Political Notebook

Bad news for Wanamingo...

The final tax bill deal brings with it bad news for Wanamingo and several other cities hoping to get a piece of Rochester's sales tax money.

The Minnesota Legislature required that $5 million of the $139.5 million raised by extending Rochester's half-cent sales tax would go to 17 small cities for economic development. Voters approved the sales tax extension last fall. Some cities argued — including Wanamingo — argued they were accidentally left off the list. Other cities fighting to get included were Altura, Dexter, Grand Meadow, Mazeppa and Racine.

The tax conference committee approved language that requires the Rochester City Council to vote to give the money to the original 17 small cities. Otherwise, the $5 million would automatically go back to the city. It also limits them to giving the money to that existing list of cities.

Amendment strips $5 million from Mayo Civic Center funding

Rochester's Mayo Civic Center expansion would get less funding than expectined in the proposed $800 million public works bill under an amendment proposed by the bill's author.

House Capital Investment Committee Chairwoman Alice Hausman's amendment would reduce the amount the civic center would get by $5 million to $30 million. The city had originally asked for $37 million from the state to help pay for the 188,000-square-foot addition.

Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, said she is disappointed to see the reduction. She said the reduction has to do with a feeling among some lawmakers that Rochester has already gotten more than its fair share with $400 million of state dollars heading to the city for Mayo's Destination Medical Center initiative.

"It's disappointing but given what we're getting it's hard to complain," Norton said.

The bigger question is whether Democrats have the votes to pass the bill. Bonding bills require a supermajority to pass. That means DFLers have to convince some Republicans to back the measure. One way of doing that is to include projects in Republican districts.

But the civic center funding isn't enough to make Rep. Mike Benson, R-Rochester vote for it.

"There is not a chance I am going to vote for an $800 million bonding bill this session," he said. "They are going to add $3 billion of new taxes and fees on hardworking Minnesotans. Are we going to stack another $1 billion on top of that?"

Now it's up to Mayo

During an evening press conference, Gov. Mark Dayton and DFL legislative leaders agreed that Mayo Clinic's Destination Medical Center plan will be part of the final tax bill.

The project's status was thrown into question early today when House Taxes Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenczewski voiced frustration over the amount of time being spent trying to reach a final deal and warned if a deal wasn't reached soon she was willing to wait until next year to do it.

House bill author Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, said the House and Senate have come up with their final offer. It's now up to Mayo to decide if they want to accept it. She said she knows Mayo is disappointed that the plan isn't what they had originally envisioned and gives them less control than they want, but she said that overall, it's a good deal. That plan includes about $400 million in state money for public infrastructure upgrades to support Mayo's planned expansion of its Rochester campus. The city would chip in $128 million with the county expected to contribute roughly $40 million for transportation costs.

"This is the best we can get out of the session. It has every penny they asked for in it, it has the privacy they asked for for their work and development and it has the oversight that the community wants," Norton said.

Bill providing amnesty to underage drinkers seeking help advances

Underage drinkers who call 9-1-1 to report a medical emergency would no longer have to worry about getting in trouble with the law under a bill passed Thursday in the House.

Bill author Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, said the legislation is intended to make sure young people don’t hesitate to pick up the phone and call for help in what may be a life and death situation.
“This is a bill that tells young people that if they or a friend get into trouble that we care more about their life and their health than we do about any punishment they might incur for that drinking,” she said.

The Medical Amnesty Bill grants amnesty to an individual under age 21 who calls 9-1-1 to report a medical emergency, stays at the scene and cooperates with law enforcement. That amnesty would also apply to up to two others assisting with the emergency and the individual in need of help. The passed 124 to 8. Companion legislation is advancing in the Senate. It would make Minnesota the 11th state in the nation to adopt such a measure.

The measure was inspired by two University of Minnesota students from Rochester who worked with Liebling to craft the bill. Taylor Williams and Matt Forstie, both 2010 Century High School graduates, pushed for the bill as a way to encourage students to do the right thing in an emergency situation.

“We all make mistakes. I’ve been in situations where I probably could have made better decisions, and I think if there is any uncertainty, this bill helps to reduce it,” said Williams, who is University of Minnesota’s student body president.

Without the amnesty, the underage drinkers could be cited with a $120 ticket and eight hours of community service for alcohol consumption or possession. Williams said he knows of students who have had trouble getting into graduate school because of having that citation on their record. The amnesty would only apply to the underage consumption and possession and no other alcohol-related violations such as drunken driving.

Vote expected today on frac sand mining ban near trout streams

Red Wing DFL Sen. Matt Schmit is expected to offer an amendment to his game and fish bill today that would prohibit frac sand mining within a mile of trout streams, creeks, fens and other related waterways in southeast Minnesota.

Schmit had successfully fought to get the measure added into his bill, only to have it stripped out later in a committee hearing. An attempt to put it back in during a Senate Finance Committee hearing last week failed by one vote. Environmental groups that back the measure have been lobbying lawmakers hard in recent days. The Land Stewardship Project helped organize a bus trip of citizens from Winona this week who met with Sen. Jeremy Miller, R-Winona, to voice their disappointment that he cast the deciding vote against the trout stream language.

Industry representatives oppose the measure, saying the restrictions will amount to a defact moratorium on frac sand mining. Miller has said it should be up to local governments to decide whether to allow these mining operations instead of a one-size-fits all state policy.

The big question is whether Schmit has the votes to overcome a coalition of Republicans and Iron Range Democrats friendly to mining who oppose the measure. There has been no effort in the House to pass a similar measure. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton is a big backer of the trout stream restrictions.

"I strongly support that position and will do everything I can in conference committee to get that enacted," Dayton said this week.

On Friday morning, a small group of frac sand mining opponents gathered in front of the Senate chamber urging lawmakers to support the provisions. Kristen Eide-Tollefson of Frontenac held a sign that featured a smiling fish and read "clean water, happy trout, keep frac out."

She said she believes the trout stream restrictions are crucial.

"I wanted to let senators know how critical this support for these setbacks are," she said. "Trout fishing is a multi-billion dollar industry and when we protect them for trout, we protect them for all of us."

Protestors and supporters rally ahead of gay marriage vote

Thousands of people are expected to pack into the Minnesota Capitol today as the House takes up a bill to legalize gay marriage.

Two hours before the debate was set to begin, protestors and supporters were already lined up outside the House chamber chanting in support of their causes. Opponents of gay marriage clutched pink signs that read "Don't erase moms and dads." Supporters carried their own orange signs that said "I support the freedom to marry."

It's already getting loud and hot in the Capitol and security officials have advised they will not allow people to enter the Capitol once they've determined it's reached maximum capacity. Meanwhile, there are several school kid groups that happen to be here today touring the Capitol.

Most of the members of the southeast MInnesota delegation have stated how they plan to vote on the gay marriage bill, but there are a few uncertainties. Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, has declined to discuss how she will vote. She favors a proposal by Rep.Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing, to remove the word "marriage" in state law and replace it with "civil unions." He argues that would get government out of defining marriage. He plans to offer his bill as an amendment on the House floor today. Norton has said in the past that if the same-sex marriage bill did come to the floor, she would have a hard time voting against it.

Also unknown is Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona. He has declined to answer questions about how he will vote. All the other southeast Minnesota House Republicans have said they will vote no and the other Democrats will vote yes.

The debate kicks off at noon, and I will be live tweeting on my twitter feed @pbhcarlson.

Kelly not in support of 'civil marriage' proposal

A new proposal that could open the door to more Republicans voting for the gay marriage bill doesn't have Rep. Tim Kelly's support.

The amendment filed Wednesday by Rep. David FitzSimmons, R-Albertville, would replace the word "marriage" with the words "civil marriage" in state statutes. The Associated Press reports that the proposal has the backing of the group that has been pushing for the legalization of gay marriage — Minnesotans United for All Families — and House Majority Leader Erin Murphy. Meanwhile, Minnesota Public Radio's Tom Scheck has reported that GOP Sen. Branden Peterson believes the amendment could get six Republicans to vote for the bill in the Senate.

But Kelly isn't getting on board with the idea. The Red Wing Republican prefers his proposal to eliminate the word "marriage" altogether in state law and replace it with "civil unions." Kelly notably defied his caucus in 2011 voting against putting a constitutional amendment on the ballot to ban same-sex marriage. All along, Kelly said his opposition has been to the idea of government being involved in defining marriage. FitzSimmons' amendment fails to solve that.

"My civil union bill is all about rights," he said. "It's about equality, and it sets everybody on the same page and it hands over the rights. But apparently that is not enough today. We want government-mandated acceptance of the new definition of marriage, and I believe that is fundamentally wrong. I don't want to tell anybody in my caucus what to believe about marriage."

Kelly still plans to offer his civil union proposal as an amendment to the gay marriage bill during tomorrow's debate.

 

House passes sweeping anti-bullying bill

Minnesota is poised to adopt one of the toughest bullying policies in the nation under a bill passed Monday in the House.

The Safe Schools and Supportive Minnesota School Act passed on a party-line vote of 72 to 57. It replaces the state’s current 37-word policy with one that requires all public school districts and charter schools to adopt bullying policies that meet certain standards.

Bill sponsor Jim Davnie, DFL-Minneapolis, said this bill is about protecting students no matter where they live.

“Students get to play checkers. They don’t deserve a checkerboard of policies across the state where if they move, they move from a setting that is safe and supportive to one that isn’t because of who they are of what somebody thinks they are,” he said.

Republicans blasted the bill saying it goes too far, taking away local districts’ ability to decide what is best for them and forcing them to follow a one-size-fits-all guidelines.

“We should have a bill that develop resiliency in kids and makes them strong,” said Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa. "But this one goes the other direction. Instead of making kids stronger, it encourages them into a path of victimhood."

The bill would put into law recommendations made by the Governor’s Task Force on the Prevention of School Bullying. It includes specific language prohibiting bullying or harassment of a student because of his or her race, religion, sexual orientation or disability, among other things. It also requires districts to record incidents of bullying and train staff and volunteers on how to handle it. Schools would also be required to report bullying data to the state. A similar bill has yet to be voted on in the Senate.

Critics of the proposal say it imposes requirements on local school districts without covering the costs. A state fiscal analysis estimates the bill would cost local districts $19.5 million statewide. Davnie says those costs would be covered by  a $5-per-student increase in the safe schools levy. It would also allow districts to use staff education dollars for anti-bullying training. and allows districts to use staff education dollars for anti-bullying training. The House DFL budget allocates $1 million to set up a state School Climate Center to assist districts with setting up these policies.

Constituents angry over Miller's vote on frac-sand mining headed to Capitol

A group of Winona citizens angry with Sen. Jeremy Miller's vote against a measure to prohibit frac-sand mining within a mile of trout streams in southeast Minnesota are headed to the Capitol tomorrow.

According to a press release sent out by the Land Stewardship Project, the group will gather at 8:45 a.m. outside Winona City Hall before boarding buses and heading to the Minnesota Capitol. They plan to hold a 12:30 p.m. news conference to discuss their anger over Miller's vote. They will then deliver an oversized postcard to Miller's office. It asks Miller to "start putting the well-being of the citizens of your district above frac sand special interests."

The trout stream language is sponsored by Sen. Matt Schmit, DFL-Red Wing. The 1-mile setback also applies to springs, fens and other waterways. He attempted to reinsert it into his omnibus game and fish bill during a Senate Finance Committee last week, but it failed by one vote. Miller was one of those no votes.

In an interview today, Miller said he is open to supporting setbacks on mining near trout streams. But he is not convinced that a mile is the right distance.

"I am not opposed to a setback," he said. "But let's make sure that we have the right number and we are not just picking a number for the sake of having a number."

Schmit's provision has the strong backing of Trout Unlimited. In a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Dick Cohen, the group's Executive Director John Lenczewski explains the rational behind the 1-mile setback. He cites a Minnesota Department of Natural Resources study that found mining within 3,000 feet of a spring in Fillmore County resulted in a 17-degree rise in temperature. He said the study's author advised providing an additional 2,000 feet as a buffer.

Schmit has said he will continue trying to get the trout stream language passed. One option would be to try to offer an amendment on the Senate floor.

A look at how Davids, Poppe and Pelowski will vote on gay marriage bill tonight

The  House Ways and Means Committee is set to take up a bill that would legalize gay marriage tonight. Three southeast Minnesota lawmakers serve on the committee. So just how do they plan to vote? I put that question to all three of them today.

Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin, said she will cast a "yes" vote in committee to move the bill forward. As for how she will vote on the bil when it gets to the House floor, she said she is leaning towards voting yes.

"People are still weighing in on both sides, but I am leaning towards supporting it," she said.

Meanwhile, Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said he is a firm no on gay marriage.

"I believe very strongly that marriage is between one man and one woman," he said. "Many people say they are struggling with this vote. They think it's a tough vote. For me, it's the easiest vote I will take all session."

Then there's Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona. He sent an email outlining his position on the issue. And while he did not specificially state how he plans to vote, he makes it clear he does not think the House should be taking up social issues before work on the budget bills are completed. Below is a copy of his email.

"This is a social issue that should be dealt with only after the legislature completes its work on the budget. This must be true of all social issues this session. The long standing budget problems of Minnesota have to be resolved with finality. This means raising revenue and balancing the budget with permanent funding streams. It will require our full attention.

There is next session. By that time the budget issues should not only be resolved but Minnesota should be in a position to reinvest once again in improving our quality of life. The new majorities created by the November elections should govern in the best interests of all of Minnesota and not just placate political bases. In the 2010 and 2012 elections Minnesotans rejected DFL majorities in 2010 and Republican majorities in 2012 because they governed from their political left wing and right wing bases.

It is time to govern with a firmness and fairness that will allow social issues to be addressed not from the far left or the far right but with dignity for everyone."