Ewald at the Capitol

GAMC Bill Heading to Pawlenty’s Desk

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:40:33 -0500

This week, the House passed the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) bill that the Senate had passed last week. The bill – which is a compromise between Governor Tim Pawlenty and the Legislature – will provide basic medical services for an estimated 35,000 Minnesotans. The agreement comes just as the current GAMC program was about to expire on April 1. The bill passed the Senate and House with strong bi-partisan support. It is expected to be signed by Gov. Pawlenty in next few days.

View a copy of the final GAMC bill.

Pay Up or Else

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:39:49 -0500

Two bills working their way through the House and Senate could have an impact on the state’s future budget issues. HF 3515 and SF 3283 would appropriate $2.4 million to the Minnesota Department of Revenue in an effort to improve the state’s tax collection efforts. The Dept. of Revenue would track down individuals and businesses with taxes still owed. It is expected that the effort could bring in $6.5 million to the General Fund in FY 2011.

Next Week

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:39:32 -0500

Next week will be a short one for Legislators, as they will only have one day of session. On Monday, both the Senate and House will meet in the morning for an early session as Legislators plan to clear bills off the calendar before they recess for the Easter/Passover break. As well as moving bills on the calendar, both chambers will vote on a jobs bill that would create tax breaks for investors and is hoped to spur new business development.

The House and Senate will also take up a Conference Committee report on HF 1671, which is one of the first budget bills this session that deals with closing the current deficit. Last week, each chamber passed the bill; however there were some differences between the two that needed to be reconciled through conference committee.

Legislators will have until 3pm Monday to finish their floor work before they recess for the holiday break. They will return the following week on Tuesday, April 6. It is expected that they will take up the rest of the budget bills dealing with HHS, K-12 Education, and Taxes in the first few weeks.

Due to the legislative holiday recess, Ewald at the Capitol will also take a break as we rest up and re-energize ourselves for the final push of session. However, if you need to contact any of us, please feel free to do so at any time. Also note that legislative offices will be open through Thursday, April 1, if you need any assistance from staff at the Capitol. Almost all legislators will be back in their districts.

Bill Log

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:39:18 -0500

In the next few weeks, the number of bills reaching Gov. Pawlenty’s desk will start to increase. A great way to see what has been signed as well as vetoed is to check out the “Bill Log” on Gov. Pawlenty’s website.

Bakk Drops from Governors Race

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:38:58 -0500

Senator Tom Bakk (D-Cook), one of several Democrats vying for the DFL party endorsement in the 2010 Governor’s race, ended his campaign on Saturday. Bakk chairs the Senate Tax Committee and noted that he will continue to focus his energies on the most immediate needs of the state – namely balancing the state budget and restarting the stalled economy.

Bakk’s decision to drop out of the crowded endorsement race could either open it up for one candidate if supporters all gravitate toward one candidate, or it could make the crowded race even more unpredictable.

Sen. Bakk plans to seek re-election to a third term in the Minnesota Senate this fall.

Representative Eastlund to Retire

Fri, 26 Mar 2010 15:38:41 -0500

Representative Rob Eastlund (R-Isanti) from District 17A announced this week that he will not seek re-election this fall. Rep. Eastlund, who is serving his 5th term in the House, citied the demanding workload that comes with being a legislator as a key reason for his decision not to run.

Over the years, Eastlund has served on various committees such as Taxes and Higher Education. Eastlund hopes to spend more time with his family once his legislative duties conclude.

With two more months of session ahead, the list of retirees in the House and Senate continues to grow. Here is the list of announced retirements:

House
Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Rep. Karla Bigham
Rep. Jeremy Kalin
Rep. Cy Thao
Rep. Rob Eastlund
Rep. Marty Seifert

Senate
Sen. Steve Murphy
Sen. Jim Vickerman
Sen. Steve Dille
Sen. Pat Pariseau

Bonding Bill Sent to Governor Pawlenty

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:31:55 -0600

After weeks of negotiation between the Legislature and Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office, legislators were able to move forward with a bill this week that includes some priorities and concessions from each side. On Thursday, both the House and Senate passed the bonding bill, which is nearly a billion dollars, with bipartisan support. However, Gov. Pawlenty has already stated that he will line-item veto the bill “down to size.” Observers believe that Pawlenty’s target will be around $725 million.

For supporters of the bill, the news that Gov. Pawlenty is going to sign it causes mixed emotions. Just a few weeks ago, the Governor was ready to veto the entire bill and have legislators start over from scratch. However, a line-item veto means that some projects will not be funded – at least until the next bonding bill. Gov. Pawlenty has not yet said what projects will be vetoed from the bill, but throughout the session he has declared a preference for statewide projects over local ones.

GAMC Compromise

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:31:36 -0600

On Friday, March 5, legislative leaders were able to reach a compromise that will save much of the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program through June 1, 2010. Following that date, the program would operate through a coordinated care delivery system of 17 major hospitals partnering together to serve those on GAMC. The compromise comes as Representative Erin Murphy (D-St. Paul) and Senator Linda Berglin (D-Minneapolis) have spent most of the session to date working on a fix to the program that was set to expire due to Gov. Pawlenty’s line-item veto of the entire program. Murphy and Berglin are the chief authors of the GAMC bill. The bills in both the House and Senate are working through committees and are expected to come to each chamber’s floor next week.

Read the text of HF 802, which reflects the GAMC
deal

More Elections Changes

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:31:05 -0600

After signing a bill last week to move up the state’s primary election to August, it appears that more bills dealing with elections will find their way to Gov. Pawlenty’s desk in the next few weeks. Following the 2008 Senate election contest, legislators on both sides of the aisle have been hard at work trying to correct some issues that arose during the recount process.

Two bills passed the House floor this week with a combined vote of 250-14. The bills would make the state’s voting system one of the most reliable and efficient in the nation. The bills address items such as absentee vote counts, matching voter registration information to public records to ensure accurate election rolls, and preventing multiple voting. The entire process has shown a productive partnership between legislators and those who administer elections.

The Senate is expected to take action on these measures in the next week.

Deadlines 101

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:30:44 -0600

Each year, the Legislature establishes deadlines for committee action on bills. Today is the first deadline of the 2010 session, which means committees have until 11:59 p.m. to act favorably on bills in their chamber of origin. Second deadline is set for next Friday, March 19, at 11:59 p.m. The third deadline is Monday, March 29. Deadline descriptions:

The first deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin.

The second deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other house.

The third deadline is for divisions of the House and Senate Committees on Finance to act favorably on omnibus appropriation bills.

The deadlines do not apply to the House committees on Capital Investment, Ways and Means, Taxes, or Rules and Legislative Administration, nor to the Senate committees on Capital Investment, Finance, Taxes, or Rules and Administration. When a committee in either house acts favorably on a bill after a deadline established in this resolution, the bill must be referred in the Senate to the Committee on Rules and Administration or in the House of Representatives to the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration for disposition.

Independence Party Finishes Online Caucus

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:30:11 -0600

The Minnesota Independence Party wrapped up its online caucus last week as party activists took part in the month-long caucus to determine the parties lead candidate among its activists. Leading the way for governor with approximately 50 percent of the vote was Tom Horner. Horner, a long-time Republican operative, said that his campaign represents “someone in the middle.” Others receiving votes were Rob Hahn, with about 16 percent of the vote, and Jack Uldrich, with about 4 percent.

The Minnesota Independence Party will hold its state convention on May 8, 2010, in Bloomington. It is expected that Horner will come out of the convention as the party’s endorsed candidate. In the 2010 governor’s race, the IP is looking for its first statewide office election win since 1998.

Chief Justice Eric Magnuson Resigns

Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:29:55 -0600

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson announced Thursday that he will step down from his position after serving for the last two years. Magnuson, who cited personal reasons for his decision, will officially step down on June 30.

a href="http://www.courts.state.mn.us/?page=JudgeBio_v2&menu=all&ID=30505" target="_blank">View Chief Justice Magnuson's bio

February Budget Forecast Release

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:28:16 -0600

On Tuesday, the February Economic Forecast was released by the Minnesota Management and Budget office. The forecast shows an expected $994 million deficit for the remainder of the current 2010-11 biennium. This is a $209 million improvement from what was forecasted in November, which was a $1.203 billion deficit. Based on updated economic assumptions and current spending required by law, the FY 2012-13 budget shortfall is now projected to be $5.789 billion.

Minnesota Management and Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson noted that while revenues are slightly better than expected, the forecast doesn’t significantly change the budget challenges faced by the state. Legislators will now use this information as they try to balance the budget and work on other reforms through out session.

A copy of the complete February report can be found online at the Minnesota Management and Budget website..

New Revenue Stream?

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:27:55 -0600

On Thursday, Senator Tom Bakk (D-Cook), introduced legislation to reduce Minnesota’s state sales tax, decrease the state’s massive budget deficit, and increase funding for Minnesota schools. To accomplish this, Sen. Bakk would implement Governor Pawlenty’s 21st Century Tax Reform Commission’s recommendation to expand the sales tax base; by eliminating the exemption on clothing beginning July 1, 2010. It is expected that if this were enacted $120 million a year would be paid back to schools as a result of shifts and unallotment. The plan would also reduce the budget deficit by more than $257 million in 2011 and permanently reduce Minnesota’s general sales tax rate from 6.5 percent to 6.25 percent.

As of right now, Senator Bakk is the only author of SF 2980 nor does it have a House companion at this time. It is unclear what kind of support this bill will receive in the legislature if any. However, Gov. Pawlenty has already told the media that he is not interested in the plan. Currently, Minnesota is one of the few states in the country that does not tax clothing.

Governor’s Bill Log

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:27:46 -0600

As a reminder, Gov. Pawlenty maintains a bill log on his website where public can see which bills have been signed by the governor or vetoed. You can also find veto messages from the Governor that further explain why the necessary action was taken by him. The bill log can be found on Governor Pawlenty’s website under Bill Log on the left hand side.

GAMC Plan

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:27:29 -0600

On Monday, the House was unable to override the veto of SF 2168 which is the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program and MinnesotaCare provisions modifications bill. However, party leaders and the Governor have continued to work on negotiations all week. Democrats offered another proposal on Thursday night which incorporates concepts offered by Republicans that have been the subject of the week long negotiations.

Legislators will take the weekend to keep negotiations open on the bill as well as use the time to mull over the newest proposal.

Bonding Status

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:27:23 -0600

Much like the GAMC bill, legislators are back to the table as they try and work on a bill that is to the liking of Gov. Pawlenty. The latest bill which Democrats hope to move forward with next week is paired down from $1.1billion to $986 million. The new bill while still larger than what Gov. Pawlenty recommended now includes money for the Moose Lake sex offender facility. House and Senate Chairs of the Capital Investment Committee expect floor action to be taken next week on the bill.

The new bill however, does come out of the working group without interests of the Pawlenty Administration being weighed.

Rep. Kalin to Retire

Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:27:19 -0600

Last week, we brought you a list of Legislature members that have formally announced they are going to retire a the end of this year’s term. This week another legislator add his name to that list as Representative Jeremy Kalin (D-North Branch), as he announced that he will not seek re-election this fall for a third term serving District 17-B. In his two terms as a member of the House, Rep. Kalin carried key legislation on areas from clean energy to overseas voting. Last year, Rep. Kalin was selected by the White House to chair CLEAN, the national Coalition of Legislators for Energy Action Now working with the Obama Administration and the U.S. Senate to pass comprehensive clean energy jobs and climate legislation.

Bonding Bill, Round 2

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:37:20 -0600

Over the weekend, House and Senate conferees of the Capital Investment committee worked to match up differences between the House and Senate bonding bills. Late Sunday night, legislators reached agreement; they returned hours later on Monday to take floor action on the bill. Opponents of the bonding bill criticized it as too expensive, and that too much of the negotiating among conferees was conducted “behind closed doors.” One key project that did not make the final bill was funding for the Moose Lake Correctional Facility. Governor Tim Pawlenty has stated that this is a key project that needs to be included in the bill. Pawlenty wants a bonding bill under $700 million. The bonding bill crafted by the Legislature is $1.1 billion.

On nearly party-line votes, the bill passed out of both the House and Senate. At this point, it looked like the bill was on its way to the Governor’s desk; he had already publicly stated that he would veto the bill. However, before the bill was sent to him, DFL Leadership decided to recall the bill and continue work on it in hopes of creating a bill that would gather bipartisan support from legislators and from the governor. In what is described as a “cooling off period” between legislators and the governor, officials hope to sit down and have further discussions on the bill. Action on the second attempt could take place sometime during the week of March 1.

Senate Votes to Override, House Action Coming

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:37:13 -0600

On February 25, the Senate moved to override Gov. Pawlenty’s veto of SF 2168; the bill would create a 16-month version of General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC). With just a month left until GAMC comes to an end, Democrats have been moving quickly to try gathering support to override the veto. Senate Chief Author Sen. Linda Berglin (D-Minneapolis) has been working steadily to try and reach a compromise. Feeling that it is now a race against the clock, and with negotiations moving nowhere, Berglin believed she had the votes. The GAMC program is slated for elimination on April 1.

On a party line vote of 45-21, the Senate was successful in overriding the Governor’s veto. However, Senate Democrats hold a super majority and there was little concern that the override would succeed. Focus now shifts to the House, where DFL leaders have said they will attempt to override the veto on Monday. The bill passed the House last week with bipartisan support, on a 125-9 vote. House Democrats will need to find three votes from across the aisle and hold on to all 87 DFL members as they search for 90 votes on Monday. It should be a busy weekend for leaders on both sides as they try to shore up their members.

Primary Election Change Moves Forward

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:37:02 -0600

The state needs to move quickly to conform to a federal mandate that would move the state’s primary election up from September to August. On Thursday, the House took action on SF 2251, which would move the primary election to early August.

This legislation comes in response to the Federal Military and Overseas Voter Empowerment Act, which requires at least a 45-day period for absentee ballots to be returned and counted for primaries and elections. The bill, which Gov. Pawlenty said he supports, is seen as a non-controversial bill. Still, during Thursday’s debate, attempts were made to add on language dealing with picture IDs and limiting voter vouching requirements. These amendment efforts were unsuccessful and the House passed the bill on a 126-5 vote. The bill now heads back to the Senate.

Last Hurrah!

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:36:46 -0600

This week, a pair of longtime Senators announced that they will not seek re-election this fall. Senator Jim Vickerman (D-Tracy) and Senator Pat Pariseau (R-Farmington) are both currently serving their seventh terms in the Minnesota Senate. The news of these retirements, along with other announcements, could play a key role as to the Senate’s partisan make-up after the elections. Currently the Democrats hold a super majority, with 46 of the 67 seats.

Senators who have announced their retirements:
Senator Steve Murphy (D-Redwing)
Senator Steve Dille (R-Dassel)
Senator Tarryl Clark (D-St. Cloud)
Senator Jim Vickerman (D-Tracy)
Senator Pat Pariseau (R-Farmington)

Representatives who have announced their retirements:
Representative Margaret Anderson-Kelliher (D-Minneapolis)
Representative Marty Seifert (R-Marshall)
Representative Karla Bigham (D-Cottage Grove)
Representative Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield)

“Secrets for Citizen Lobbyists” Now Online!

Fri, 26 Feb 2010 15:36:35 -0600

Ewald Consulting’s “Secrets for Citizen Lobbyists” can now be found online at our website. Over the past few months we have given the handbook an update and have added new information to help guide you along the legislative process. Not only that —it is now available to print online for free and can be hosted on several social media outlets.

Check out “Secrets for Citizen Lobbyists.”

GAMC’s Next Step

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:07:19 -0600

On Feb. 18, members of the Minnesota House voted overwhelmingly (125-9) to pass HF 2168 which would create a 16-month extension of the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program to provide basic medical coverage for low-income Minnesotans. Governor Tim Pawlenty line-item vetoed GAMC last year. HF 2168 received bipartisan support as legislators tried to save the program, slated for elimination by April 1. Just hours after the bill was passed by the both the House and Senate and sent to Gov. Pawlenty’s desk, the governor vetoed the bill.

Gov. Pawlenty issued the veto from Washington, DC, saying that the bill spends too much and includes no reform. Throughout the GAMC discussion, Gov. Pawlenty has threatened to veto the bill if he saw no change to the program from its current state. The Governor’s veto of the bill could set up another interesting showdown at the Capitol on Monday, as a possible veto override is attempted.

Shortly after receiving the Governor’s veto message, DFL legislators vowed to pass the bill and will begin to find votes on the other side of the aisle to sustain the veto. In the House, 90 votes are needed to override; currently the DFL has 87 members, who all voted for the bill. Most House Republicans – 38 – voted for the bill on Thursday. However, House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) is confident that his caucus will uphold the veto. In the Senate, the DFL already has enough votes to override.

View a copy of the Governor’s veto letter

Governor Pawlenty’s Budget Recommendations

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:06:47 -0600

On Feb. 15, Gov. Pawlenty released his supplemental budget recommendations to erase the state’s $1.2 billion projected budget deficit. The Governor’s plan calls for a mixture of deep program cuts to Health and Human Services along with tax cuts for businesses as part of a job growth initiative. Still, some areas of the budget were spared from cuts. Gov. Pawlenty’s budget maintains funding levels for his priority areas including military and veterans, core public safety, and K-12 classroom education.

The Governor’s budget plan includes:

$250 million in reductions to state government aid to local units of government.

$347 million in reductions to state health and human services programs.

$387 million extension of enhanced federal Medicaid funding for states.

$47 million in reductions to state higher education institutions.

$181 million in reductions to state agencies and other programs.

Following release of the Governor’s budget proposal, DFL leaders criticized the plan, declaring it a reckless proposal that does cut funding for public safety (due to LGA cuts) and that relies heavily on federal funding – which is not guaranteed. The latest exchange between the two sides sets up the potential for another ugly end to session.

View the Governor’s budget proposal

Possible Bonding Showdown

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:05:39 -0600

On Monday night, the House passed a $1.2 billion Capital Investment bill that is aimed at creating new jobs. On a 92 to 37 vote, the bill passed off the House floor. The House bonding bill is now in conference committee with its Senate companion. The two sides will now work to match up details of the bills. Over the course of the past week, the bonding bill has grown in size, which could play a key role in determining its fate. On Monday night, an amendment was added to the bill to provide funding for the Moose Lake Correctional facility, one of Gov. Pawlenty’s key projects. However, while some legislators see this as an olive branch in hopes of passing the bill, it could be just one of the branches that break the camel’s back, resulting in a veto.

The bill is now well above the $685 million that Gov. Pawlenty suggested before the start of session — and given his actions this week, he appears unafraid of exercising his veto power. It is still uncertain whether he would use his line item veto authority or send a message by vetoing the entire bill. The other question that arises is, will Republicans stay in line to uphold a veto? Several Republican legislators have bonding projects in their districts, so some hard choices might need to be made. Final passage of the bill could come later next week.

Seifert Picks Sivarajah

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:05:18 -0600

Representative Marty Seifert (R-Marshall), who is running for Governor, picked his Lieutenant Governor running mate this week. Rhonda Sivarajah, an Anoka County Commissioner, becomes the first running mate named by a 2010 gubernatorial candidate.

See more background on Rhonda Sivarajah

August Primary Moving Forward

Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:04:52 -0600

Legislation to move the state’s primary election from September to August continues to move forward. The change is part of an effort to move the state into compliance with federal law to provide military and overseas voters enough time to get in their absentee ballots. Gov. Pawlenty has said that he supports the legislation.

State of the State

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:43:39 -0600

On Thursday, Governor Tim Pawlenty delivered his final State of the State address. In his eighth State of the State address, he outlined his plans for a combination of job growth and tax breaks to serve as an engine for jump-starting the state’s economy. These ideas are part of a job-creating agenda that the Governor plans to pursue in the next few weeks. While a large part of the focus this session has been on jobs, Gov. Pawlenty lightly touched on the current deficit — promising a plan to solve the deficit using so-called dramatic and painful spending cuts.

As well as calling for changes to the state’s tax laws, Governor Pawlenty also suggested that changes need to be made regarding the Minneapolis and St. Paul school districts — suggesting that the mayors have full control of these school districts similar to other large cities across the country. Governor Pawlenty also renewed his call for improving teacher quality, recruitment, and training through the “Teaching Transformation Act” and new limits on teacher tenure.

While the Governor’s address lacked specifics, the underlying message to legislators throughout the address was to reduce government spending, cut taxes on business, and reform the state’s budget process.

See a full transcript of Governor Pawlenty’s speech or to listen to it

Bonding on the Move

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:42:34 -0600

Both House and Senate Capital Investment bills continue to move down the fast track this week. On Feb. 9, the Senate passed a $1 billion bonding bill on a 52-14 vote. The House is expected to vote on its bill on Feb. 15. House Members plan to give it a thorough debate, which could last into the evening. Most of the discussion has focused on the overall size of the bill. While some people believe there should not be a bonding bill, most are with Gov. Pawlenty and support his proposal of $685 million in spending (which is roughly $350 million less than the current bill).

Once the bill passes the House, it will then make its way to conference committee, where selected members of the Senate and House will work on a compromise. The final draft will then have one final floor vote before being passed on to Gov. Pawlenty (if approved by both bodies). This process is expected to take roughly a week; both chairs have expressed a desire to move quickly.

Once the bill reaches the Governor’s desk, it is still unclear what might happen. Gov. Pawlenty has at times expressed concerns about the size of the current bills and at times has hinted about a veto. Whether he would use a line-item veto or a veto of the entire bill is anyone’s guess.

GAMC “Fix” Bill

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:41:59 -0600

With just a month and a half left for participants before the elimination of General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), the Senate took the first steps to secure a 16-month extension of the program on Feb. 11. On a 45-20 vote, senators approved a bill that would provide coverage for 85,000 Minnesotans who are on the verge of losing coverage or would be shifted to a different program. Senator Linda Berglin (D-Minneapolis), chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Budget Division, has taken the lead on restoring this program after it was slated for termination by Gov. Pawlenty’s line item veto.

In the past few weeks, many changes have been made trying to reach bipartisan support on the bill, as well as gain the support of the Governor. One such change was made Thursday on the floor, when part of the bill was pared down to remove surcharges on a provision the Governor did not support. At the time of the change, Senate Republicans asked for more time to delay the vote, so they could study the new language. Their request was denied and a vote was taken. Senate Minority Leader David Senjem (R-Rochester) said that Senate Republicans want to fix GAMC, but they want to know what they are fixing first.

Future Unallotment Changes?

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:41:35 -0600

This week, Senator Dick Cohen (D-St. Paul), Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, and State Representative Lyndon Carlson (D-Crystal), Chair of the House Finance Committee, proposed legislation that would put new restrictions on the unallotment authority granted to the executive branch under Minnesota statute. Both legislators said that the Governor’s unprecedented use of unallotment near the end of the 2009 legislative session prompted their proposal. The proposal would create the following changes:

Unallotment authority could be used only with respect to that portion of a projected deficit that was not known at the completion of the last legislative session.

When the executive branch implements allotment reductions, the payments must be reduced proportionately, and formulas or eligibility standards may not be modified.

The executive may not unallot more than two percent of the general fund appropriations for a biennium, and may not unallot more than 10 percent of a single general fund appropriation.

While it seems unlikely that the legislation will receive bipartisan support this session, the bill serves as a talking point for discussions about how much unallotment power any governor should have.

Tougher Sentencing

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:40:16 -0600

Governor Pawlenty this week proposed doubling sentences for sex offenders. At the moment, the proposal seems to have bipartisan support. Still, many questions need to be answered about what future budget implications might be. The discussion surrounding the doubling of sentences arises at a time when legislators are discussing expansion of the sex offender program. If the proposal is adopted, it would make Minnesota one of the most aggressive states in dealing with sex offenders.

Metrodome for $1

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:39:56 -0600

With the NFL season finally complete and minds shifting to warmer weather and ballgames outside, a few legislators are still focused on what to do regarding a Vikings stadium. Currently, the Vikings have a lease thorough 2011. But much uncertainty remains as to where the Vikings will play beyond 2011. Gov. Pawlenty will have nothing in his budget for a new Vikings stadium. According to the Administration, the state’s current fiscal position simply will not allow for stadium funding.

However, State Representative Paul Kohls (R-Victoria) has a simple plan to entice them to stay: sell the Dome to the Vikings for $1. The Vikings could simply choose what they want to do with it and remodel the stadium as they please. Gov. Pawlenty said on his weekly radio show that he does not support this plan.

Pawlenty’s Budget

Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:39:37 -0600

On Monday, Gov. Pawlenty will unveil his budget proposal to the Legislature, and many believe it will include deep cuts. The Governor did shine a little light on what he calls his “key priorities” on his weekly radio show today. Pawlenty said that military and veterans' programs, public safety, and K-12 education will be spared from his budget cuts. Look for an update next week, following the Governor’s budget release.

Next Week

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:04:24 -0600

The first full week of the 2010 session will be a busy one, as House and Senate committees start their full meeting schedules and begin to act on bills. The House and Senate will have floor sessions on Monday. On Thursday, Gov. Pawlenty will deliver his State of the State address at a joint session.

As a reminder, House and Senate information such as schedules, bill introductions, and daily legislative news can be found on the Minnesota Legislature’s website. By clicking on either the House or Senate tab, you can find body-specific information.

Plan B

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:03:18 -0600

While most in the Legislature and in the Pawlenty Administration hope the State of Minnesota will not have to do any short term borrowing this spring to offset cash flow problems, the Department of Management and Budget is not taking any chances. Commissioner Tom Hanson said this week that his department will begin to move forward with a request for proposals to borrow money if the state cash flow account still falls short after delaying school payments.

Members of the Legislative Advisory Commission where Hanson appeared are hopeful that borrowing will not be the answer, but thanked Hanson for being prepared and ready in case borrowing is necessary.

Precinct Caucus Summary

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:02:24 -0600

On Tuesday, caucus participants across the state filled school halls and auditoriums to caucus for candidates in a crowded race for Governor. While numbers were down from the 2008 Presidential caucuses, a large turnout across the state was reported as Minnesotans hinted at their respective party’s front-runners through a non-binding straw poll. On the Republican side, two candidates rose above the rest — Rep. Marty Seifert with just over 50 percent, and Rep. Tom Emmer with 39 percent.

Among the DFL candidates, there were also two candidates who came out on top: Rep. Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak. Each had approximately 21 percent of the vote, while just under 15 percent of caucus goers were uncommitted.

While this is just the first step of the process, most campaigns found some indication of where they stand and what work needs to be done before state endorsing conventions begin in April. Candidates will now try to gather up delegate support, with Senate District and county conventions as the next stop in the process.

View full statewide results for Tuesday night’s caucuses

The Independence Party is holding an online cauc

Senate to Unveil Jobs Plan

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:01:30 -0600

On Feb. 8, Senate lawmakers and business representatives will unveil the Senate’s proposal to stimulate Minnesota’s economy and grow jobs. The news conference will be held at 9:30 a.m. in Capitol room 125. Look for more about this in next week’s edition of “Ewald at the Capitol” as we carry a full report on the proposal.

Bonding Bill Moving Quickly

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:01:11 -0600

With the session just 24 hours old, legislators are jumping in head-first to put together the 2010 bonding bill. Both the House and Senate have released bonding proposals that weigh in at nearly $1 billion, each nearly $300 million more than Gov. Pawlenty’s recommendation. The House and Senate bills are roughly 90 percent similar, which could help speed up the reconciliation process in conference committee. The Senate plans to take up its bill on the Senate floor early next week. The House plans to bring its bonding bill to the floor on Monday, February 15.

House Spreadsheet

Senate Spreadsheet

Session Begins

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:01:02 -0600

On Thursday, the second half of the Minnesota Legislature’s 86th session convened as lawmakers came to St. Paul to start what could be another tough session. Legislators and Governor Tim Pawlenty are already facing another deficit that they will need to fix before they leave in May. While this year’s deficit of $1.2 billion is smaller than last session’s, legislators are reminded of the hard choices that were made as they look at ways to solve this year’s deficit.

One program cut by Gov. Pawlenty last year to solve the deficit was General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC), which is scheduled to end on March 31 unless a fix can be agreed upon this session. Many hope an agreement will be reached soon. Hundreds of GAMC supporters held a rally in the Capitol Rotunda on Feb. 4, asking legislators and Gov. Pawlenty to save the program before it expires. Yet the entire fiscal picture will not be clear until the Governor’s supplemental budget and budget forecast are released later this month.

Until that time, much of the focus will placed on passing a bonding bill that legislators hope will create needed jobs across the state.

Minnesota Legislature 101

Fri, 05 Feb 2010 15:59:51 -0600

With just one week until the start of session, the Ewald Government Relations team has created our first webinar for you. “Minnesota Legislature 101” is a useful interactive guide that walks you through how the Minnesota Legislature works and how to access additional information about the Legislature.

Watch the webinar.

Possible Foreclosure Relief

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:25:25 -0600

With unemployment numbers still high across the state and foreclosures on the rise, State Representative Jeff Hayden (D-Minneapolis) is sponsoring HF 2604. This bill would create a two-year moratorium on mortgage foreclosures, allowing homeowners time to work out a plan to modify their loans. The bill would also protect renters who get caught in the middle of the foreclosure process. This bill appears to have bipartisan support, at least at the moment.

More Bonding Projects

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:24:53 -0600

This week, representatives from several bonding projects from across the state came together to make their best pitch for why their project should be included in the 2010 Capital Investment Bonding Bill. Just weeks removed from Gov. Pawlenty’s recommendations on the size of the bonding bill, the House Higher Education and Workforce Development Finance and Policy Division held two full days of testimony on various proposals. While no decisions were made over these two days, members did rank the projects on a scale and then sent their recommendations to the Capital Investment Finance Division.

Here is a list of some notable projects presented to the committee:

$25 million for construction of a 7,500-seat baseball stadium in St. Paul’s Lowertown district.

$22 million for a major expansion of Minnesota Orchestra Hall.

$34 million the expansion of the Mayo Civic Center Complex in Rochester.

$17.5 million to renovate the Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul.

$15.9 million for a civic center expansion in Mankato.

$15.1 million for an expansion of the St. Cloud Civic Center.

$12.4 million for an amateur sports complex and athletic facilities expansion in St. Louis County.

$9.75 million for an Asian Pacific Cultural Center in St. Paul.

$6.5 million for capital improvements to the Target Center in Minneapolis.

Unallotment Briefs to be Filed

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:24:30 -0600

Governor Pawlenty has appealed to the State Supreme Court the district court ruling that found one of his unallotment actions violated statute. Briefs to the court have been filed by both sides. This week, the House Rules and Legislative Committee, on a split vote, decided to hire an outside firm to draft an amicus brief supporting the plaintiff’s case. House Republicans who voted against this measure decided to file a brief with the Supreme Court in support of Gov. Pawlenty’s unallotment decisions. Briefs are due by mid-February and oral arguments will be heard in March.

Schools Help with State Cash Flow Problems

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:24:10 -0600

This week, the Minnesota Department of Education announced that school district aid payments will be further delayed to help address the state’s cash flow problem. The Office of Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) is projecting a state cash flow shortage in March, April, and May thus requiring implementation of a never-used state law. This law requires the state to delay school district aid payments before looking to state short-term borrowing. As a result, school districts aid payments will be delayed by $423 million in March, April and May with a repayment expected by May 30, 2010.

While school districts were receiving the notice this week, key legislators at the State Capitol announced they will introduce legislation at the start of session to repeal the statute. It is unlikely Governor Tim Pawlenty would support an outright repeal, but look for proposals from the Administration to amend the statute.

Mike Parry Wins Special Election in District 26

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:23:47 -0600

Republican Mike Parry won a special election Tuesday in Senate District 26. Parry beat out DFL-endorsed Jason Engbrecht and Independence Party candidate Roy Srp to keep the Senate seat in GOP control. Parry will now fill the remaining 11 months of former State Senator Dick Day’s term. Day had represented the District in the Senate for 20 years, but recently stepped down to become a lobbyist. Parry is expected to be sworn in as soon as the State Canvassing Board meets to certify the results on February 1.

Mike Parry received 43 percent of the vote to Democrat Jason Engbrecht’s 36.5 percent, and Independent Roy Srp’s 20 percent. Watch for these candidates to make a second run at the office in the fall.

Bonding this Session

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:19:47 -0600

Earlier this year the Jobs Task Force was assembled for the purpose of finding new ways to attract and build jobs across the state. The House Jobs Task Force met early this week, before the forecast was released, but they did not need a forecast to know that a much larger than normal percentage of Minnesotans are unemployed. One way that this can be achieved is by preparing and passing a bonding bill early in the 2010 session.

While the Governor and the Legislature can agree on that they need to work together on a bill they are still working on what size the bill should be. As the debate continues, legislators received an update on the state’s new debt service guidelines. Historically the state has had a practice of limiting debt service to three percent of General Fund spending. It is unclear if the new guidelines will be enough to fund a large group of bonding projects that are expected to put people to work this spring.

Changes to the debt guidelines could impact the state’s credit rating. Currently, Minnesota is one of only nine states with a AAA rating from Standard & Poor’s. The new guidelines are expected to be released in the next few weeks.

Congress 2010

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:19:23 -0600

Just as the 2010 Governor’s race has a growing list of candidates, candidates for U.S. Congress have been stepping forward over the last couple of weeks to challenge incumbents. Here is where each Congressional District stands:

CD 1
Incumbent: Tim Walz (D)
Randy Demmer (R)
Jim Hagedorn (R)
Allen Quist (R)

CD 2
Incumbent: John Kline (R)
Dan Powers (D)

CD 3
Incumbent: Erik Paulsen (R)
Maureen Hackett (D)
Jim Meffert (D)

CD 4
Incumbent: Betty McCollum (D)
Ed Matthews (R)

CD 5
Incumbent: Keith Ellison (D)
Lynne Torgerson (I)
Barb Davis White (R)

CD 6
Incumbent: Michelle Bachmann (R)
Chris Johnson (R)
Tarryl Clark (D)
Maureen Reed (D)

CD 7
Incumbent: Collin Peterson (D)

CD 8
Incumbent: Jim Oberstar (D)
Mike Cummings (R)
Justin Eichorn (R)

2010 Gubernatorial Update

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:20:06 -0600

In a not so far off future, Minnesotans will be electing a new Governor in 2010. This election cycle, voters will choose from a long list of candidates. While some names are familiar to political wonks around the Capitol, there are some names that many might not know. Below is a list of the current field. However, the media is speculating that Norm Coleman could join the field soon.

Pat Anderson (R)

Leslie Davis (R)

Tom Emmer (R)

Susan Gaertner (D)

David Hann (R)

Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D)

John Marty (D)

R.T. Rybak (D)

Paul Thissen (D)
Tom Bakk (D)

Mark Dayton (D)

Matt Entenza (D)

Bill Haas (R)

Phil Herwig (R)

Steve Kelley (D)

Tom Rukavina (D)

Marty Seifert (R)

State Budget Forecast

Mon, 07 Dec 2009 13:18:17 -0600

This week, the Department of Management and Budget (MMB) released the November budget forecast which showed a $1.2 billion deficit in the current biennium (FY 2010-2011), with a projected $5.4 billion shortfall in FY 2012-2013. State Economist Tom Stinson said that deficit is due in part to a still struggling economy and lower than expected tax collections. See the full report from MMB.

In February, officials forecast lower unemployment numbers and higher wages, but the real numbers in November showed higher unemployment and lower wages than projected. While no plan has been presented, unallotment I son the mind of everyone at the Capitol.

After the release of the forecast was presented, the governor and legislative leaders held news conferences where they each suggested what they could do differently to solve the issues. However, it is hoped that leaders will work in a bipartisan effort to solve the deficit this time in contrast to the impasse during the last session.

The House Ways and Means Committee along with House Finance Committee have already committed to seeking a bipartisan solution and are seeking cooperation from the governor. While session does not officially start until February 4, 2010, legislators have already begun working on this problem with a focus on job creation.

Governor or Bust

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:04:08 -0500

Whoever said 2009 would be an off year for elections certainly has not lived in Minnesota. Just over 100 days removed from the end of the 2008 U.S. Senate election, Minnesota’s candidates for governor are now making all the noise. With the election more than a year away, candidates have been traveling the state vigorously seeking endorsements, talking with voters, and raising money for 2010. Candidates stumped at a variety of speaking engagements — from hunger and poverty to a business partnership meeting as well as others — across the metro and rural Minnesota.

While some are out traveling just to see what kind of support they may have, some have gone “all in.” House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D-Minneapolis) announced on Monday that she will not seek re-election to her District 60A House seat, stating that she wanted to show Minnesotans that she is committed and is focused on leading the state. Following suit, Rep. Marty Seifert (R-Marshall), who has been a front-runner among Republicans, announced Thursday that he will not seek re-election to his House seat in District 21A. No matter what happens in the 2010 election, it has already had a big effect on the House leadership.

All current legislators seeking the Governor’s office in 2010 will have until the middle of June (when the 2010 filing period ends) to declare their political intentions. Unlike some states, under Minnesota law a candidate cannot run for two separate offices at the same time.

October Economic Update

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:03:43 -0500

The Minnesota Management and Budget office released the October Economic Forecast report on Oct. 12. The big highlight is that the nation’s longest and deepest recession since World War II has come to an end. However, while that news is promising, the report notes that job growth will be slow and challenging over the next couple of years. It is expected that payroll employment will not reach pre-recession levels until 2012. Combined with lower than expected general fund revenues and under-performing tax receipts, it looks as if the state will begin FY2010 with $142 million less than projected.

To see the full October Economic Update click here.

Stimulus Update

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:03:13 -0500

This week, some of the first federal stimulus figures were released from state finance officials describing where Minnesota sits financially due to stimulus dollars. Roughly 11,800 jobs were supported with stimulus dollars through the end of September. Of the $4.7 billion that the state is expected to receive from the American Recovery Investment Act (ARRA), Minnesota has spent $1.6 billion through September.

Some of this money has gone to transportation projects, weatherizing homes, as well as repairing and building new facilities across the state. This was the first update required by ARRA; the next reporting period will be at the end of January.

A copy of the report and information on all stimulus projects can be found by clicking here..

Governor Pawlenty on Healthcare

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 15:04:33 -0500

This week, Governor Tim Pawlenty announced a package of health care reform initiatives that he would like addressed during the 2010 legislative session. Pawlenty believes his initiatives will create more choices and competition within the health care system. His three key initiatives are:

Allow Minnesotans to purchase health insurance from other states,

Require MinnesotaCare and Medical Assistance to price health care services based on quality and cost, and

Include consumer-driven incentives in MinnesotaCare.

Gov. Pawlenty’s first initiative – allowing Minnesotans to purchase health insurance from other states – would make Minnesota the only state in the nation that allows this practice. A couple of items would need to be addressed for this change to occur. The first and biggest item is changing current law which prohibits out-of-state insurers from selling plans in Minnesota that do not conform with state insurance policy requirements. It will be difficult to find the votes in the DFL-dominated House and Senate to pass this initiative. DFLers may see this reform as a building block for Pawlenty’s post-gubernatorial plans and could let it die in committee while Congress continues to work on federal health care reform.

To see details and the news release from Governor Pawlenty on his health care reform initiatives, please click here

Local Legislator Picked to Lead White House Working Group

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:01:46 -0500

Representative Jeremy Kalin (D-North Branch) has been selected by the White House to lead a working group of 40 state lawmakers from across the country on energy and climate change issues. Rep. Kalin, who is serving his second term in the House of Representatives, has been a leader on energy and green job issues. A role of the working group members will be to focus on plans that create clean energy jobs and develop a plan for cutting the country’s dependence on foreign fuels.

Slow Recovery on the Way

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:01:28 -0500

Last week, the newly formed House Jobs Task Force held its first meeting since being assembled this summer. Being assigned the task of determining how state government can create and retain jobs in Minnesota, members received a general overview of Minnesota’s economy and its workforce. On hand were State Economist Tom Stinson and State Demographer Tom Gillaspy. Both shared some promising and sobering news about where the state is headed regarding its workforce.

One of the highlights of the meeting for members was news that Minnesota has almost certainly emerged from the recession and that the state will begin to see an economic upswing. However, members were warned of a few key factors that could stretch the upswing out for up to four years. Minnesota has an aging workforce that will need more replacement workers before it can grow. Legislators were also told that maybe a tax of a few cents here or a few cents there will not do much to break or build the state’s fiscal condition.

Legislators were left with key advice to prepare for the future and develop a plan that will build today’s youth through education and strengthen the future workforce. In addition to preparing for the future, it was suggested they pass a bonding bill early in 2010 to put people to work. The next task force meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27.

Minnesota’s Financial Challenge

Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:01:08 -0500

This week, DFL members of the Minnesota Budget Trends Study Commission held a press conference where they stated that Minnesota cannot grow its way out of the current financial challenge as it has in the past. Relying on tri-partisan experience and recommendations from former legislators, as well as past and current staff, the commission noted that expenditures will continue to significantly exceed revenue within the state.

Citing unsustainable tax cuts, an aging and diverse population, rising healthcare costs and an underperforming economy, members called for decisive leadership action to restore and sustain Minnesota’s competiveness locally and globally. However, the Minnesota Budget Trends Study Commission has had a hard time getting Governor Tim Pawlenty to engage in conversation on this issue. While much can change before the start of session in February, one could possibly use this as a litmus test for how the session could run between the DFL-controlled legislature and Governor Pawlenty, who is entering his final year as governor.

Campaign Refund Program

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:31:36 -0500

Minnesota campaign donors have less than a week to claim their $50 refund through the state’s Political Contribution Refund program. The program will disappear effective July 1, 2009, as part of Governor Pawlenty’s plan to balance the budget. The program, which allows voters to make one donation up to $50 (or up to $100 for married couples) for a candidate and then reclaim their donation once a year has been in existence since 1991. While both Republicans and Democrats have benefitted from the program, it is unclear if either side will fight to save it or restore it at a future time.

For more info on this program and deadlines, please visit the Political Contribution Refund website.

Effective July 1

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:31:03 -0500

On July 1, 2009, not only will the state begin its new two-year fiscal budget but a series of new laws will go into effect. These new laws are the result of bills being passed during this year’s session. Here are a few that will take effect on July 1:

Motor vehicle restraint required for child passengers under the age of eight and shorter than four feet nine inches.

Parental fees modified for services for persons with developmental disabilities.

See a list of all bills that were passed and the effective dates

Unallotment Continued…

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:30:19 -0500

With just under a week left until Governor Pawlenty assumes authority to balance the budget on his own, his cabinet members are still working to crunch numbers. After announcing the details of his plan to balance the budget through executive action last week, it has been a busy week as staff and legislators have been working hard to get an understanding on just what these cuts could mean to constituents.

The Legislative Advisory Commission held its first meeting last Thursday to discuss the unallotment process. Legislative leaders and committee chairs sounded off on the process and raised questions about the legality of the unallotment process and made cases for what was scheduled to be unalloted.

While the room was full of interested parties and legislators, it is unclear what effect the LAC had on the process. However, the media is reporting that some changes could be announced this week as to what programs will be cut or unalloted. While the Governor and his staff continue to work out the final details of the unallotment process to balance the state’s budget on July 1, their work might just be beginning. Over the past week, legislators and special interest groups have been pushing back on Governor Pawlenty’s plan to unallot and have been questioning his legal and constitutional authority throughout this process. While no group has filed suit yet over the process, many have announced that they are exploring their options and consulting attorneys.

On Tuesday, June 30, the Legislative Advisory Commission will meet again to discuss Gov. Pawlenty’s unallotment plan at 10 am in Room 15 of the State Capitol. This meeting will take place just one day before Gov. Pawlenty has the authority to unallot.

Zellers elected House Minority Leader

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:29:56 -0500

On Tuesday night, June 23, Minnesota House Republicans elected Representative Kurt Zellers of Maple Grove to be their next House Minority Leader. The post, which was previously held by Rep. Marty Seifert of Marshall for the last three sessions, opened when Seifert announced earlier this month that he was stepping down to explore a run for Governor in 2010. Zellers, who defeated Rep. Randy Demmer in four ballots, won with nearly 70 percent of the caucus’ 47 votes.

Zellers is currently serving his fourth term and was first elected in 2003 as part of a special election to fill former Rep. Rich Stanek’s seat. In that time, he has served as the Republican lead on the Commerce and Labor committee, as well as serving on committees dealing with taxes and transportation. Before serving in the Minnesota House, Zellers worked on a series of state and national campaigns for politicians such as Rod Grams and Norm Coleman.

As part of Minority Leader Zellers’s new role as the voice for House Republicans, Zellers will spend much of this summer preparing for the 2010 elections as all house seats are up for elections, including candidate recruitment and fundraising.

Pawlenty to Announce Re-Election Decision Soon

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:12:06 -0500

Governor Tim Pawlenty is expected to announce his decision on whether or not he will seek re-election to a third term sometime this summer. The Governor told Minnesota Public Radio in an interview today (May 28) that his decision will be based in part on whether he feels he still has something to offer, along with family and career considerations.

Pawlenty Taps DeLaForest for Director Role

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:11:38 -0500

On May 22, Governor Pawlenty announced that former State Representative Chris DeLaForest will join his staff as his new Director of Legislative and Cabinet Affairs beginning on June 22, 2009. DeLaForest served in the Minnesota House for three terms from 2003 to 2009, representing District 49A. DeLaForest will replace Laura Bordelon, who is leaving the Governor’s office to pursue a position with Medtronic.

Unallotment Plans to Begin Taking Shape

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:11:14 -0500

Toward the end of session, Governor Pawlenty said that if a final deal could not be reached with the legislature to balance the budget by the required adjournment date, he would not call a special session and would use his authority to unallotment to balance the budget. The Governor has been meeting with his commissioners over the last week to come up with a plan. It is expected that unallotments will be announced in mid-June, totaling about $900 million for FY10-11. The rest of the shortfall is likely to be made up with a mirroring of the K-12 payment shift, through delayed payments, proposed by the House during the 2009 session.

Once the unallotments are determined, the Commissioner of Finance is required by law to present the unallotment plans to the Legislative Advisory Commission (LAC), which is composed of the Speaker of the House, the Majority Leader of the Senate, the House Ways and Means Chair, the Senate Finance Chair, and other committee chairs impacted by the recommendation. The LAC has no authority to vote or take action on the recommendations.

In addition to his commissioners and a variety of interest groups, Governor Pawlenty has asked the public to provide input on where to make reductions to balance the budget by emailing ideas to: budgetideas@state.mn.us.

Vetoes, Vetoes and more Vetoes

Thu, 28 May 2009 15:10:17 -0500

This past week, Governor Tim Pawlenty finished up work on bills that were presented to him in the final hours of the 2009 session. As the Minnesota Constitution states, the Governor has only three days to either sign or veto bills that are presented to him in the last three days of session in the odd-numbered year, compared to the fourteen days that are granted after final adjournment of session.

With more than 60 bills hitting his desk from the final hours of session, Gov. Pawlenty has had a busy week as he acted on these bills. Since the end of session he has vetoed 18 bills, bringing his 2009 total to 30 vetoes. Here is a brief list of some of the bills that have been vetoed recently:

HF 2323: Omnibus tax bill

SF 97: Medical use of Marijuana

SF 971: School harassment, bullying, intimidation, hazing and violence policy clarification

SF 1331: Omnibus elections bill

To see all of the bills that have been signed or vetoed, visit Gov. Pawlenty’s Bill Log by clicking here.

While Gov. Pawlenty wrote the record book last session with the most vetoes in a session (34), he is still far from approaching one record by the end of his second term: most vetoes by a governor. That mark is held by former Governor Arne Carlson, who had 179 vetoes in his eight years as governor. Currently Governor Pawlenty sits at 101 vetoes. This is how they have broken down over his seven years in office:

2009- 30*

2008- 34*

2007- 20*

2006- 3

2005- 6

2004- 5

2003- 3

* - DFL Controlled House and Senate

Ewald at the Capitol – 2009 Session Wrap Up

Wed, 20 May 2009 10:18:27 -0500

The 2009 legislative session came to an end on Monday night, when the House and Senate adjourned at midnight after concluding their work of the last five months. In a period of time that will be remembered mostly for the economic downturn and record deficit, legislators continued to push through and finish work right up to the last minute. When legislators won election in November, no one knew for sure what awaited them when they arrived in St. Paul in January. As the budget forecasts began to come in early in the session, reality began to set in that projects and programs might be at risk if new money could not be found to support them.

Thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the state was able to receive federal stimulus dollars to help build new roads and bridges, as well as to fund schools, some human services, and communities. While the funding was helpful, it was not enough to close the $6.4 billion dollar deficit that the state faced. Over the course of session, some hard decisions were made on what to fund and what to cut. Some of the first hard choices came when Governor Pawlenty had to made unallotment decisions right before the start of session.

Governor’s Next Step

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:55:15 -0500

A large number of bills hit the Governor’s desk in the final few days, so Gov. Pawlenty will have to make decisions on which bills he signs into law, which bills he line-item vetoes, and which ones he vetoes completely.

By law, a governor usually has three days to decide on his course of action or the bill becomes law. Since so many bills make their way to him in the final hours of session, there is a provision in the Minnesota Constitution that allows a governor 14 days to take action. While legislators will wait along with the public to see what action is taken on bills, you can track their status online or even read the veto messages that Governor Pawlenty sends out. This can all be found online at http://www.governor.state.mn.us/priorities/legislation/index.htm

Look for EAC updates over the next few weeks as bills become signed or vetoed.

Mark Your Calendar

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:54:22 -0500

Before legislators adjourned on Monday night, they were already looking forward to next session as each body adopted a resolution to start the 2010 legislative session on February 4, 2010 at noon. While one session has just ended, it is never too early to be planning for the next.

Their Take

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:54:02 -0500

Just hours after session ended, as the lobbyists have headed home and staff are beginning to think about summer plans, legislative leaders are planning their next moves. Leaders are delivering their message statewide via the media today on how session went, what still needs to be done, and where the state is now.

Health and Human Services

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:53:43 -0500

Gov. Pawlenty signed an HHS omnibus spending bill that cuts more than half a billion dollars from health and human services program and line-item vetoed the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program, which serves indigent Minnesotans, starting in fiscal year 2011. The line-item veto cut nearly $400 million from the budget. It is anticipated that if and when Gov. Pawlenty makes unallotment cuts, many will be in the area of HHS.

E-12 Education

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:53:24 -0500

The E-12 Budget bill was signed by the Governor on May 16. This bill did not include the school payment shifts to help address the budget deficit and did not include any cuts to early childhood or K-12 education.

Although he signed the bill, Pawlenty stated that he was disappointed that several of his reform provisions were not included: QComp, alternative pathways for teachers, and long term solution to the math graduation test. Pawlenty did not line-item veto any funding provisions in the E-12 bill.

Dedicated Funding

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:53:00 -0500

In what might be a bright spot for the 2009 session, legislators approved the Outdoor Cultural Heritage bill on Monday night with overwhelming support. The dedicated funding arose due to the 2008 voter approval of a constitutional amendment that raises the sales tax 3/8ths of one percent for the next 25 years, with the proceeds dedicated to the outdoors, cultural heritage, and the arts. The tax is expected to raise more than $230 million in the next year.

Last Minute Bills

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:52:39 -0500

As with every session, a large number of bills get taken up in the last few hours of session. This year was no different. Among the important bills taken up on the floor for debate on Monday, May 18, were bills for medical marijuana and a primary seat belt law. While the primary seat belt bill had been in the Legislature for some time, legislators were ready to pass it off to the Governor after working the language into agreeable shape. The votes for and against were bipartisan; Gov. Pawlenty is expected to sign the bill.

There was more controversy as legislators debated whether to permit the use of medicinal marijuana for terminally ill patients. Much like the seat belt bill, the bill passed the House on a 70-64, bipartisan vote. The bill passed the Senate, 38-28. Gov. Pawlenty has said that he may veto the bill, but some are optimistic it could stand. Only time will tell.

Vetoes Sustained

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:52:16 -0500

On Sunday, the House attempted to override two of Governor Pawlenty’s vetoes from the prior week relating to Health and Human Services and Taxes. Legislators were greeted at a rare Sunday session by a large group of supporters calling for an override of both vetoes. The first attempt came when the body took up the line item veto of HF 1362, which cut $381 million from GMAC. As legislators stood up to talk about the people who would be affected by this veto, the speeches got emotional and the debate became serious. When a vote was finally taken on overturning the veto, the veto was sustained on a party-line vote of 87-47, falling short of the 90 votes needed to override.

Immediately after the first attempt, HF 885 (a tax bill that would have created a new revenue stream of $1 billion for the state) was called up for an override attempt. After three hours of debate on the bill and with tensions running high, the attempt to override the veto failed on an 85-49 vote. Republicans stuck by Governor Pawlenty’s pledge that there would be no new taxes this session.

No Deal Reached

Tue, 19 May 2009 17:51:33 -0500

After a week of on-and-off-again negotiations between the DFL and Governor Pawlenty and the clock ticking down toward adjournment, the sides were not able to come to an agreement on how to balance the budget. The major sticking point was taxes. From day one, Governor Pawlenty said that he would not support new taxes and that legislators would have to cut back on spending to balance the budget. However, DFLers argued that the state needs a new revenue source to bring back stability to the budget. While they had five months to work on this position, no progress could be made.

Story Continues

Final Days of Session

Fri, 15 May 2009 16:19:20 -0500

Like any great game of cards, the winner is usually determined by how well they play the cards they are dealt. On Thursday, Governor Tim Pawlenty went all-in with the cards that were given to him by the Legislature. After a series of bills were sent to him this week — ranging from Health and Human Services to Economic Development — Gov. Pawlenty held a press conference to lay out his plan to bring the session to an end on time and balancing the budget on his own.

At his Thursday news conference he promised that “there will be no special session, there will be no government shutdown.” While still hoping that an agreement will be negotiated between himself and the Legislature before the Monday end of session, Gov. Pawlenty stands prepared to act upon his promise. To achieve his promise, Pawlenty said that he would use his veto pen, suspend payments, and unallot to trim the two-year budget down to $31 billion, if a deal is not reached. Measures such as payment suspensions or unallotment could begin on July 1, 2009.

The move caught DFL Legislators off guard, who fired back at Gov. Pawlenty saying that he has been unwilling to budge on any of his positions since January, when he released his proposed budget. As they were still trying to get a grasp of what his plan meant for their budget process, DFLers also had to deal with line-item veto’s of $381 million from the Health and Human Services bill, which would eliminate General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC).

To see a copy of the letter that Governor Tim Pawlenty sent to Speaker Kelliher explaining why he line item vetoed the bill click here.

This Week’s Bill Signings

Fri, 01 May 2009 16:25:25 -0500

For the week of April 27-May 1, Governor Pawlenty signed the following bills into law:

HF 332: Transfer on death deeds modifications.

HF 525: DWI ignition interlock device pilot program expansion.

SF 1183: Trunk highway system routes removed.

HF 2040: Shared work plan establishment.

HF 782: Shaken baby syndrome training programs modifications.

HF 1048: Workforce Investment in Regional Economic Development program development.

a href="http://www.governor.state.mn.us/priorities/legislation/index.htm">See all the bills that Governor Pawlenty has signed or vetoed this session.

House Keeps Moratorium on Nuclear Power

Fri, 01 May 2009 16:24:36 -0500

On April 30, the House took up for debate the Omnibus Energy Policy bill, passing the bill on a 100-32 vote. One major issue that came up during the debate was an amendment that would lift a 15-year ban on the building of new nuclear power plants. Just a month ago, the Senate surprisingly voted to lift the ban — but unfortunately for those who support the measure, the Senate’s momentum was not enough to gain support in the House. Failing on a 72-60 vote, the amendment offered by DFLer Tim Faust (Mora) showed that support for lifting the moratorium breaks across party lines.

Budget Comparisons and Negotiations

Fri, 01 May 2009 16:24:11 -0500

After a request by DFL Leadership to hold budget negotiations in a public forum that is open and transparent, work has begun between the House, Senate, and Governor reach a 2010-2011 biennial budget agreement. Governor Pawlenty has been absent from the discussions and Tom Hanson, his Finance Commissioner, has served as chief negotiator for the Administration. There has been much posturing for position in these meetings. However, while each party is flexing its muscles, it all seems to be part of the process as they all jockey for that negotiating edge.

Additionally, all three sides seem to be having a hard time understanding where each side is getting its fiscal numbers. Staff worked through side-by-side comparisons of each worksheet. However, while the first few meetings have been rough and each side has aired its opinions, it seems that progress is being made. A few rumors have circulated that some agreements are being made.

While the Governor has not attended the Legislative Planning meetings, he has been meeting behind closed doors with DFL leaders and they indicated that they are close to agreements on five omnibus bills that could be sent to his desk by the middle of next week.

Conferees Named

Fri, 01 May 2009 16:23:37 -0500

After a busy two weeks of floor action in both the Senate and House, conferees on a large number of bills have begun negotiations trying to find middle ground between Senate and House bills. With some committees already putting in some long hours the last two nights, progress is being made as both sides work together to bring session to a close and get bills to the Governor with time to spare. However, with a conference committee deadline looming, some legislators might be in for another long weekend after last weekend’s floor sessions.

Speaker Margaret Kelliher and Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller have set a Saturday night deadline (May 2) for four omnibus committees to reach agreement on their bills. They hope that they can then take these bills up for a vote on Monday, May 4. Along with the Saturday night deadline, the two have set a Thursday night (May 7) deadline for all conference committees to finish their work.

View a list of all conference committee conferees

The bills have been approved by committees in both the House and Senate; the Senate Tax bill is being debated on the floor today (Friday) and the House plans to take up its version of the bill on Saturday. The two bills will be negotiated in a conference committee over the next two weeks. The Governor continues to say he opposes increases in taxes and favors additional reductions in aid to local government.

Follow us On Twitter

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:06:55 -0500

Looking to get your daily fix of Capitol action as the Legislature enters the final three weeks? If so, follow our live updates on Twitter as we blog about the day’s happenings. If you are interested in following us, and have a Twitter account, click on the following link www.twitter.com/EwaldCapitol. If you haven’t signed up yet for Twitter, we recommend that you do.

Your Next Senator

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:06:30 -0500

What fun would an update be without an update on Minnesota’s ongoing U.S. Senate contest? Today (Friday) the Minnesota Supreme Court set its schedule for hearing Norm Coleman’s appeal of the election contest ruling. Arguments on the case will begin June 1, 2009. To see the court’s entire schedule for the case please click here.

Health and Human Services Omnibus Budget Bills Released

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:06:03 -0500

The last of the omnibus spending bills to be released was the Senate Health and Human Services (HHS) Omnibus Spending bill (SF 695). Senate HHS budget committee Chair, Sen. Linda Berglin, released her HHS omnibus spending bill Friday morning, proposing well over $600 million dollars in cuts to HHS services. Similar to the House bill released earlier this week, there are cuts to services, largely in the range of 3 percent.

The Senate HHS omnibus spending bill will be heard in the Senate Finance Committee Saturday, then move to the floor for a vote early next week. The House and Senate versions of the HHS spending bills will likely be up for floor votes after the weekend. Then the differences will have to be reconciled in a conference committee between the House and Senate. Then the bill goes to the Governor, who may be reluctant to sign, according to many Capitol insiders — because as currently drafted, the bills do not do enough to limit HHS spending.

The Senate HHS spending bill is not yet available online, but you can read the House HHS spending bill language and spread sheet.

Omnibus Bill Week

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:05:23 -0500

It was a busy week at the Capitol as each chamber worked late every night to pass the omnibus spending bills. In both the Senate and House, members moved at a blistering pace to meet final deadlines and get bills passed off the floor so that they can move to conference committee.

Once both bodies have passed corresponding bills, the bills then go to conference committees. These conferees are appointed by both the Senate and House to negotiate differences between the comparable Senate and House bills. After changes are agreed upon in conference committee, each bill goes back to each body for a vote. If both bodies pass the conference committee report, then it is sent to Governor Pawlenty who will sign or veto it. Read More

Tax Increases and Aid Cuts to Backfill the Budget Hole

Fri, 24 Apr 2009 15:04:36 -0500

Both the House and Senate came out with their Omnibus Tax Bills this week, and both bills include tax increases and reductions in some tax benefits. However, the bills are very different in the impact on people and in the complexity of the proposals. Highlights from each bill are as follows: Read More

Primary Seat Belt Bill Moves Forward

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:08:37 -0500

Year after year, there are controversial discussions over legislation that would allow police to stop vehicles solely for seat belt violations. After being defeated last year after a bipartisan effort, HF 108, introduced by Rep. Kim Norton (D-Rochester) would make seat belt violations a primary offense. Norton’s bill is moving forward in the House this year with a little more ease.

One possible reason for the bill moving forward is that the state could miss out on nearly $3.4 million in one-time federal funds if the bill is not signed into law by the end of June. Currently, about two dozen other states have primary seat belt laws with many more states looking at passing laws before the June 30 deadline. Governor Pawlenty has expressed his support for the bill.

Possible Rail Stimulus Money

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:07:50 -0500

In what could be one of the largest efforts to open the Midwest up to high-speed rail travel, Minnesota is making every effort to ensure that we don’t get left out in the cold. Governor Pawlenty sent a letter identifying transit plans already in progress that could match up. Pawlenty is partnering with other governors from around the Midwest seeking funds from the $8 billion that has been set aside by the Obama Administration for rail projects.

While such a project could be years off, legislators are already working on plans that could bring a high-speed rail line to Chicago through their communities. To date, efforts have been made to start studies that would explore routes along the Mississippi or through Rochester, making an important stop at the Mayo Clinic. No matter the route, Minnesotans are excited already about the possibility of high-speed rail becoming a reality.

E-licensing Changes in State Government Bills

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:07:21 -0500

Provisions contained within the State Government Omnibus Finance bills (HF 1781/SF 2082) would apply an e-licensing surcharge to many professions that are required to be licensed by the State. However, HF 1781 was amended over the last few days in committee, so that there will be a delay of one year in implementation of the e-licensing system surcharge. Many health-related licensees have objected to the levying of a six-year surcharge on licenses to fund an overall state government e-licensing system. The bill now goes to the House Ways and Means Committee for further hearing.

The Senate state government finance bill, SF 2082, was heard in the Senate State Government Budget committee, where amendments to the bill were accepted that would alleviate some concerns of licensed professions. These bills will receive continued attention and bill language will likely be amended again as they move through the process. The latest version of the House bill can be read here: https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=ceH1781.1.html&session=ls86

Tax Plans Debut Next Week

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:06:02 -0500

Two of the hardest working committees all session are the House and Senate tax committees. Both committees are scheduled to present the fruit of their labor when each unveils its tax bills next week. The House Taxes Committee, chaired by Rep. Ann Lenczewski (D-Bloomington), will roll out her bill on Monday. The bill – which will seek to increase revenue by $1.5 billion – could consider tax increases ranging from income taxes to cigarette or alcohol tax increases.

Senator Tom Bakk (D-Cook), who is chair of the Senate Taxes Committee, will unveil his $2.2 billion dollar proposal on Tuesday, which will look primarily at raising income taxes on a broad level. Sen. Bakk has said he wants to stay away from cigarette and sales tax increases.

Look for these bills to make their way to the floor for votes next week as another deadline looms.

Omnibus Bill Building Blocks

Fri, 17 Apr 2009 14:05:27 -0500

With just a month to go before the Legislature reaches the constitutional adjournment date, pieces of the puzzle are starting to come together as committees in the House and Senate have begun to unveil omnibus bills over the last two weeks. After months of testimony, hearings and discussion, committees have been coming forward with bills that outline their targets in an effort to balance the state’s books to eliminate the current deficit. Bills related to housing, health, state government, transportation and education were introduced and amended in committees this week. Next week, many of these bills will head to the House and Senate floors for votes. Once these bills make their way off the floor, they will move to conference committee where members will work to get House and Senate language to match up.

With just four weeks left in session, there already seems to be a play for power between the Governor and DFL Legislative leadership on just who might call the shots. Earlier this week, Governor Pawlenty said that he was worried that the omnibus bills might not make it to his desk until the last week of session. He added that such a scenario would not leave time to rework bills he vetoes. However, DFL leaders responded that they have plenty of time to finish their work, are ahead of schedule compared to previous years, and challenged the Governor to an open door process of debating these bills and their merits in public.

Look for an update next week, once conferees are announced on the omnibus bills.

Construction About to Begin

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:55:48 -0500

Minnesota road construction funded with federal stimulus dollars took another step forward this week. On Thursday, March 26, the House voted to give the go-ahead – by a 113-19 vote – to authorize the Minnesota Department of Transportation to spend nearly $600 million in stimulus funds. It is expected that the Senate could pass the legislation next week as well.

Round One: A Push

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:55:27 -0500

This week, DFL leaders and Governor Pawlenty met to take a first crack at budget negotiations surrounding the state’s $4.6 billion budget deficit. According to reports in the press and comments from participants, things did not go as well as one might hope. One large issue where the two sides seem to be on opposite sides is raising revenue. Currently, both DFL budget plans in the Senate and House call for raising revenue through unspecified tax plans. Governor Pawlenty calls for the use of one-time funds and spending cuts to solve the budget deficit.

With less than two months of session remaining, it is safe to say that these two sides will hold more closed-door meetings as session draws toward conclusion.

Nuclear Power Moratorium Holds

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:57:10 -0500

On Thursday evening, the House Energy Finance Policy committee voted to continue a current state law that prevents new nuclear power plants from being built in Minnesota. HF 1091, introduced by Rep. Tim Mahoney (D-St. Paul), received two days of hearings with much of the testimony coming from the public. The bill failed on a 9-12 vote. Continued

Today - First Deadline

Fri, 27 Mar 2009 15:53:35 -0500

Today is the first committee deadline of the session. All policy bills must have moved successfully through all necessary committees by the end of business today. Below is a reminder of the deadlines, along with some more information about the legislative process after deadlines. www.mmb.state.mn.us/tap..

Going the Distance

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:43:40 -0500

On Monday night, legislators, staff and members of the public went the distance for their projects as the House Cultural and Outdoors Resources Finance Committee went well into Tuesday morning. Public testimony was taken on how funds from last fall’s arts and outdoors amendment should be spent. As the night grew on, many citizens stayed late so they could speak in favor of their specific project and let members know why funding it is important to the state. Currently, rules have yet to be set up or specified on exactly how the funds will be disbursed.

Health Care Reform Announced

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:43:20 -0500

On Monday, chairs of both the Senate and House Health and Human Services committees and supporters of heath care reform announced a series of reform bills that are intended to lower health care costs and help balance the budget. These bills will cover everything from bulk purchasing of medical equipment to 24-hour emergency dental and mental health clinic settings. Rep. Tom Huntley (D-Duluth) mentioned that the current budget deficit shows a need to continue health reform efforts since current health care spending trends are unsustainable. Look for more bills to be introduced by Senator Linda Berglin (D-Minneapolis) and Rep. Huntley throughout session that focus on reforming both the health care system.

Shared Services Defeated

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:42:44 -0500

Senate File 10, the Shared Services bill which would require school districts to use shared services and make purchases through a cooperative purchasing venture, hit a road block this week when it failed to pass the full Senate. The bill, which has had mixed reviews from legislators and school districts, failed on a 31-33 vote on Monday. However, the bill might be called back up for a second vote soon.

Continued

Governor’s Budget 2.0

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:40:51 -0500

Earlier this week, Governor Tim Pawlenty unveiled a revised 2010-2011 biennial budget in response to the February forecast. The forecast showed an increase in the state’s deficit. His revised budget takes into account the one-time use of federal stimulus funds that the state will receive.

Here are a few highlights from the new proposal:
• Restores $304 million in proposed cuts to higher education.
• Provides an additional $10 million for operation of state courts.
• Increases by $27 million K-12 education funding beyond what was previously proposed.

See the entire budget proposed by Governor Pawlenty

House DFL Budget Targets

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 15:42:33 -0500

On Thursday, Speaker Margaret Kelliher (D-Minneapolis) and Majority Leader Tony Sertich (D-Chisholm), along with a dozen smiling faces from early childhood centers and college students, released the House DFL budget framework targets. A key message that the two party leaders stated is that the best thing the state can do during these economic hard times is to provide opportunities to allow Minnesotans to get back on their feet.

Continued

Rally for Support

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:22:28 -0500

This past week the State Capitol became meeting grounds for many state groups. More than 20 organizations participated in Mental Health Day at the Capitol on Tuesday. Faced with proposed budget cuts, participants held a rally in the Rotunda and shared their message with elected officials that now is not the time to cut services to people who have mental health needs.

While many groups will come to the Capitol this session and ask that they be spared budgets cuts, there are many more that will not. With legislators hearing from so many people on so many different issues, it reaffirms the importance to reach out and contact your legislators about issues of concern.
To find out who your legislators are,

Smaller Bonding Bill

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:19:06 -0500

Typically, bonding bills are addressed in even-numbered years (non-budget sessions). However, Senator Keith Langseth (D-Glyndon), chair of the Senate Capital Investment Committee, is working hard on a bonding bill that would appropriate $367 million for state and local capital improvements with the idea of creating jobs. The bill, SF 781, is comprised of a number of projects that have been left off previous bonding bills.

While opponents of the bill agree that the state needs to try to create more jobs at a time while unemployment continues to grow, they question whether the state should continue to acquire more debt as the deficit continues to grow. It is still unclear just how big a bill – or any bill at all – would gain Governor Pawlenty’s support. Legislators on both sides continue to fight to bring back bonding projects for their districts.

In the House, legislators are working on a companion bonding bill,

Senate DFL Budget Deficit Plan

Fri, 13 Mar 2009 15:14:38 -0500

On Thursday, March 12, Senate majority Democrats unveiled their proposed plan to fix the state’s $6.4 billion budget deficit. The plan, which calls for seven percent across-the-board cuts to state spending, would balance the state budget through 2013. While the plan calls for “shared sacrifice” as Senator Pogemiller phrased it, he said that by taking the sacrifices now in balancing the budget, Minnesota would more easily be able to invest in the future when the economy recovers.

In addition to cuts, the proposal also calls for $2 billion in new revenue. While it is unclear what these revenue sources might be, Sen. Tom Bakk (D-Cook), chair of the Senate Tax Committee, said that he has no plans to raise tobacco taxes, add a clothing tax, or tax accounting and legal services.

While Senate Republican Leaders, led by Minority Leader David Senjem (R-Rochester), thanked the DFL for finally releasing their budget plan, they were quite critical regarding the proposed cuts to K-12 education, public safety, and veterans. They were also concerned with the $2 billion in new revenue that the Democrats’ plan calls for in fiscal year 2010-2011.

Everyone still awaits Governor Pawlenty’s release of an updated budget proposal that would incorporate one-time stimulus funds. These funds were yet to be appropriated when the Governor put together his first proposed budget in January.

The House has yet to release its budget proposal. However, with deadlines coming up in the next few weeks it is expected that the House will release its targets very soon. It is still unclear how much they will resemble those of the Senate.

Upcoming Hearings of Interest

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:30:09 -0600

Next Monday at 1:15pm the Senate and House will hold a joint floor session in the House Chamber as the two bodies elect the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. Earlier this week, four finalists were selected from nine candidates.

Here are some interesting bills that will receive hearings next week in both the House and Senate: (Click on bills to read a full description)

-HF 195 Labor Day school start provision changes

-HF 464 Modifications to speed limits when passing a car

-HF 641 Creates the Office of Early Learning

-SF 298 Creates liability limits for owners of lost or stolen cell phones

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Governor’s Bill Log

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:20:45 -0600

A few weeks back in Ewald at the Capitol, we reported on the record-setting pace this session of bills being introduced in the Senate and House. Not much has changed since then. Currently, the Senate has 1240 bills introduced while the House has 1404. However, one key number sticks out when talking about bills and that number is five. So far to date Governor Pawlenty has only signed five bills into law.

While it is safe to say that more bills will be signed into law in the next two months, the governor’s bill pen has been pretty quiet along with his red veto pen thus far. To view Governor Pawlenty’s Bill Log, please click on this link www.governor.state.mn.us and then click on Bill Log on the left-hand side of the page.

$94 Million for Transportation on its way to Minnesota

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:20:00 -0600

This week, the Obama Administration announced that Minnesota will receive $94 million in federal stimulus money for public transportation projects. While no specifics have been announced on what the money will be used to fund, there is a growing list of projects that many groups and elected officials want funded across the state. Some of the projects include a high-speed commuter train to Chicago and light rail between St. Paul and Minneapolis — along with just repairing what we already have. Minnesota is receiving nearly $12 million more than our neighbors to the east.

Proposed Metro Casino

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:19:32 -0600

On Thursday, March 5, Representative Tom Hackbarth (R-Cedar) introduced House File 130,3 which proposes using revenue form a Twin Cities metro casino to finance what could be a new Vikings stadium. If approved this session, the bill would propose a constitutional amendment to voters in 2010, asking if revenues from a new casino should be used to finance a new stadium. However, while the bill is a unique way to look at the stadium funding debate, it could have an uphill battle just making its way out of the Capitol. Both Governor Pawlenty and Speaker Kelliher have said that they do not support gambling expansion projects.

Record Deficit Rears its Face

Fri, 06 Mar 2009 13:19:19 -0600

On Tuesday, officials from Minnesota’s Management and Budget office presented the February forecast. While the news was bleak, things could actually have been much, much worse. The state’s budget deficit of $4.57 billion dollars is the single largest deficit in state history. However, this is where things get better. The $4.57 billion could have actually been around $6.4 billion were it not for Minnesota’s share of federal stimulus funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which Congress passed last month.

State legislators now must begin the tough process of putting together the state’s budget for FY 2010-2011 while trying to figure out where to save $4.6 billion. If that already isn’t enough pressure, they also have to try and get it done before the May 18 constitutional adjournment deadline, or risk going into special session.

To view the February Forecast, please visit www.mmb.state.mn.us

The State Still Faces a Budget Deficit of Nearly $4.6 Billion

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:08:17 -0600

This morning, legislative leaders got a closer look at just how bad the expected $4.57 billion budget shortfall for FY 2010-2011 is due to the national recession. While this morning’s news was bad, the deficit was less than what was expected just over a month ago where figures had the deficit anywhere from $6-7 billion. Due to the state receiving federal stimulus money, the expected $4.57 billion deficit shortfall is $278 million less than what was forecast in November.

Governor Tim Pawlenty echoed much of what Commissioner Hanson shared with the press this morning by saying that “this is a challenging forecast in a challenging economy” and that forecasters now expect a longer and deeper recession than what was expected. Along with asking the Legislature to cut back on spending in these tough times, the Governor also said that the state needs to focus on creating an environment that will help grow jobs in Minnesota so that the state can rebound. It is expected that nearly 50,000 jobs could be saved in Minnesota over the next year due to federal stimulus funds but that it could take nearly two years of job growth to replace all that have been lost.

The next steps will now be for both the Senate and House to begin setting budget targets for committees so that they may begin to build a balanced budget that must be passed and presented to the Governor by the May 18th adjournment.

To see the Minnesota Management and Budget’s complete February Forecast as well as a summary of their finding please open the attached documents. For any other information regarding the February or November forecasts please visit Minnesota Management and Budget’s website at See a complete list of all approved projects

Projects in the Twin Cities metro area are expected to be announced in the next few weeks. Look for an update on those projects in Ewald at the Capitol.

Speaker Kelliher Attends Obama’s Speech to Congress

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:08:30 -0600

State House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (D-Minneapolis), a guest of Congressman Keith Ellison (D-5th District), attended President Obama’s first speech before the United States Congress on Tuesday night.

While in Washington, DC, Speaker Kelliher also took part in a series of meetings with members of Congress to discuss the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in hopes of gaining new details about the stimulus package and how the state can best be prepared to receive and compete for funds.

Next week

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:08:32 -0600

Next week, both the Senate and House will return to their full meeting schedules following the completion of the town hall meetings. To see the schedules in full detail visit both the Senate and House meeting webpages. As a reminder, both the Senate and House are in session on Mondays and Thursdays and are always open to the public.

Senate Meetings for February 22-28: Click Here

House Meetings for February 22-28: www.house.leg.state.mn.us/budgettownhallmeetings.asp to sign up online to ensure that you get to speak. A full schedule of meetings around that state can be found at the above link.

Monday, February 23
Woodbury: 6:00 p.m. at the Central Park Amphitheater, 8595 Central Park Place

Tuesday, February 24
Bloomington: 7:00 p.m. at Bloomington City Hall, 1800 W Old Shakopee Rd
Minneapolis: 6:00 p.m. at the Minneapolis Park Board, 2117 West River Road

Wednesday, February 25
Burnsville: 7:30 p.m. at Fairview Ridges Hospital, 201 E. Nicollet Blvd
White Bear Lake: 6:30 p.m. at White Bear Lake High School - South Campus, 3551 McKnight Rd N

Thursday, February 26
St. Paul: 6:00 p.m. at West Minnehaha Rec. Center in Frogtown, 685 Minnehaha Ave W
Plymouth: 7:00 p.m. at Plymouth City Hall, 3400 Plymouth Blvd.
Coon Rapids: 7:00 p.m. at Coon Rapids City Hall, 11155 Robinson Drive
Forest Lake: TBD

Nearly $3 Billion for Minnesota

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:08:42 -0600

Earlier today, the U.S. House passed the $787 billion stimulus bill and has sent it to the U.S. Senate; senators are expected to vote on the package later today. If the bill passes out of the Senate with the 60 votes required for passage, President Obama will sign it into law within the next few days. The funds appropriated in the stimulus package would start flowing to the states within a few weeks. Minnesota officials believe that the state could receive nearly $3 billion in stimulus money, along with additional money through a series of grants. A large portion of this $3 billion would be directed into the state budget which could help offset the current deficit, as well as funnel money into schools, health care, roads and bridges, and other areas.

Here is how Minnesota’s Congressional House Members voted:

Voting Yes:
Rep. Tim Walz (D), Rep. Betty McCollum (D), Rep. Keith Ellison (D), Rep. Jim Oberstar (D)

Voting No:
Rep. John Kline (R), Rep. Erik Paulsen (R), Rep. Michele Bachmann (R), Rep. Collin Peterson (D)

Secretary of State’s 2009 Legislative Agenda

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:08:44 -0600

Earlier this week, Secretary of State Mark Ritchie held a press conference to announce the 2009 Legislative Agenda for his office. Joined by county and local election officials, Ritchie proposed legislation to enhance three core areas of election administration. Secretary Ritchie would like to improve voter registration, absentee ballot voting, and the administration of recounts.

While it has been an extremely busy year for Secretary Ritchie’s office with recounts and record voter turnouts, the Secretary’s office has been traveling the state listening to voters and election officials on what works and what does not work. Many of the changes they are proposing for 2009 are the result of public input as well as the experiences of the office. To view the Secretary of State’s entire Legislative Agenda click on the following link:
< a href="http://www.sos.state.mn.us/docs/2009_legislative_proposal_fact_sheet.pdf">www.sos.state.mn.us/docs/2009_legislative_proposal_fact_sheet.pdf

Voter ID Bill

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:08:46 -0600

On Thursday, Feb. 12, the House State and Local Government Operations Reform, Technology and Elections Committee, chaired by Representative Gene Pelowski (D-Winona), defeated HF 57 on an 11-8 vote. HF 57 would require voters to show a photo ID before casting a ballot. HF 57 author Representative Tom Emmer (R-Delano) argued to the committee that his bill was a reasonable step toward improving the integrity of the election system by preventing voter fraud.

Opponents of the bill noted that voter fraud is “statistically insignificant” and does not play a role in the outcome of elections in Minnesota. Many committee members were worried that if the bill were to pass, it could place an undue burden on voters in the future by requiring voters who do not have a photo ID to acquire one. A companion bill in the Senate, SF 146, still awaits a hearing in the Senate State and Local Government Operations and Oversight Committee.

Budget Shortfall

Tue, 03 Mar 2009 16:08:48 -0600

With the state already facing a projected budget deficit of nearly $5 billion, the state’s latest economic trends indicate that incoming tax revenues continue to fall short of expectations. However, while projections are lower than expected, officials from the Department of Management and Budget urged caution in interpreting revenue variances from the forecast, citing that figures are subject to revision. As legislators and the administration continue to work on solving the budget deficit, they will receive a precise dollar amount they must use in their budget calculations when the February forecast is released on March 3.