Of course, budget deficits dominated discussions at the Capitol.  Faced with a $6.4 billion deficit in 2009 and a subsequent $3 billion deficit in 2010, I worked to equitably balance the budget, implement reforms, control spending, and bring much-needed revenue into Minnesota.   Cuts were made to most areas of the budget, including deep reductions in health and human services and higher education.  I argued for fairer state taxes on wealthier Minnesotans rather than increased property taxes to fund the most basic of services: police and fire, roads and bridges, and K-12 education.   I also did not just talk about reforming government; I authored and passed several laws that will change the way we do business as a state.

The next legislative session will be even more challenging.  It is clear that our current path — eight years of ideological politics, slashed programs and higher property taxes, and an unwillingness to fundamentally change how we do the business of government — is unsustainable.  I look forward to continuing to work in partnership with you to bring smart and practical new ideas forward – and actually implement them into law.

Thank you for your commitment to Minnesota and for contacting my office with your opinions, thoughts, and concerns.  I am proud to represent Richfield and south Minneapolis in the Minnesota House of Representatives and look forward to continuing to serve district 63A.  I hope to see many of you during the upcoming months.

Setting aside all the spin, this is the stark reality:  The stalemate at the Capitol reflects a deep disagreement over our basic values and the direction of our state.  Are we better off to let every person fend for himself or do we owe each other an obligation to reach out in times of need?  Do community institutions matter enough to invest in or do we measure their value only in terms of what each of us gains from them as individuals?

If you agree with me that community does matter. . .   If you agree with me that Minnesota is great because of our belief that everyone have an opportunity to share in prosperity. . .   If you agree with me that our success should be measured not only against our tax ranking, but also by our commitment to social justice and quality of life . . .  please get involved in my campaign for Governor today.  CLICK HERE!

The truth is that together we can move Minnesota forward to a better future — and I worked hard this session to make that better future a reality.

More Kids Can See a Doctor: My several year effort to extend health coverage to Minnesota’s kids continued to meet success.  Despite warnings that it could not be done in a deficit year, we removed bureaucratic barriers to coverage for kids in families living on $3,000 a month or less.  The result is an additional 20,000 Minnesota kids receiving the health care they need to succeed.

Innovation in Government: I worked hard to pass two important initiatives to change the way our state does business.  The first demands more cooperation among our 87 counties to allow for greater efficiency and innovation.   The second initiative — Community Solutions Grants – encourages our non-profit partners to adopt an entrepreneurial approach to social challenges. The fund will reward those programs that can take small, innovative ideas statewide and that have a plan to become self-sustaining without the need for continued government support.

Planning for the Age Wave: With the huge baby boom generation beginning to retire, we must take action or the demands of an aging population for different types of housing, transportation and health care will overwhelm us.  My “Communities for a Lifetime” bill builds on legislation I passed in 2008 to assist municipalities throughout the state in helping their older residents stay active and engaged.

New Energy Solutions: Minnesota has made important progress to prepare for a new energy future, but with too little attention to thermal energy – the energy we use to heat our homes and offices.  This year, I passed legislation to make the production of thermal energy from renewable resources – solar, biomass and others – a priority for Minnesota.

Protecting Vulnerable Minnesotans: I am proud to have passed legislation that tightens Minnesota’s standards for guardians and conservators and reforms Minnesota’s largely unregulated system charged with safeguarding the lives and assets of citizens deemed unable to make their own decisions.  The law now clearly sets out a 15-point bill of rights for wards and protected persons.

If these are the same priorities you share — caring for the elderly, promoting the health of youth, taking our energy challenges head on, government  innovation — then you know why I’m running for Governor.

Join our effort today to put Minnesota’s values first.  Please visit www.paulthissen.com to learn more.

I am most proud of my work as one of the chief architects of comprehensive health care reform; an effort the Star Tribune labeled the “prize” of the session. The legislation takes important steps to make high quality health care affordable to more Minnesotans. In addition, as a result of our work over the last two years, 100,000 more Minnesotans have health coverage.

The legislature also provided more money to our schools. Property taxes will be held down by expanding state aid to cities and counties and by expanding our program to provide direct relief to homeowners whose property taxes increased substantially. We set aside land for our first new state park in decades near Lake Vermillion.

We passed a historic transportation package that will add much needed dollars to our stressed highway system. And with the approval of funding for the Central Corridor rail line connecting Minneapolis and St. Paul, the long-term vision of an interconnected transit network throughout the metropolitan area took a major step forward.

Finally, the legislature balanced a nearly $1 billion deficit for the coming year. (Of course, serious work and perhaps serious trouble remain brewing in 2009 when we face another deficit that may exceed a billion dollars.)

In addition to that work, I was pleased to Chief Authored other important legislation that became law. The Abigail Taylor Pool Safety Act strengthens and broadens Minnesota’s pool safety regulations to make sure all public pools in the state are designed to avoid serious injuries and death. The bonding bill included funding for Richfield’s All Veterans Memorial. I am very much looking forward to the unveiling during the 4th of July festivities in Veterans Park.

All in all, it was a productive session that should set DFLers up well for big victories in the 2008 elections. Of course, we cannot make that happen without your help. Please volunteer when called, make a contribution if you can and actively support DFL candidates up and down the ballot. What we do in Minneapolis and Richfield to turn out in large numbers on election day will be critical in the Presidential and Senate races.

Let me close by saying how proud I am to serve Richfield and south Minneapolis in the Minnesota House of Representatives. I have always benefitted immensely from hearing your ideas, comments and concerns.

Following the strong electoral showing for DFL legislative candidates last fall, the expectations for the
2007 session were high.  The DFL House caucus pursued  a bold and broad legislative agenda that kept faith with promises made to voters. Our legislative program set forth  a vision of Minnesota’s future where students in every school district in the state get a fair shake and all-day kindergarten is a reality; where higher education remains affordable; where hardworking parents need not worry about whether they can afford to bring their sick child to a doctor; where commerce and commuters can move through our cities and across our state efficiently and safely.  It is a future where rising property taxes will not drive our seniors from their homes.  Of course, not everyone shares that vision and we did not complete the agenda.

Yet I am extremely proud of the work we did.  At its best, the State Capitol is a venue where people
from all parts of the state and all backgrounds gather to debate how we can best ensure a future both
prosperous and fair for all Minnesotans.   That debate happened in earnest this spring and made crystal clear the decisions that lie before us.  It is the real story of the 2007 session. It is a conversation that I cannot wait to continue to have with all of you.

Energy and the Environment

Perhaps the biggest successes were the historic strides Minnesota took toward a sustainable, renewable
energy future.  I was proud to support a bold 25% renewable energy standard (an issue I started working
on in my first term in the legislature).  In addition, we passed a forward-thinking energy bill that significantly improves conservation incentives and establishes Minnesota as a leader in global warming mitigation. These initiatives are good for our environment and our economy.

In addition, the legislature made important investments in clean water and passed a nation-leading
electronic waste recycling bill.  My legislation to drastically reduce phosphorous in dishwasher detergent passed as well.

Education

Our schools will see nearly $800 million in additional funding over the next two years.  Minneapolis and Richfield school districts will each see an increase of approximately 6% next year.  An additional increase in the 2008-09 will be somewhat less.

In particular, I was pleased that special education received overdue attention.  The current special education cross-subsidy (general education dollars spent on mandated special education services instead of general education purposes) has hurt Minneapolis and Richfield schools.  In Minneapolis alone, the district spent over $20 million general fund dollars on special education last year. Addressing that problem was essential.

Other important initiatives were also funded.  Budget cuts from 2003 for early childhood programs like ECFE, Head Start and school readiness programs were restored.  Gifted and talented programs will see increased funding and pilot “world languages” grants were established.  The legislature enacted a safe schools levy to fund voluntary opt-in suicide prevention tools, licensed school counselors, school nurses, school social workers, school psychologists, and alcohol and chemical dependency counselors.

I am pleased to report that libraries across the state see an increase of 34.7% over the next two years to make up for years of neglect.  Unfortunately, Governor Pawlenty vetoed funding for the Minneapolis-Hennepin County library merger.

The legislature made a priority of higher education this year, knowing that a highly educated workforce is critical to our collective prosperity and that access to post-secondary training is the key to individual opportunity.  Above all, years of double-digit tuition increases are over.  Tuition increases will be limited to about 4% per year.  The appropriation to the University of Minnesota was increased 14% and our state colleges and universities will see an increase of 12%.

Admittedly, much work remains to be done as we work together to create a world-class education system.  Too few reforms were included in the education budget and we will only see baby-steps toward all-day kindergarten in the state.

Public Safety and Consumer Protection

Public safety also saw successes. The legislature appropriated additional money for police, established new drug courts and funded crime victims’ services. Penalties for internet sex solicitation and domestic violence were increased.

Important new consumer protections became law. Strong new prohibitions on predatory lending were enacted.  And social security numbers and financial information will now be afforded greater protection in Minnesota.  My bill to restrict the manufacture and sale of children’s jewelry containing lead also passed.

Health Care and Human Services

I had the tremendous opportunity this year to serve as Chair of the Health and Human Services Committee.  I learned an incredible amount as we had the chance for the first time in eight years to hold substantive hearings on health care expansion and cost-containment, local public health efforts, welfare-to-work reforms and family planning.  I was also proud to carry HF 1 – the Cover All Kids proposal – which the House of Representatives passed as the centerpiece of its health care package.

In the end, Governor Pawlenty’s strong opposition to public health programs meant that our final product was more modest than I would have liked.  Nonetheless, 54,000 additional Minnesotans will have health coverage, including more than 30,000 new children.   We made significant new investments in mental health, including expansions of benefit sets and greater integration of physical and mental health treatment.  The Senior Nutrition Program; Senior Companion Program; Retired Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP); and Foster Grandparent program provided increased resources to continue their vital missions.  And we restored our welfare-to-work program to its original mission of helping people get jobs that actually lift them out of poverty.  Finally, a statewide smoking ban is now in place.

In addition, we did substantial health care reform work.  Initiatives I sponsored around electronic medical records, improved reporting of uncompensated care and uniform billing processes will help lower health care costs for the 93 percent of Minnesotans who currently have insurance.  I am very excited to be part of a larger health care reform initiative that will take place this summer and fall.

Transportation

The largest disappointment was our failure to override (by just a handful of votes) the Governor’s veto of significant new investment in roads and transit.  There is little dispute that our region and state is falling farther behind each year and the transportation funding technique used in recent years – borrowing against future federal dollars – has left the Minnesota Department of Transportation nearly broke.  We need a new and large infusion of money.  I remain open to creative approaches to raising needed dollars and plan to dedicate a portion of the interim to exploring solutions that may bridge the gap between the “no new taxes” stand Governor Pawlenty has adopted and the real system needs we have.  (We did pass a “lights on” bill so the current work on Crosstown 62 will continue to completion.)

Property Tax Relief

My other serious disappointment came a week after the session closed when Governor Pawlenty vetoed the tax bill.  In so doing, the Governor eliminated $93 million in aid to cities and $33 million in direct property tax relief to homeowners.  The consequence is that our cities will be forced to cut basic city services like police and firefighters or increase local property taxes.  The Governor’s veto rationale – a proposal to include inflation in the budget forecast as 49 other states do – makes his refusal to provide property tax relief all the more galling.

It is a great honor to serve as your State Representative.  I work hard to reflect your interests and use my best judgment in making decisions.  But your input is essential.  As always, please contact me with your comments, concerns and ideas.

My personal practical legislative agenda this session – knowing it was not a budget year — included four items: accomplish the merger of the Minneapolis Teacher Pension into the statewide teacher pension fund; enact reform to the state’s eminent domain laws to protect individual property rights while allowing local government to accomplish important public purposes; pass electronic waste reform and move toward more targeted and efficient property tax relief.  Two out of four were accomplished.

Minneapolis Teacher Pension Reform

The Minneapolis Teacher Pension is in dire straits, within years of bankruptcy and the solution gets more expensive by millions and millions of dollars each year.  And the bottom line politically, legally and morally is that the State of Minnesota cannot renege on promises made to those teachers who spent their lifetimes teaching generations of Minnesota children.  The looming default posed a grave threat to Minneapolis property tax payers and all taxpayers from around the state.

For a dozen years and more, efforts have been made to merge the Minneapolis fund into the statewide teacher fund and ensure the solvency of the pensions.  This year, I worked for many months to build a broad, bipartisan coalition to finally get the job done and, just after dawn on Sunday morning, we accomplished the task.

I am pleased that the legislation also carries many other significant pension reforms – increased contribution rates, caps on future benefits – to make sure that other pensions do not face similar circumstances and to ensure we do not pass unfundable obligations onto our children’s generation.

Eminent Domain Reform

The Legislature also passed significant eminent domain reform.  As many of you are aware, the power of government to take an individual’s property only to turn it over to another private entity came under close scrutiny this year.

I served as the main DFL author on the House eminent domain reform bill and was appointed to the Conference Committee that worked out the final law.   I worked hard to shape the legislation to strike a fair balance, bringing both individual property owner and local government perspectives to the table.  No bill is perfect and we will need to continue our efforts in the future, but I believe Minnesotans will be well served by the legislature’s work in this area in 2006.  For more info, click to repthissen.livejournal.com/8247.html and repthissen.livejournal.com/12510.html.

What Else Happened?

A sweeping bonding bill passed that will strengthen the state’s infrastructure.  Among the highlights:

• State colleges and the University of Minnesota will see several new construction projects, including  $40 million for a new Medical Research Building at the Twin Cities campus, $27 million for the Carlson School of Business and $19 million for science and health renovation at Minneapolis Community and Technical College.
• The Northstar Commuter Rail received the $60 million needed to start construction.  $3 million was included for Bus Rapid Transit along 35W.  The timing of the BRT dollars is critical with the (hopefully) start of the Crosstown 62 project this summer.
• Permanent supportive housing loans received $17.5 million.
• Significant investments in wildlife management areas and parks and trails were made.  In addition, $23 million provided for Wastewater Infrastructure (WIF) and $39 million for Drinking Water/Wastewater Revolving Loans for various wastewater, water treatment or water supply projects.
• $5 million is provided for the MacPhail Music School in Minneapolis.

Another hallmark of the legislative session was the passage of a nation-leading law to reduce mercury emissions from coal power plans by 90% by 2014.  As you know, mercury is a dangerous toxin that impairs brain development.

The Supplemental Budget bill made early childhood education a priority in allocating the limited funds available.  There will be more money for ECFE and new funding for voluntary quality rating for childcare and other early learning centers. In addition, a one-time appropriation is made to school districts to cover higher heating and fuel costs.

Minneapolis will see $1.5 million to hire new police.  In addition, new laws will assure better monitoring of sexual predators.

Identity theft is a major concern in Minnesota.  We passed several protections this year to take away the tools thieves use to perpetrate their crimes.   My friend Representative Jim Davnie spearheaded a successful effort to ensure that all consumers have the option of placing a security freeze on their credit reports as a protection against identity theft. The identity theft bill also requires that if a credit card company mails an offer to receive a credit card and the application is returned with a different address listed, the company must verify the change of address before issuing the card. Finally, the bill requires that sensitive records be destroyed in a way that prevents their contents from being determined.

We passed legislation to eliminate the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) for many middle class taxpayers.  The AMT was originally designed to require wealthier taxpayers who benefited heavily from tax loopholes to pay a minimum amount of tax relative to their incomes. Over time, the number of taxpayers paying the AMT has grown due to the fact that the Legislature did not index the $40,000 exemption adopted in 1982 for inflation. Under the change, an estimated 44,300 returns will receive a reduction in the Minnesota Alternative Minimum Tax at an average of $540 per tax return. The change will also make the tax system more progressive.  The Tax Bill also contained a provision bringing the standard deduction for married couples into conformity with federal law, at a level of double the individual filers deduction amount.

Finally, you all know that the Twins ballpark and Gopher stadium bills passed.  I voted in favor of both proposals.  The votes have pleased many of you and disappointed others.

Indeed, I received more e-mails and communications during the course of the session about the stadiums – both pro and con — than all other contacts combined. With few exceptions, the communications have been respectful and thoughtful. I appreciate that. Both were contentious proposals and I spent a lot of time listening to constituents and studying the issue.   Here is more information on my decision: repthissen.livejournal.com/10458.html.

What Did Not Happen

One of the brightest hopes for the session was passage of the Clean Water Legacy program with funding.  We are falling further and further behind in identifying and cleaning up polluted waters.  It is an environmental and development issue.  The Legislature established a framework for investing in clean water.  Unfortunately, the Legislature was unable to find sufficient money to effectively fund the effort.
I personally spent a great deal of energy serving on the Electronic Waste Taskforce.  Old computers, televisions and other electronic goods contain hazardous materials that are best kept out of our landfills.  Further, in many instances, parts of the retired goods can be successfully recycled and reused.
The Taskforce came up with a good mechanism for collecting electronic waste on a large scale, ensuring that those in the electronics business, and not property tax payers, would cover the cost of recycling.  We made it all the way through the committee process, but House leadership refused to take up the bill on the last day of session.
More generally, I am disappointed that the legislature failed to pass any significant property tax relief.  Further, in this non-budget year, the legislature did not expend money to reduce class sizes.  No serious health care reforms were adopted. These are issues to take up next year.

Legislative Work Goes On

Even though the Session is over, work will continue on issues important to the State.  As always, feel free to express your thoughts and ideas.  I love to hear from you.  I look forward to seeing and talking to many of you in the coming months.

Clean Water Legacy

As you may know, identifying and cleaning up Minnesota’s polluted waters is an important priority for me.  And I had high hopes when the year started that we could make important progress toward that goal by enacting the Clean Water Legacy Act.  Unfortunately, an agreement on it could not be reached before the Legislature adjourned.

The rationale for the proposal is fairly straightforward and something everyone in the state can agree upon: the protection of Minnesota’s thousands of lakes and rivers.  To date the state has tested only eight percent of its rivers and 14 percent of its lakes, which has resulted in the discovery of over 1,900 water quality violations.  This number will continue to rise as more tests are performed unless the state does something to reverse the conditions that have caused these problems.

Unfortunately, the state lacks the necessary resources to carry out the needed testing and cleanup programs.  To meet those needs various units of government, environmental and business groups developed the idea of the Clean Water Legacy Act.  State resources would be combined with federal and local funding to test all of Minnesota’s waters, maintain those in good condition and implement cleanup plans for those that are not.

While there is agreement that more needs to be done to protect our waters, how to raise the necessary revenues is heavily debated.  Many have concerns about how the funding mechanism would disproportionately burden families and small businesses.  Their desire is not to implement a funding source that shifts the cost of cleaning up polluted waters away from large water users and polluters, which they state the initial clean water fee did.

However, the legislative session ended before a consensus could be reached on a fair and effective funding mechanism for the Clean Water Legacy Act.  Even the latest version of the legislation in the House could not decide on a revenue source.  It proposed a clean water fee to be placed on property tax statements or a voter approved increase in the state’s sales tax of one-eighth of a percent.

As a result, the next opportunity for passage of the Clean Water Legacy Act is not until the Legislature reconvenes in March of 2006.  During the interim, I would like to see us continue to work on a funding source for the proposal so when we come back next year we can quickly pass the legislation.  Rest assured, I will continue to advocate for policies and funding to protect our water resources for current and future generations.

Feedlots

The legislature enacted several changes to feedlot zoning.  Among other things, environmental analyses of proposed feedlots must now include an analysis of social impacts as well as legal, economic and scientific impacts; municipalities proposing to adopt or modify feedlot zoning controls must notify the state – and can request state assistance – at the beginning of the process; and money is allocated for research to limit livestock odor and emissions.  This is an issue I will continue to monitor carefully.

Legislative Commission on Minnesota Resources

In know many of you are interested in the proposed reforms to the LCMR.  I am open to reform that will focus the Commission on critical priorities, but I want to ensure that all voices continue to be heard.  No action was ultimately taken this year.  Instead, a task force was established to make recommendations for the 2006 Session.
Thank you for contacting me in support of MinnesotaCare this session.  MinnesotaCare is an extremely important program that helps preserve the health of thousands of Minnesotans.  It is a program that has my unwaivering support and preserving it was one of my two or three top priorities this year.

I am pleased to let you know that during the special legislative session that concluded on July 13, no cuts were made to MinnesotaCare.  It is a remarkable result considering the current fiscal and political climate.  And not only that, but several improvements were made to the program:

•   the $5,000 annual cap on benefits for adults without children was eliminated.
•   the $500 cap for dental services was eliminated.
•   the limited benefit set was expanded to cover psychologists and supplies for the treatment of diabetes.

To help pay for these improvements and to permit the 27,000 people to retain their coverage, MinnesotaCare premiums will increase 8%.

I am extremely pleased that many of my colleagues and I were able to defeat attempts to erode MinnesotaCare, and keep it a legitimate health care alternative for those who need it.
2005 Session: Transit
Public transit in Minnesota has been underfunded for the past several years.  In 2005, we did make some progress toward changing that situation.  But we still have a lot of work to do.

Most immediately, Metro Transit faced a $60 million budget shortfall this year that led to the Metropolitan Council’s proposal to drastically cut back on routes and increase fares by 25 cents.  During the special session the Legislature passed (with my strong support), and the Governor signed into law, a transportation bill that provides an additional $40 million in Metro Transit funds over the next two years to plug two-thirds of this gap.  In addition, Greater Minnesota transit will receive $6 million.  Hopefully, this will avert any additional planned route cutbacks.  (Unfortunately, the fare increase and 3.5% of transit service cuts proposed in June will stay in place.)

More generally, I am concerned that we are falling behind on transportation and it is affecting our quality of life and economic competitiveness. The House and Senate each passed an Omnibus Transportation Finance Bill on a bi-partisan basis in May.  I supported this $7.7 billion transportation package which would have funded transit needs, local roads and highways in Minnesota for the next ten years.  Unfortunately, the legislation was vetoed by Governor Pawlenty.  We will return next year with renewed energy to make a real investment in Minnesota transportation a reality.

One other positive development was a commitment in the bonding bill to the Northstar Commuter Line as well as planning money for several other transit corridors.  Until we have a true network of effective and efficient transit infrastruture, none of the lines in which we invest will achieve its full potential.

In the long-run, Minnesota needs a stable source of transit funding to advance a quality mass transit system and reduce our dependence on automobiles.  I remain committed to continuing to seek ways to achieve this goal.
2005 Session:  EARLY CHILDHOOD

Cuts in the 2003 Session

As you may recall, 2003 the saw deep cuts in early childhood programs:  $7.4 million in cuts to Early Family Childhood Education and $3.2 million to Head Start.  In addition, state support for the High Five program was reduced as a result of an administrative decision by Governor Pawlenty’s Education Commissioner.  The cuts were devastating to Minnesota’s youngest learners and their families and I strongly opposed them.

In addition, the legislature froze childcare support levels, restricting access for families to quality childcare and placing great pressure on childcare providers.  I also opposed those cuts in service.

Early Childhood Legislation that I Sponsored

One of my commitments during the last campaign was to increase our state investment in early childhood programs.  To that end, I introduced an ambitious proposal this session to increase accessibility and improve the quality of Minnesota’s early learning and care programs.   More details may be found in my Issue Brief on Early Learning and Care. The proposal was well received in the Early Childhood Caucus which made it one of its top priorities.

I also sponsored a proposal to provide tax credits to corporations that donate to a non-profit that provides early childhood scholarships to low-income families.  Again, the scholarships are tied to high-quality programs.  For more information, see this article from the Winona Daily News.

I also co-authored and supported legislation to restore funding to early childhood programs and worked actively for a greater investment in programs to improve children’s lives.

The 2005 Session

During the regular session, the House Education Finance bill contained funding increases for Early Family Childhood Education, but no increases for School Readiness or Head Start programs.  The Senate’s Education Finance bill appropriated $35 million in new revenue for a combination of early childhood, school readiness, childcare, and adult basic education programs.  The Governor’s plan included no increases in funding for early childhood education, School Readiness or Head Start programs.

The final agreement increases Early Family Childhood Education funding by $5.5 million over the next two years and Head Start by $4 million. It also includes $1 million for grant awards administered through the Minnesota Early Learning Foundation.  Under current political circumstance, that is at least a start and, as a result,  I supported the final E-12 Education Finance bill as a result. I do pledge to continue working for early education opportunities.

My greatest disappointment was the continued underfunding of High Five.  The final bill includes a small increase in spending – about $400,000.  That is not nearly enough to restore the important program, however.  We’ll keep that fight going.

As a member of the Early Childhood Caucus, I believe Minnesota can and should be a place where children have every opportunity to find a productive path in life – and doing so provides real and lasting advantages for taxpayers and society.

Of course, there are many reasons for the lack of results and over the next several weeks and months, blame will be cast in many directions.  I certainly have my own perspectives – an undue focus on less pressing,
divisive social issues may top my list – but there is certainly blame enough to go around.  This Update is intended to highlight some of the results – and lack of results – of the 2004 session.

1.     My Legislative Initiatives

In the flurry of activity in the last few days of the session, I was fortunate enough to be appointed to three conference committees and to pass on a bipartisan basis five of my bills.  The bills included (1) an overhaul of state law governing the enforcement of campaign law violations that will reduce partisanship and make the system more efficient;  (2) legislation to ease state funding rules to allow individuals near the end-of-life to choose hospice care rather than more expensive traditional skilled-nursing services; (3) an initiative to streamline reporting processes within state agencies;  (4) a change in state law that will allow the Richfield School Board/Richfield Historical Society to accept a Minnesota Historical Society grant for improvements to the Bartholomew House; and (5) a requirement that public high schools make voter registration forms available to high school seniors before elections.  Along with the passage of a corporate law reform bill earlier in the session, the passage of those bills made for a productive session.

Of course, several other legislative proposals I offered – including the Child Health Security Act, the Long-Term Caregiver Protection Act, efforts to provide small business owners tax relief and rights to fair compensation, and statewide airport planning initiatives – did not pass into law this year.  Nonetheless, on each front, we started some important discussions and built support to move ahead to success in 2005.

2.     What Happened

A few other significant bills did pass.  Among them:

Legislation to lower the drunk driving limit to .08 passed, effective August 2005.  In the end, I supported the legislation.  Although I am not as convinced as some proponents that reducing the BAC level alone will save
lives (money needed to enforce the law may be better spent on educational and treatment efforts), there is evidence the lower limit will help increase traffic safety.  In addition, we need the federal transportation dollars that are tied to the passage of the .08 legislation.

The Science and Social Studies standards were enacted into law. Unfortunately, the standards were dropped on our desk just hours before the session adjourned and I did not feel I had sufficient time to review them. I remain concerned that the standards are too detailed and that we are passing on additional costs to school districts in a time of tight budgets.

The legislature addressed concerns about ATV-use in Minnesota.  The compromise legislation balanced the need to protect our natural resources with the need to provide private landowners and others with some practical flexibility.  I supported the final compromise bill that passed the legislature.

The State employee contracts were approved.

3.     What Failed to Happen

Of course, much did not happen this year.  The media have heavily covered the high-profile items that were not accomplished:  the failure to pass a bonding bill, to resolve the short-term budget deficit, to reform the state’s sex crime laws, to fund the Northstar corridor, to authorize a stadium funding package.

A less high profile but important issue that was lost when a budget package failed to pass is the funding fix that will allow Minneapolis’ High Five school readiness program to continue at current levels.  What that means for the future of High Five is unclear.   Similarly, we failed to pass relief for families of children with disabilities whose saw steep increases (100%, 200% and more) in the fees they pay for services for their children – an initiative everyone agreed was appropriate.  Money I obtained in a finance bill for assistive technology grants also fell by the wayside.

Of course, sometimes it is better when legislation does not pass and there are perhaps too many examples this year:  the plan to eliminate integration aid, private casino proposals, and many others.

Perhaps the bigger disappointment is the failure to address the billion-dollar budget deficit that the State faces in the next biennium. The February 2004 forecast by the Department of Finance highlights the problem:  “It is important to note that the estimated impact of inflation …  is not included in expenditure planning estimates. . . .  If major expenditure categories were to be uniformly adjusted for inlation, this would add approximately $200 million in 2006 spending and $450 million to 2007 amounts [on top of the projected deficit of $441 million for the 2006-07 biennuim].”

4. Conclusion

I do not know if the Governor will call a Special Session.  If he does, I am certainly committed to continue to work to achieve a reasonable compromise that includes a bonding package and a balanced budget fix that addresses the long-term structural deficits facing the state.

I have worked hard this year to represent your voice here at the Capitol and to say “No” to the Republican majority in the House when I believe they are undermining the quality of life and prosperity of the state.  I have also worked to build a reputation as someone who is fair-minded and who can work effectively across the aisle.  I believe my success in enacting legislation and improving several others with amendments on the floor is testament to that reputation.

As always, please write or call with comments and ideas.