Almanac: At the Capitol

My eyes filled with tears when I read this weekend of Prior Lake Marine Jonathan Schulze, who took his own life as he tried to cope with his return from Iraq. They were tears for Jonathan's family, for this never-ending war, and tears in memory of my brother-in-law, who jumped five stories to his death over seven years ago.

A week ago I attended a hearing at the Humphrey Institute hosted by Congressmen Jim Ramstad (R-Minn) and Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island) on a subject we don't talk about very much: mental health. The room was nearly full. We attended in suppport of legislation to insure mental health parity: the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act. The good news is this: Congressman Kennedy predicts passage of this bill, one that has languished for years, by June of this year. He expects the President to sign it.

The bill will be too late for some ... those who have been denied insurance coverage for their mental health illnesses. And it won't be enough in itself for servicemen and women like Jonathan Schulze, who, according to news reports, desperately sought treatment from the VA, but was denied due to sorely lacking mental health resources for veterans. But in the end, the biggest victory for these Congressmen and their supporters will be shining light on this issue for others ... for helping to remove the stigma of mental illness so that others will get help.

As Congressman Kennedy noted:

Many of our Iraq veterans are coming back in body, but not in mind. They are still imprisoned. We have millions who are prisoners of post traumatic stress disorder ... just like the children who witness gunshots or see violence in the home. They need to be set free.

I will add others to this list: survivors of child sexual abuse. One of four of the children you know is a victim of child sexual abuse. They, too, bear secrets and shame for years before they understand the nature of their injury. They, too, need years and years of therapy to be set free.

What can we do? We can mobilize in support of the Campaign to Insure Mental Health and Addiction Equity. Go to www.equitycampaign.net. We can speak out about our own experiences as authentic voices ... just as Sen. John Hottinger, Rep. Mindy Greiling and both Congressmen did at the hearing on Monday. Nothing is more moving, more powerful, than a public figure sharing this vulnerability to help others.

If you want to share your story, contact me at ember@visi.com and I'll make sure it gets to the right place to help others.

I don’t know Rep. Mark Olson well, nor the facts of the recent domestic abuse allegations against him. I do know about managing senate ethics investigations, having co-chaired eight of them involving my DFL senate colleagues in the mid-1990’s.

My recommendation to House leadership: be thoughtful and let due process be your guide. This is no place for grandstanding.

The court proceeding is not yet resolved, and there is no ethics complaint filed against Mark Olson. Olson has had no forum to be heard. Yet, House Minority Leader Marty Seifert took strong action against his fellow Republican caucus member by removing his staff and committee status. Due process was left in the dust, seemingly to make a political point.

What happens if Mark Olson is convicted of a felony in court? He must resign his office. There’s no legal question about that. But what about a misdemeanor? His political future could be up to his colleagues. Rep. Olson may make the decision himself, and tender his resignation. If he chooses to serve, he will likely face an ethics complaint against him.

If that happens, Olson deserves to be heard. He has a right to state his case, or his apology, or even his intentions to seek treatment. The Ethics committee takes that into account in recommending consequences from apology to expulsion.

The Senate Subcommittee on Ethical Conduct faced similar situations in 1996, where members pled guilty to misdemeanor crimes involving domestic assault, phone misuse, and other transgressions. We had full hearings, offering an open record for the public. We recommended a range of consequences upheld by the full bipartisan senate. Some of these senators chose not to run again or were defeated. Other senators admitted their transgressions in heartfelt apologies and were re-elected with bigger margins than ever.

Remember: there are many different kinds of misdemeanors. Whatever happens in this case will set a strong precedent for future cases involving future members. In cases of personal misconduct, after fair public record and consequence, is a member’s future in elected office a matter for the House to decide, or a matter for the voters of the district to decide?

As a member of the Senate, I've been a passionate advocate against domestic violence. But the issues here go far beyond any individual case. To the House leadership I say err on the side of due process. Make the public record. Bring in outside judges to help, if necessary. The appropriate penalty will become clear.

The minute this becomes a partisan issue on either side, the House loses credibility as an institution. We’ll see a repeat of what happened with the ethics committee in Congress when House Majority Leader Tom DeLay manipulated it. Ethics became a joke.

We often say “do the right thing.” Thoughtful due process is the path to finding the right thing to do.

And to Republican Leader Marty Seifert: become a leader, not a grandstander. In the end, you’ll be more effective.

The 2007 legislative session can be a breakthrough session in restoring integrity to the governing process. If everyone gets along, thoughtful legislative policy results will follow within a real strategic vision for Minnesota.

We all know the issues on the agenda: property tax relief, health care, education. But here is what I'd really like to see:

1. First- and second-termers take the lead and use their power for change. They make up over half of the DFL House caucus and a third of the DFL Senate caucus.
   
2. DFL House and Senate leaders work toward a well-publicized common vision for Minnesota. While it is good to let "individual committee chairs do their work," we need to know the vision first. Contrary to scuttlebutt heard around the capitol, this isn't a competition between House and Senate DFLers to be first with ideas or to "win" in conference committee. It is working together for the common good and developing basics for long-term proposals. It is including the governor's proposals where warranted.
   
3. Governor Tim Pawlenty returns to his authentic governing self. He can be innovative and centrist. He can be fun. He can work with DFL'ers, not against.

Happy New Year, everyone!