Almanac: At the Capitol

With the 2007 session now concluded, I can let you know there's some good, bad and ugly in terms of the results and cooperation from the House Republican perspective.

There are lessons to be learned as we head to the 2008 session: When the DFL actually involved the Governor and House GOP, results were bipartisan, well-received and easily passed. These initiatives include the Ag and Veterans package, the alternative energy bills and bills of local interest.

When the DFL ignored the Governor and Republicans, the results were disastrous: The twice botched bonding bill is the best example. The DFL whipped together a huge pork-filled package with little input from Republicans and the Governor. The first time they did this, they got a veto of the whole bill in early May. Almost no discussion took place in terms of the second bill. The DFL and Chair of the Committee never talked to me or the Governor's office on marking up a second bill, but ended up whipping up a second bill and trying to jam it through on the last night. That blew up in their face as we ran out of time. With 2008 being a heavy bonding year, I'd ask the DFL to work with the Governor and the Republicans or a similar fate is going to happen. A reasonable, affordable bill that treats the whole state fairly and is bipartisan had better be in mind. I also think that roads and bridges need to be a high priority and perhaps the MVST/Governor's package needs to be part of the mix in order to get the jam on transportation unclogged.

The recently vetoed Tax Bill is a good example of Senator Pogemiller playing the political "Dr. Kevorkian" by inserting political poison pills into good legislation and, therefore, killing it. He knew full well that the auto-growth factor for government was a killer and a veto for the Tax Bill. He did it anyway and knew many people who liked the tax bill would be angry at the Governor for keeping his word and issuing a veto. Lesson learned for next session: When the Governor says he'll veto something, he means it. Whether it's a porky and oversized bonding bill, a tax increase or other poison pills. Please listen and learn for next time.

For those concerned about the last day of session, keep in mind that the House sat in recess doing nothing well over 6 daytime hours on the last day of session. In the last week of session, we sat in recess for dozens of hours, rather than processing supposedly high-priority items.

The Constitutional Amendment for dedicated funding and tax increases ran out of time, as did the non-negotiated Bonding Bill. A supplemental nursing home funding bill also ran out of time, because the DFL couldn't prioritize nursing homes over their massive welfare programs in the Omnibus Human Services bill. The "Denny Green time management" of the House DFL needs improvement one way or another, but it may be the citizens and rank-and-file DFLers who will need to make this point for the DFL leadership to listen.

Let's take a look at the jam at the end, in which the DFL is trying to blame Republicans for having the audacity of asking how their school kids and nursing homes were treated under the quickly assembled bills:

The House DFL spent $26 billion in its last six hours of the last day of session. Remember that the over-all budget is less than $35 billion.

In terms of spending:

• That is $4.3 billion per hour.


• That is $71 million per minute.


• That is $1.2 million per second.

My question to the DFL, who want to ram unread bills through the legisalature: Could you lend me a few seconds?

The Good

The Bad

The Ugly

It ain't over until it's over. Governor Pawlenty's actions in the next week may turn some of this on its head.

Traffic congestion grows. We use more gas as its price skyrockets.

The Taxpayers League convinced middle income people to oppose tax increases that impacted them in only one way: property tax relief. Now that's ugly.

Last January, I was asked to make a wish list for the coming legislative session which has now (maybe?) come to a close. While I had a number of specific policy initiatives I wanted to see lawmakers act upon, I had one overriding piece of advice: Think big.

Well, some folks at the Capitol must have been listening because there was some big thinking going on up there these past four months about the environment, taxes, transportation, and education. Seeking to rectify the growing regressiveness of the Minnesota's tax system, Democrats passed legislation raising income taxes on the wealthiest Minnesotans while providing critically needed relief for working families and homeowners living on fixed incomes trying to keep up with annual double-digit property tax increases, themselves a result of deep and regressive cuts in Minnesota's state aid to cities. They also proposed ways to fund mass transit — the Twin Cities are quickly turning into the most congested urban area in the country — and to lower the costs of attending state colleges.

Unfortunately, the Governor was thinking big, too, except he wasn't thinking big about the state, he was thinking big about his own personal ambitions. Taking a page from the Bush playbook, he vetoed proposals that had the overwhelming backing of Minnesotans — like the proposed changes in income taxes — or forced the DFL to back off other proposals for transportation and education that also had strong public support. All so he can head to the 2008 Republican national convention and be able to proclaim that he kept his "no new taxes" pledge (not to be confused, of course, with a "no new fees" pledge he apparently did not take), even at the cost of the future of the state he purportedly leads. While this may prove to be smart politics in the long run (though I personally doubt his gambit is going to pay off), from a policy standpoint, it is nothing short of disgraceful. Like Bush, a chastened Pawlenty last fall proclaimed that the election had opened his eyes to the need to walk, yea, in the paths of bi-partisanship. Since then — again like Bush — he has continued to operate in the narrowly ideological, highly partisan mode that characterized his first term.

Still, the session was not without its bright spots. In terms of environmental policy it was, arguably, the most significant in Minnesota's history. From the historic "25-by-25" renewable energy bill spearheaded by Sen. Ellen Anderson (DFL-St. Paul), to initiatives to cap and then reduce carbon emissions, to an energy efficiency bill that mandates that utilities cut their use of fossil fuels, it's been a good year for green legislation. Fortunately, Pawlenty chose not to stand in the way of these bills.

On the other hand, none of these green policy initiatives entails an increase in taxes or spending, so his acquiescence was hardly a profile in courage. In a previous blog I referred to Pawlenty as Macho Man; at the moment, Little Big Man seems more apt. Given the field of midgets currently clogging up the race for the GOP Presidential nomination, Pawlenty's smallness may prove beautiful — at least among that party's dwindling base. I suspect the general electorate will not be similarly impressed. To paraphrase an old saying, a Governor all wrapped up in himself makes a mighty small package.

5/20/07 8:59 p.m.

May 20, 2007

TSCHUMPER MILKS COWS THROUGH THE NIGHT; RETURNS TO PASS BUDGET BILLS

ST. PAUL - When session adjourned in the House around 3:00 am Sunday morning after passing the dedicated funding bill for the environment, most legislators wiped their tired eyes and crossed the street to the Kelly Inn. Others found a comfortable place in their offices to catch some sleep before another long day of debate and deliberation over the state's biennial budget. Not so for Rep. Ken Tschumper, a dairy farmer from La Crescent.

Instead of sleeping, Rep. Tschumper drove 150 miles through the night to milk his cows, do some chores, and fix a fence on his farm.

"Just because I'm in St. Paul all week, doesn't mean there isn't still work to be done on the farm," said Tschumper. "My main priority is serving my constituents, this state, and crafting policies that will get Minnesota back on track. But I also like my farm and seeing my wife. If driving home late to check on the cows in the middle of the night is what it takes, then that's what I'll do."

His wife, Robin Yaffe-Tschumper, doesn't recall when he returned home, but said she was surprised to wake up and find him working in the fields.

"There was a fence that needed to be fixed, and our hired hand couldn't do the work alone," she said. "I was surprised to wake up and find Ken working on it and tending to the cows so late at night. But Ken has always been a hard worker, and nobody cares more for his farm than Ken. He is a good farmer and a good legislator. He cares deeply about the responsibility that comes with both."

Rep. Tschumper drove another 150 miles back to St. Paul Sunday morning to continue his legislative work in the final days of session. Like many legislators, Tschumper is weary from the many long days and long nights on the House floor, but remains optimistic about progress in these final legislative hours.

Session is scheduled to adjourn Monday, May 21st.

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Please contact me with any questions.

Matt Swenson
Communications Specialist/Writer
MN House of Representatives DFL Caucus

5/20/07 2:06 a.m.

It's 2:00 am Sunday and leaders just left the governor's office saying talks are done for now. They don't have a deal. They plan to meet later today. They can't do much during church hours, working Sundays at all is rare, still even more rare is negotiating a global deal on Sunday before session ends. There will be just a day left to pass all the budget bills if there's a deal. A special session is looking more likely now. Still Pogemiller and Kelliher say they'll get it done. Kelliher says they're "zeroing in on the bull's eye of a deal" and it's "doable." Poge says "we don't think there'll be a special session." We'll see. Meanwhile, the House is now passing the constitutional amendment dedicating 3/8 of 1% of a sales tax increase to the environment and arts. It was a 4 1/2-hour debate that crossed party lines with a pretty big 86-46 margin. Now the House version will have to be quickly reconciled with a different Senate version and the agreement repassed by both chambers to get on the ballot. It does not require the governor's signature.