42.9% (3,188)
Undecided/No Opinion 8.0% (595)

2. Should voters be required to show a picture ID before casting their ballot?
Yes 67.0% (4,986)
No 27.1% (2,017)
Undecided/No Opinion 5.8% (432)

3. A motorist can now only be cited for failure to wear a seat belt if they are stopped for another infraction. Should law enforcement be permitted to stop someone solely for not wearing a seat belt?
Yes 47.1% (3,504)
No 47.0% (3,499)
Undecided/No Opinion 5.8% (431)

4. Should the state’s 14-year moratorium on nuclear power plant construction be lifted so new facilities can be considered to help meet the state's electricity needs?
Yes 61.0% (4,511)
No 26.4% (1,952)
Undecided/No Opinion 12.6% (935)

5. Clothing sold in the state is not subject to sales tax. Should it be?
Yes 11.6% (864)
No 84.6% (6,285)
Undecided/No Opinion 3.7% (276)

6. Should public school students be required to say the Pledge of Allegiance each day?
Yes 46.3% (3,436)
No 45.9% (3,406)
Undecided/No Opinion 7.8% (578)

7. The state is expected to face a deficit in excess of $1 billion next fiscal year. Do you generally support budget cuts as opposed to increasing certain taxes in times of economic distress?
Yes 46.5% (3,444)
No 43.0% (3,188)
Undecided/No Opinion 10.4% (773)

8. Should undergraduate students at a state college or university have their tuition locked in so that any semester during a four-year period it could not exceed the price the student was charged during their first semester?
Yes 62.1% (4,604)
No 26.7% (1,981)
Undecided/No Opinion 11.1% (826)

9. Should grocers and large retailers who use plastic carryout bags be required to make in-store bag recycling available?
Yes 76.0% (5,635)
No 19.7% (1,462)
Undecided/No Opinion 4.3% (323)

10. Hospitals are permitted to set staffing levels for registered nurses. Should the Legislature set a maximum number of patients a nurse can care for during a shift?
Yes 50.8% (3,770)
No 36.8% (2,725)
Undecided/No Opinion 12.4% (918)

11. Should a 25-percent investment tax credit be made available for investments in qualifying new bioscience business ventures?
Yes 40.6% (2,999)
No 29.0% (2,145)
Undecided/No Opinion 30.3% (2,243)

12. Should lawn care companies and other commercial applicators be required to post 48-hour advance warnings before spraying city yards or farm fields with weed killers or other pesticides?
Yes 60.0% (4,445)
No 29.3% (2,177)
Undecided/No Opinion 10.7% (797)

13. What should be the state sport?
Fishing 28.3% (1,931)
Football 4.6% (316)
Golf 2.2% (150)
Hunting 3.6% (245)
Ice hockey 35.2% (2,403)
Water skiing 3.2% (218)
Other 22.9% (1,564)

For a complete legislative

FAdams — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 13:06:52 -0500

For a complete legislative session wrap-up, go to www.house.leg.state.mn.us/sessionweekly/

Gov. Tim Pawlenty closesd

FAdams — Fri, 30 May 2008 08:34:57 -0500

Gov. Tim Pawlenty closesd the 2008 legislative session with more vetoes in one year than any other governor since before World War II. He issued 34 vetoes -- breaking the previous record of 29 set by Gov. Arne Carlson in 1993.

Among his vetoes were bills raising the minimum wage, prohibiting the state from complying with federal identification card regulations, and regulating surrogate mother contracts.

The governor also signed several significant bills Thursday, including a tax bill, a health care overhaul and bonding legislation that provides state funding for the Central Corridor light-rail line linking Minneapolis and St. Paul and helps create a new state park on Lake Vermilion, according to media reports.

Some city council comments

FAdams — Tue, 20 May 2008 15:52:14 -0500

Some city council comments that Villager reporter Forrest Adams took into account from the discussion about levy limits:

Litsey: I want to have dialogue if it’s appropriate to go on the record to oppose proposal to limit property tax levy limits.
It’s a matter of principal. I think that we as an elected body should have the ability to do what we think is best for our constituents… I don’t think the state should tie our hands.

McDonald: In principal I agree. As a property owner I don’t want to see property taxes go out of control either. I would like to see dialogue…

Litsey: I think this body is an example of how local control does work.

Tjornhom: I haven’t had time to think about it. I don’t believe they should be dabbling in our backyard. If residents in their towns don’t like what city councilors are doing, they can elect someone else. I just don’t know enough about it, though.

Furlong: I’ve talked to Rep. Hoppe and Sen. Ortman... It was in 2003 that this city lost over $200,000 in state aid. We receive a lot of mandates from St. Paul on things we can and can’t do. I don’t think this is good public policy... Our sentiments are with you from a philosophical standpoint.

Gerhardt: We’re members of the League of Minnesota Cities. We have a voice over there. They oppose levy limits.

House members announcing

FAdams — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:12:49 -0500

House members announcing they will not seek re-election are:

Rep. John Berns (R-Wayzata)
Rep. Chris DeLaForest (R-Andover)
Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Comfrey)
Rep. Bud Heidgerken (R-Freeport)
Rep. Scott Kranz (DFL-Blaine)
Rep. Frank Moe (DFL-Bemidji)
Rep. Dennis Ozment (R-Rosemount)
Rep. Eric Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie)
Rep. Aaron Peterson (DFL-Appleton)
Rep. Connie Ruth (R-Owatonna)
Rep. Kathy Tingelstad (R-Andover)
Rep. Neva Walker (DFL-Mpls)

Bonding bill phase II

FAdams — Mon, 19 May 2008 13:03:32 -0500

Bonding bill phase II totaling $105.5 million supporting the Central Corridor, a new Lake Vermilion State Park and a new building on the Minneapolis Veterans Home campus was also passed in the waning hours of the 2008 legislative session. Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-St. Paul) said the projects should be considered an extension of the original bonding bill, and when totaled up, this session’s projects come in under the 3 percent of General Fund spending limit, generally considered the threshold for bonding.

Projects in the bill are:
• $70 million for the Central Corridor transitway;
• $20 million to acquire land for Lake Vermilion State Park;
• $10 million for demolition and construction of 100-bed nursing facility on the campus of the Minneapolis Veterans Home;
• $3.4 million for capital asset preservation and replacement; and
• $2 million for removal and replacement of the old Cedar Avenue bridge in Bloomington to be used by bicyclists and foot traffic.

The topic of a potential

FAdams — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:37:45 -0500

The topic of a potential property tax cap came up at the end of the Chanhassen City Council meeting on May 12, at the urging of Councilor Bryan Litsey.

Litsey opposed the legislature getting involved with local property taxes. Other councilors agreed with him in principle. Litsey wrote in a letter to Sen. Ortman and Rep. Hoppe the following:

City councils are elected to make decisions about local budgets and meeting community needs. It is inappropriate for the Legislature to undermine local decision-making and accountability through the imposition of levy limits or proposals such as the “taxpayers’ bill of rights.” The Legislature should not obstruct the principle of representative democracy that allows city councils to formulate local budgets. I strongly oppose state restrictions on local budgets.

Bryan Litsey
Council Member
City of Chanhassen

Legislators, Pawlenty agree

FAdams — Mon, 19 May 2008 09:31:07 -0500

Legislators, Pawlenty agree on deal

Both chambers adjourned shortly before midnight Sunday, as legislative leaders and the governor came to an agreement that would balance the state's budget and end the legislative session.

The Star Tribune reports that the closing deal means more Minnesotans will be covered by health insurance, more money will flow to public schools and nursing homes, a light-rail line between Minneapolis and St. Paul is a step closer to reality, and so is Minnesota's first new major state park in 40 years.

Pawlenty and legislative negotiators also agreed to limit increases in city and county property taxes to 3.9 percent annually for the next three years, meaning while $60 million will be available to fund local services, about $25 million is designated for direct property tax relief to homeowners through a tax refund program.

The tax refund plan is still being worked out. The Tribune reports that it makes exceptions for cities hiring police personnel and for cities and counties facing financial problems due to high mortgage foreclosures. Property taxes statewide are projected to increase by about $450 million next year, and the combined effect of the deal is expected to cut that increase by about 30 percent.

With the end of session in

FAdams — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:18:15 -0500

With the end of session in sight, negotiations to resolve the state’s biennial deficit are “close,” House Minority Leader Marty Seifert (R-Marshall) said during his weekly press briefing.

The governor and legislative leaders are nearly in agreement on the funding cuts that need to be made, he said. “The outstanding items, that I see, are will we be able to get more human services reductions on the table.” He said it’s a system in need of structural change.

He called Sen. Linda Berglin (DFL-Mpls), who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Budget Division, tenacious with a capital T. “She may end up destroying the deal at the end of the day.”

With the May 19 constitutional deadline rapidly approaching, Seifert said if the DFL is serious about reaching a budget agreement, they’ll need support the Republican position of capping local property taxes. In return, he said, the DFL could receive a “parting gift” of state help for the proposed Mall of America expansion and additional capital investment funding for more projects.

Unallotment and calling a special session to resolve the budget deficit remain tools the governor is willing to use, if no agreement can be reached, Seifert said. “If the Democrats would look at my (unallotment) list that I have been putting together in my computer, they would prefer to get the deal done.”

Story from the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Service

The clock is ticking on $450

FAdams — Fri, 09 May 2008 14:15:10 -0500

The clock is ticking on $450 million in federal money for the Central Corridor light rail line, and the chairwoman of the House Capital Investment Finance Committee said the loss would be unacceptable.

Earlier this session, a $70 million appropriation for the project was line-item vetoed out of the omnibus capital investment law. Rep. Alice Hausman (DFL-St. Paul) is proposing a supplemental bonding bill, specific to the project as a means of leveraging the federal funds in hopes of meeting the September application deadline.

She said it is zero hour, and that funding for the corridor should not be used in a game of political chicken to resolve the ongoing deficit budget negotiations. “It is unacceptable to think of turning our back on hundreds of millions of dollars in federal funding if we don’t get this done this session,” Hausman said.

So far this session, more than $766 million in bonding has been allocated. The law came in at approximately $717 million in general obligation bonding, after the governor sliced $208 million from the plan receiving legislative approval, including the $70 million for the Central Corridor project. More than $60 million has been allocated for transportation projects through another law.

“If the governor would accept the proposal, the total bonding amount for 2008 would still be under the governor’s stated threshold of $885 million,” leaving room, she said, for other projects he might want to consider.

Story from the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Office

The Legislature on Wednesday

FAdams — Fri, 09 May 2008 10:01:48 -0500

The Legislature on Wednesday night gave final approval to raising Minnesota's tops-in-the-nation biodiesel mandate.
The state's 2 percent biodiesel mandate is going up. First to 5 percent. Then 10 percent. And eventually, 20 percent of all diesel fuel sold in Minnesota must be biodiesel, according to the Pioneer Press.

Editorial question: Is this responsible?

Biodiesel is a fuel most commonly made from soybean oil. As crop prices soar, food prices follow, and the public debates the wisdom of turning food crops into fuel. Since Pawlenty proposed the 20 percent biodiesel mandate in August, soybean prices have soared 50 percent.

An August 2007 Reuters story read: "From Russia to China to the United States, consumers will be feeling the pinch of higher food prices in 2008, with cooking oil now joining corn, wheat, and milk on the growing list of food inflation culprits."

"Consumers were already paying more for cooking oils. But prices of processed and fried foods and those made from edible oils such as salad dressings and condiments will also be rising in the months ahead, economists said..."

"Soybean oil prices were near 33-year highs while palm oil prices set all-time highs on Wednesday amid tightening global supplies and rising demand. Prices of other cooking oils have also followed soy and palm oils higher."

That being the case, scientists often are critical of corn-based ethanol's energy and environmental benefits, but they tend to see biodiesel differently, the Press reports. University of Minnesota researchers found that biodiesel yields significantly more energy than ethanol, produces less pollution and displaces more greenhouse gases.

Is this a case of either affordable food or biodiesel?

That seems like a good

FAdams — Fri, 09 May 2008 09:05:35 -0500

That seems like a good salary for a part-time job. Aren't these people supposed to be citizen-legislators doing public service?

Legislators currently set

FAdams — Wed, 07 May 2008 09:20:56 -0500

Legislators currently set their own salary. That could change if voters would approve a constitutional amendment putting the task in the hands of an independent citizen-only compensation council.

Rep. Kent Eken (DFL-Twin Valley) sponsors HF3796 to address the current method of determining legislator salaries, which he calls a “conflict of interest.” The bill would put before voters in the November general election a question to amend the state constitution removing legislators’ ability to set their own salaries and establish a citizen-only compensation council to make pay recommendations.

Approved by the House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, it now awaits action by the House Ways and Means Committee.

The annual compensation rate of $31,140 for House and Senate members has not been increased since 1999. Legislators are eligible to receive a per diem, which is a daily payment available when they are engaged in official business. Members raised the per diem payment in 2007 to $77 a day for the House and $96 for the Senate. They are also reimbursed for housing and travel expenses.

A companion bill, SF3793, sponsored by Sen. Tarryl Clark (DFL-St. Cloud) awaits action by the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

House and Senate conferees

FAdams — Tue, 06 May 2008 08:46:18 -0500

House and Senate conferees reached an agreement on the omnibus energy policy bill.

HF3661/SF3337*, sponsored by Rep. Bill Hilty (DFL-Finlayson) and Sen. Yvonne Prettner Solon (DFL-Duluth), contains a variety of energy policy initiatives incorporated from other House and Senate bills. Hilty said the bill's provisions are considered noncontroversial.

Among the many new policies the bill would enact are:
• requiring the Pollution Control Agency and Commerce Department to report to the Legislature regularly on progress being made in meeting the state’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction goals;
• authorizing the Commerce Department to coordinate and arrange bulk purchases of wind turbines and related equipment for individuals, community-based energy developers and public entities; and
• requiring that one-eighth of 1 percent of the state’s 25-percent-by-2025 renewable energy standard be generated by solar-electric power.

An amendment successfully offered by Sen. Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) changed a provision that would require manufacturers of certain industrial and commercial gasses with a high "global warming potential" to report the amount of gas they produce. Previously, companies that manufacture more than 100 metric tons or more carbon dioxide equivalent per year would have had to report the data; Rosen's amendment changed the threshold to 500 metric tons

Minnesota Legislature 2008

FAdams — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 10:34:21 -0600

This year's state legislature is scheduled to be in session from Feb. 12, 2008, and the political discourse is sure to be rich. Isn't it always? Or is a better word shrill? Contentious? Rancorous?

However you feel about politics and the level of discourse, the elected public officials that meet in St. Paul are our representatives. They are our voice addressing the issues. At least they should be.