Almanac: At the Capitol

Some people have asked why they have seen the House Republicans in the news so much lately. I have the answer: while we are in a deep minority, we will commit to offering positive solutions and continue to be leaders for Minnesotans.

Our work has started and the House GOP has moved quickly: we've proposed five achievable solutions for Higher Education, including a one-year tuition freeze for all public school students & families; consolidation of the 90+ different job training programs to better serve people and to save money; better on-line learning opportunities for Minnesotans; the ability to use pre-tax dollars to pay off student loans and giving legislative protection for Minnesota's cutting-edge Post Secondary Enrollment Options Programs, taught by high school teachers.

This past week, the House Republicans proposed a sweeping anti-crime proposal. This package includes directing Local Government Aid (LGA) in high-crime cities to public safety. Did you know that Minneapolis has more employees in Park and Rec than rank and file street cops? What sense does that make? The murder rate is simply unacceptable. While the DFL Mayors are outragred that lawmakers who hand over millions in state dollars have the audacity to question the ever-increasing murder and rape rates, we are finding that ordinary Minnesotans who live, work and enjoy recreation in the twin cities are extremely supportive of our proposals. In addition to the LGA directive, we are also proposing to disallow out of state felons from getting welfare when moving to Minnesota; toughening sentences for rapists that prey upon senior citizens and children; enhancing tracking of Level II sex offenders and also boosting penalties for criminal neglect of a vulnerable adult. Did you know that the penalties are higher for neglecting your pet hamster than an elderly grandmother? This makes no sense to us and we will work aggressively to change this law. I'd like to thank Rep. Steve Smith (R-Mound) for bringing forth many of these thoughtful proposals for our caucus.

Finally, I would let you know that our caucus pushed very hard for tax relief for average Minnesotans this past week, but it was unfortunately voted down along partisan lines by the DFL. We are for investing in children, but it is the parents that are the foremost investors, not government.

We are very disappointed by the new, so-called "moderate DFLers" that campaigned saying that they would work with Republicans and be fiscally responsible, yet every single one voted like sheep, with the liberal, leadership to keep money in then hands of the government and out of the hands of the hard working taxpayers. The silence from these new lambs, was deafening. Not one spoke up to join with the GOP to help give even the smallest crumb of extra relief to taxpayers, outside of the simple federal conformity that we basically had to do. "The Silence of the Lambs" appears to be the new mantra for the freshman DFLers as they follow along sheep-like with their liberal leadership. The House Republicans have been and continue to expect a good, civil working relationship that helps move Minnesota in a positive direction. We are in hope that the DFLers who campaigned on bipartisanship, cooperation, moderation and "voting their district" will at some point remember what they campaigned about several months ago.

1. A statewide smoking ban. Enough of this dilly-dallying already. Arizona's got it. California's got it. Colorado's got it. Connecticut's got it. Delaware's got it. Hawaii's got it. Maine's got it. Massachusetts's got it. New York's got it. Ohio's got it. Rhode Island's got it. Washington's got it.

Heck, even France, home of the Gauloise, is gonna have it!

When is the Minnesota Legislature finally gonna "get it"?


2. Guaranteed health care for all kids. Well, maybe it won't be put into place in '07, because it will take some doing to make the transition. But we can always hope!


3. Find a way for motorists to pay for roads. Makes sense, don't ya think? Many Republicans think so. Many Democrats think so. It seems only the Governor doesn't think so. Why? Who knows?

Note to Legislature: Pass a gas tax increase, make it annually adjustable according to inflation, send it to the Guv, let him veto it, override the veto. Just think: Five easy steps and you won't have to deal with it for at least another 10 years.


4. Freeze higher ed tuition for a year, then tell the public institutions to start cleaning up their own act. There's a lot of inefficiency. I know. I've taught in higher ed for nearly 20 years. There are also a lot of hard-working people there who have some great ideas on how their institutions can be more cost-conscious. Put all those brains to work!


5. Forget the free tuition business for the top 25% of high school students going on to Minnesota's colleges and universities. It'll create far more problems than it will solve. I don't have the space to explain here, but if you're interested, read this article. (P.S., most educators agree with me.)