Political Notebook

Parry and Quist to duke it out in primary

Looks like 1st District Republicans won't gather for another convention after all to endorse a candidate to take on DFL Congressman Tim Walz.

This afternoon, former state Rep. Allen Quist announced he would run in the primary. In an interview, Quist said he decided to give up on trying to the get the party's endorsement because of how long it will take to have a second endorsing convention.

"The earliest that a new convention can be rescheduled is June 2 and it may not be rescheduled at all," hes said. "Obviously, I can't spend the next five weeks campaigning for an endorsing convention that may not even take place."

Shortly after Quist made his announcement, the Parry campaign said the state senator from Waseca will also run in the primary.

"While we're disappointed that Allen Quist broke his word, we look forward to taking the conversation to the broader public," the campaign release says.

A little over a week ago, Republican delegates failed to endorse a candidate after 14 hours and 23 ballots. The convention ended at 2 a.m. because the Kato Ballroom had to close due to city liquor license laws. Delegates passed a motion calling on the district's central committee to call another endorsing convention within two to three weeks. But logistically, that goal proved to be impossible. Organizers said June 2 would have been the earliest another convention could have been held.

 

Vikes fans tailgating in front of state Capitol

Vikings super fan Larry Spooner is vowing to tailgate in front of the Minnesota Capitol unil a stadium bill is passed.

This morning, he applied for and was granted a permit to camp out in front of the Capitol from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. over the next few days. He's got a purple tricked-out van complete with a large flat screen TV blaring the Rolling Stones. He's also got a satellite dish propped on a keg. Also on display is a large banner urging passage of the stadium that reads, "Let's not become the 3rd Dakota."

If the stadium bill passes, Spooner said he is hoping to barbeque to celebrate. But it remains to be seen if he can get the permits necessary to do that.

Stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!

Vikings stadium bill author Morrie Lanning said before there is an up or down vote on the stadium in the House, there needs to be a deal between legislative leaders and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and taxes and bonding.

"We've got at least three big items we need an agreement on at the end — the bonding bill, the tax bill and the stadium," he said. "So obviously all of those things are connected to each other."

If a deal is reached and the Vikings stadium bill heads to the floor, expect a long, long debate. Asked whether it could go 12 hours, Lanning said it's possible. He said he expects the floor debate to be similar to the college cheer "Stand up, sit down, fight fight fight!"

Time is running out for a deal. Legislative leaders have said they want to finish the session on Monday. The House has a floor session planned for Saturday as a big tax cut rally featuring former GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain will be held on the Capitol steps. Debating the stadium during the tax cut rally could be awkward for conservatives who back the stadium deal.

If a deal is reached too lates for lawmakers to vote on a Vikings stadium deal, Lanning said one option would be to recess for a few days and come back later to take a vote.

Mayo Clinic urges Dayton to veto fireworks bill

Mayo Clinic is urging DFL Gov. Mark Dayton to veto a bill that would legalize more powerful fireworks in the state.

Mayo Clinic Trauma Center Medical Director Donald Jenkins wrote in a letter to the governor that the fireworks bill "would legalize extremely powerful and dangerous fireworks in Minnesoa." He notes that Mayo Clinic is one of four Level 1 trauma centers in the state and the only one in southeast Minnesota. He writes that when smaller fireworks like sparklers were first legalized in the state in 2002, there were 92 firework injuries within a 20-day period surrounding July 4 and a 300 percent increase in injuries due to fireworks during that period.

Mayo Clinic joins several other hospitals opposed to the fireworks bill along with fire chiefs and fire departments.

Supporters of the bill argue that Minnesotans are aleady buying these larger, aerial fireworks — they are just crossing the border to do it. That amounts to lost business from the state. They also argue that it is not the government's place to tell people they cannot set off fireworks.

Click here to download Download Mayo Clinic fireworks letter

 

Benson proposes tax increases to pay for stadium

At a press conference this morning, Rochester GOP Rep. Mike Benson said he plans to offer an amendment on the House floor to the Minnesota Vikings stadium bill that would raise money through targeted tax increases instead of charitable gambling.

"I will be the first one to tell you I don't like taxes," Benson told reporters.

But he said he would rather the stadium be financed with taxes aimed at people who would use the stadium than rely on gambling money, which he see as a tax "on the people who can least afford it."

Benson's proposal would tax the income of Vikings players who make more than $200,000 a year, along with taxes on sports memorabilia, liquor sales at the stadium, ticket sales and online sales of NFL merchandise. It would also establish a Vikings license plate.

He was joined by eight other lawmakers who oppose the current Vikings stadium plan. They included Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, and Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron. Drazkowski said he has serious concerns about the reliability of charitable gambling as a revenue source.

Would Benson's amendment have any chance of passing? House Taxes Committee Chairman Greg Davids doesn't think so.

"I don't think he has the votes," Davids said.

Regardless of whether he has the votes, Benson said the amendment is intended to generate conversation about other ways to fund the stadium instead of relying on gambling to do it.

Setback in calling 1st District GOP convention

First District Republicans have canceled a meeting of its central committee planed for May 2, which was the first step in setting the date for a new endorsing convention. Why? It all has to do with the number ten.

In this case, district leader did not provide the ten days notice to committee members required under the district's constitution. Newly-elected First District Republicans Chairman Dave Kruse said they were trying to move quickly in order to have a convention on Saturday, May 12.

"We examined our constitution and found out there was no way to make that work," he said.

Adding to the urgency is a requirement that once the central committee settles on a convention date, all the delegates and alternates must get ten days notice.

Last weekend, Republican delegates were unable to agree on whether to endorse state Sen. Mike Parry or former state Rep. Allen Quist after 14 hours and 23 ballots. The convention came to an end 2 a.m. Sunday morning after delegates after the Kato Ballroom they were in had to close due to the city of Mankato's liquor licenses. Parry and Quist are vying for the chance to take on 1st District DFL Rep. Tim Walz.

Kruse said he expects the central committee will meet in two weeks to discuss calling a convention. If members agree to call a convention, it may not happen until June. That's because the weekend of May 18-19 is the state Republican convention and the weekend after that is Memorial Day weekend. But Republicans need to act before June 5 election filing deadline.

Benson to fight against using gambling money for stadium

Rochester Republican Rep. Mike Benson is vowing to fight against plans to using gaming money to fund a new Minnesota Vikings stadium.

Benson will join Sen. David Hann, R-Eden Prairie, at a 9 a.m. press conference tomorrow where he plans to rip the idea of using charitable gaming to fund the state's $400 million share of the project's cost. A major portion of those dollars would come from electronic pull-tabs.

Benson said he has two problems with that idea. First, he said electronic pull tabs are not a reliable funding source. If not enough money comes in, there is the risk that state general fund dollars would have to go towards paying the stadium bond debt payments.

"We could end up taking money out of the general fund, which certainly means we are going to be robbing Peter to pay Paul," he said. "We're not going to have money for schools and hospitals and all the other things."

His other concern centers on the moral issues related to gambling.

"I support the Vikings. I want to build a stadium. I just don't want to do it on the backs of compulsive gamblers," he said.

So Benson is going to put forward his own funding idea that relies on taxing tickets, parking, sports memorabilia and luxury suites. Another possibliity would be having a Vikings license plate. He said these taxes would be targeted to people who use the stadium.

 

First step taken in calling new 1st District GOP convention

First Disrict Republicans have called a central committee meeting for May 2. That is the first step in convening a new endorsing convention. Last weekend, Republicans deadlocked at their convention over whether to endorse state Sen. Mike Parry of Waseca or former state Rep. Allen Quist of St. Peter. The convention ended abruptly at 2 a.m. on Sunday after Republicans were told they had to leave the Kato Ballroom due to the city's liquor ordinances. The delegates approved a motion calling on the central committee to call a new convention in two to three weeks.

Republicans of Olmsted County Chairman Bruce Kaskubar said he just learned the meeting would be called. It does appear that party leaders might be pushing a requirement that committee members are given ten days notice of a meeting. In an email entitled "Thank You, and Stay Tuned!" Quist said party leaders are hoping to have a new convention on Saturday, May 12. That would be the quickest such a convention could be called because delegates and alternates must have ten days notice before a convention called.

Quist writes in an email that he has requested a debate be held between him and Parry before or during the convention. It remains to be seen if the central committee members will in fact call a convention. In a story I wrote for today's paper, it's clear Republicans are torn over whether or not to have one. It's worth noting that Quist is a member of the central committee.

 

House to take up bonding bill with no local projects

The Minnesota House is expected to vote today will vote soon on a new $443.9 million bonding bill that has no local projects in it. Bill sponsor Larry Howes, R-Walker, put together the new bonding proposal after his $221 million bill to restore the state Capitol failed by one vote.

Originally, Republicans were looking to move two separate bonding bills — one focused on the state Capitol and the other on statewide projects. That second $280 million bill included $9 million to expand The Hormel Institute, $3.1 million to relocate the Rochester Work Force Center to Rochester Community and Technical College and $485,000 to renovate the Stewartville Fire Hall. This new bonding bill does not fund any of these projects. Instead, it allocates $221 million to the Capitol repairs, $102.5 million for transportation projects, $60 million for college and university building repairs, $30 million for flood mitigation, $20 million for wastewater infrastructure, $10 million for housing programs and $433,000 to cover cost of selling bonds. The big question is whether a bill without any local projects can get the 81 votes needed to clear the House. Republicans only have 72 members, meaning they must be able to get some votes from Democrats.

Rep. Mike Benson, R-Rochester, said right now he is not sure if he can support the bill. He said he wants to know who will make the decision on how to spend some of these dollars — especially in the area of transportation. He said the House Transportation and Policy Finance Committee spent a lot of time ranking projects and that lawmakers should have some input in determining where those dollars are spent.

Expect at least 3 weeks before Parry/Quist face-off again

It looks like the earliest a new 1st District Republican convention could be called is three weeks, and even that may be pushing it.

Over the weekend, First District Republicans deadlocked over whether to endorse Mike Parry or Allen Quist to take on DFL 1st District Rep. Tim Walz. After 14 hours and 23 ballots, the delegates were kicked out of the Kato Ballroom because of the city's liquor license ordinance. In the final minutes, delegates approved a motion to adjourn and call a new convention within two to three weeks.

Republican Party of Olmsted County Chairman Bruce Kaskubar said because of logistics "there is no way this is going to happen two weeks from now. Just none."

The first step is selected a date for the central committee to meet and giving them at least ten days notice. Those notices have to be sent out by mail. Once that committee meets, they have to give the delegates and alternates at least ten days notice by mail. So the very earliest a convention could meet would be Sunday, May 13.

But Kaskubar points out the party generally does not do business on Sundays. The following weekend is the state Republican convention, so that won't work. The weekend after that is Memorial Day weekend. He said it would be difficult to get all the delegates together on a weekday. So that opens the door to the convention being pushed into June.