Almanac: At the Capitol

A partnership between Minnesota and Wisconsin could save the states money by sharing services, and students drop off letters in support of the Bell Museum for the governor and lawmakers.

View the Capitol Update for March 31, 2009.

The new partnership between Minnesota and Wisconsin should bring a $10 million dollars savings to each state.  Gov. Pawlenty said in "an economic crisis we have to do all we can get value from government."  Gov. Doyle added "maybe we don't do everything perfectly and we can learn a little from Minnesota." 

There are 80 projects being proposed, some of the consolidation could require legislative action, but the governors should be able to move unilaterally on most of the shared services.  Nothing has begun yet, but should be underway within a couple of months.  It's mostly boring government functions like IT, licensing, permitting, but the governors are interested in looking at shared fishing and hunting licenses which should get some attention. 

The two govs from two different parties still seem to enjoy their friendship and now a new partnership that they first announced in January and seem to be following through on.

The House DFL unveils its bonding bill, House Democrats want to change the unemployment rate, and a Senate committee considers free fishing for people 90 and over.

View the Capitol Update for March 30, 2009.

Two projects in DFL Chair Alice Hausman's district don't even make it into her bill:  Como Zoo and Bell Museum.  Hausman said those "break her heart" but have been caught up in political rhetoric.  Most of the bill will be dedicated to asset preservation or repairs to colleges and universities.  She said the governor's office will not support the state's only natural history museum because he views it as overlap with the MN Zoo and Science Museum.  She said she had to say no to nearly $150 million worth of projects that are in the Senate's bill and a bill this small "is a horrible bill  to write."  This puts the House in between Gov. Pawlenty and Senate's numbers.

When it comes to flooding in the Red River Valley, this bill does not have any money specifically in it for that.  Hausman said you have to wait weeks or a month to see what public property was affected.  She says when the need is clear there will be a cooperative effort with the governor and Senate.  Right now there is $12.7 million for general flood mitigation across the state in the House bonding bill.

Update Tuesday:  The governor says he supports are "reasonable, impactful" bill that stimulates the economy.  He denied he's totally against the Bell Museum and said there was a mistunderstanding.  He will talk to the U president about what he said was "not a bad idea."  Overall he said "the House bonding bill is a step in the right direction."