Almanac: At the Capitol

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.

1. Let Speaker Kelliher take the lead in negotiations with the Governor. Senator Pogemiller must support Kelliher as much as possible. Her DFL House caucus is at most political risk with an election in two years.


2. Work with Republicans as soon as possible to send a nickel gas tax increase to the Governor. Governor, go ahead and veto it. But let legislators do their will and override it. You win and they win. That's a good start for the rest of the negotiations.


3. Determine the bottom-line number that Democrats must have to cover their priorities of property tax relief and education. Everyone knows they've raised more revenue in their bills than they expect to get. Get to the bottom line.


4. Dip into the budget reserve and dust off the accounting gimmicks to get as close to the number as possible. It is a terrible way to run a railroad, or worse yet a state, but it gets you to adjournment, assuming the Governor won't budge. In the end everyone is better off.


5. Agree to work together over the interim to create a real vision for Minnesota's future. Work with the Citizens League ... seriously ... and try the old-fashioned approach of creating the vision of what we want the state to look like in five or ten years. We are at loggerheads now because we are arguing about budget pieces that don't fit into a visionary whole. Neither party built a comprehensive vision and got Minnesotans to buy into it. We are arguing over the size of the cars on the train at the station, but we've really never defined where the train is going.


6. Stay civil. Keep Sen. Pogemiller away from the Governor and the media. To his credit, Poge has done a great job of staying under the radar. One blow-up or burst of public anger from Pogemiller, will cause the Governor to dig in his heels even more. Then the Governor wins for sure. Remember Mike Hatch?


7. When it gets down to the really tense times and everything stalls, put a few first- and second-term legislators in the negotiating room for a reality check. They know what they need to bring home more than anyone ... and that includes an orderly end.


8. The Governor is fishing. Legislative leaders should do the same and celebrate Mother's Day. Get back to the real world. Honestly, you get so isolated and caught up in the drama at the Capitol during the end. It's not normal.

Eleven days and counting.

Governor Pawlenty has now vetoed several pieces of legislation sent to him by the DFL-controlled Legislature, much to the dismay of organizations and groups that supported those bills. Press conferences and releases have decried the Governor's action, and rightfully so, given electoral reality in Minnesota.

But what reason did progressive organizations give Pawlenty not to veto those bills? They've held lobby days, and rallies at the Capitol, right? Those are effective, right?

Not so much.

Organizations like OutFront Minnesota, Education Minnesota, health care and immigrant rights advocacy groups, labor unions, and others are generally a part of the DFL coalition, even though they're technically non-partisan. But the old way of doing things — holding lobby days and media-visible rallies at the Capitol, keeping your contact lists safe even from friendly organizations because they're yours — doesn't work anymore. We need only look as far as the DREAM Act for an example. Governor Pawlenty had no reason to approve the measure, and the DFL had no reason to keep it in — there was no groundswell of grassroots support to keep the measure in.

Where were the online advertising blitzes? The volunteer signup drives through the blogs? The massive letter, email, and phone call campaigns coordinated through effective web applications? These things are not difficult, highly effective, and waiting for some enterprising progressive organization to use to their benefit. And yet, silence. Movement-building takes a back seat to single-issue advocacy, to the detriment of the majority of Minnesotans who agree with those organizations' goals.

This isn't an indictment of these organizations. Progressive groups are right on the issues; they simply need some work on how to advocate for themselves and our communities.

The spirit of compromise continues, somewhat, at the Capitol. I just got word that the Higher Education Conference Committee has dropped the Dream Act, which guarantees in-state tuition to immigrants who graduate from Minnesota high schools. It was veto bait — Gov. Pawlenty was probably going to veto the whole bill if it had the Dream Act in it. He has said that he put aside controversial social issues like immigration and gay marriage. He has been saying that Democrats haven't done the same pushing domestic partner benefits and the Dream Act. Dems have now backed off on both, turning domestic partner benefits into a study and dropping the Dream Act. Dropping of domestic partner benefits won't get the government finance omnibus bill signed, but the higher ed bill could get signed without the Dream Act. Dems will now say they're giving and moving and Pawlenty isn't. So I wonder what DFLers will want from the governor for dropping some of their stuff? Taxes? New revenue?