Political Notebook

Minnesota House to vote on lifting the nuke ban today

The Minneosta House is expected to debate a bill to lift the state's ban on new nuclear plants. This comes after the Senate earlier this month voted 50 to 14 in favor of lifting the ban. In recent years, similar measures won support in the then-DFL-controlled Senate but stalled in the DFL House.

With Republicans leading both chambers, this may very well be the year that a bill scrapping the 17-year-old ban heads to the governor. But DFL Gov. Mark Dayton appears cool to the idea of lifting the ban. In order to support it, he said it could have no impact on ratepayers, it would not increase the amount of nuclear waste and that it would not generate weapons-grade or near weapons-grade plutonium.

Several area lawmakers are on board with the proposal. Co-sponsors of the bill to lift the ban include Rep. Mike Benson, R-Rochester; Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester; Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa; Rep. Rich Murray, R-Albert Lea; and Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing.

If the governor were to veto the bill, it would require some Minnesota senators to switch their votes. Specifically, six senators would have to become "yes" votes to override the veto. The Prairie Island Indian Community in Red Wing has lobbied aggressively against lifting the ban citing concerns that there is not a solution yet to the nuclear waste storage problem. This comes as Red Wing's Prairie Island Nuclear Plant is looking to expand and store more waste on site.

The city of Red Wing has said they want any proposal to lift the ban to include efforts to solve the waste problem. The city would like to see the state attorney general sue the U.S. Department of Energy for its failure to abide by federal law in terms of nuclear storage and to open up the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository in Nevada. The city also wants a comprehensive study looking at the cost of storing nuclear waste for potentially hundreds of years and to take steps to ensure that hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds from lawsuits filed by Xcel Energy are returned to ratepayers.

Education bills take center stage at the Capitol today

Looks like it is a big day for education-related bills today in St. Paul. The Minnesota Senate is expected to take up a bill that would freeze salaries for public school employees for two years. That includes any cost-of-living increases. Senate File 56 also prohibits teachers and other school employees from striking over the wage freeze.

Supporters argue that the mandatory freeze will help prevent layoffs and program cuts in districts struggling with tight budgets. The Minnesota Association of School Administrators estimates the bill would save school districts  $80 million to $100 million and would save 1,000 to 1,500 teaching jobs.

But critics argue that in most districts, school employees have already voluntarily agreed to wage freezes. They say that this bill will make it more difficult to recruit and maintain quality teachers.

This afternoon, the Minnesota House is expected to vote on an alternative teacher licensure provision. The bill is aimed at making it easier for mid-career professionals to become licensed teachers. Supporters say that the bill makes sure people who get the proper training can become teachers. Critics, including state teacher's union Education Minnesota, argue that individuals should be required to have a college degree in the field they are teaching and that alternatively-licensed teachers should be supervised to make sure students are getting a quality education.

A look at how much campaigns raised in Rochester

The Minnesota Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board today released the latest campaign finance reports covering the 2010 elections. Here is a quick look at how much Rochester area legislative candidates raised and spent on the race.

A couple of interesting things to note. Former DFL Rep. Andy Welti of Plainview outspent his GOP opponent Rep. Mike Benson by nearly $15,700. But it is important to keep in mind that plenty of money outside the campaigns flowed into that race in the final days. The challenge is getting a real sense of where all that money came from and how much was spent.

Also GOP Sen. Carla Nelson raised more than $69,000 beating out former DFL Sen. Ann Lynch, who raised nearly $56,500. But they both spent roughly $65,000 on the race. Similar to the Benson/Welti race, this race also attracted plenty of dollars from around the state.

Here are the fundraising totals for Rochester area legislative candidates.

Senate District 29
Greg French, DFL-Byron
Total receipts: $14,937
Total expenditures: $14,932

*David Senjem, R-Rochester
Total receipts: $44,468
Total expenditures: $41,193

House District 29A
*Duane Quam, R-Byron
Total receipts: $22,108
Total expenditures: $19,853

Doug Wunderlich, DFL-Mantorville
Total receipts: $12,374
Total expenditures: $13,610 (includes $1,000 loan)

House District 29B
*Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester
Total receipts: $30,464
Total expenditures: $33,856

Mike Rolih, R-Rochester
Total receipts: $24,883
Total expenditures: $24,339

Senate District 30
Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester
Total receipts: $56,464
Total expenditures: $65,008

*Carla Nelson, R-Rochester
Total receipts: $69,113
Total expenditures: $65,996

House District 30A
*Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester
Total receipts: $27, 483
Total expenditures: $32,262

Charlie O’Connell

UPDATE: O'Connell turned in his report by the deadline but it was not posted online until today.

Total receipts: $100

Total expenditures: $3,038 with funding coming from O'Connell.

House District 30B
*Mike Benson, R-Rochester
Total receipts: $22,491
Total expenditures: $22,939

Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview
Total receipts: $25,129
Total expenditures: $38,627

* Winner of the 2010 election

Special session on flood relief set for Oct. 11

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty announced this afternoon he plans to call a special session of the Minnesota legislature to deal with flood relief beginning at 1 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 11. The date remains tentative because it hinges on when President Obama issues a federal disaster declaration.

Pawlenty sent a letter on Friday requesting the disaster declaration citing a preliminary damage estimate of $64.1 million. Under the terms of a disaster declaration, the federal government would cover 75 percent of eligible costs. During the special session, lawmakers would approve funding to cover the state's share of the costs.

If the federal disaster declaration is received after Oct. 8, the date of the special session may have to be pushed back. But the idea was to put out a tentative date so lawmakers could plan ahead. The special session is expected to be wrapped up in one day.

The Governor requested federal individual assistance for 11 counties including Dodge, Goodhue, Olmsted and Wabasha counties. FEMA's Individuals and Households Program (IHP) helps homeowners and renters affected by a disaster with housing needs and necessary expenses.
 
Public assistance is requested for 21 counties including Dodge, Freeborn, Goodhue, Mower, Olmsted, Wabasha and Winona counties. FEMA’s Public Assistance Grant Program provides assistance for debris removal, emergency protective measures, and the repair, replacement, or restoration of disaster-damaged, publicly owned facilities.

Freedom Club goes after Welti in billboard ad

I was driving west on U.S. 14 the other day in Chester and spotted this billboard going after Rep. Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview. The billboard is sponsored by the Freedom Club PAC, a conservative organization funded mainly by Twin Cities business leaders.When former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin visited Minnesota for a book tour in December 2009, she did a fundraiser for the PAC.

The billboard states that "Democrat Andy Welti opposes photo ID to vote. Do you?" I did double check the vote they were referencing in the billboard and it is true that Welti voted against a voter ID proposal on March 8, 2010. I did put in a call to Welti this afternoon to ask about his views on the issue, and I am waiting to hear back.

Welti is running against GOP political newcomer Mike Benson, a professor at Crossroads College in Rochester. But the billboard specifices that "This is an independent expenditure not authorized by any candidate or candidates committee."

I can't remember seeing any billboards in recent years going after a Rochester area legislative candidate before. Does anyone remember seeing one before?

A fiscal wake-up call

The Citizens League Rochester is sponsoring a forum this evening to talk about the state's looming $6 billion budget deficit and gather ideas on how to fix it.

Called "Minnesota's Fiscal Wake-up Call: Planning for 2011 and beyond," the event will feature a round table discussion with area state lawmakers on how to solve the massive budget gap. It kicks off with a budget overview provided by Bill Marx, chief fiscal analyst for the Minnesota House. A video from the Concord Solution, a nonprofit organization committed to solving the federal deficit, will also be shown.

This is part of the Coffee & Conversations series with free coffee provided by Dunn Bros. The event kicks off at 7 p.m. at the Heintz Center on the RCTC Campus, 1926 Collegeview Dr. S.E. in Rochester.

Olmsted County solar bill signed by governor

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has signed a bill that will allow a proposed Olmsted County solar farm to move ahead. The measure allows Dairyland Cooperative to use energy generated from the farm to help meet state renewable energy standards. The project would transform a closed Olmsted County landfill near Oronoco into the state's largest solar farm.

But while the bill may sound simple, it ran into serious obstacles at the legislature this session that threatened to derail it. In the senate, bill author Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, was caught off guard when a senator tried to amend a provision onto the bill to lift the state's ban on nuclear plants. The amendment, which threatened to kill the bill, caused Sparks to delay a vote on the measure.

Once that problem was solved, House sponsor Rep. Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview, found himself in a political fight over the bill. Rep. Jeremy Kalin, DFL-North Branch, had concerns about provisions in the bill that would impact conservation standards in the bill. There was concern about allowing Dairyland Power to be able to count energy purchased from the project towards its conservation plan. That lead to a long debate on the House floor.

But in the end, the proposal won the backing of the House and Senate.

GOP and DFL leaders make stop in Rochester today

Republican and DFL legislators are flying around the state today offering their take on the end of the legislative session.

GOPers will be landing at noon at the Rochester International Airport. Among those making the trip are Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer. Joining him will be Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem, House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, Sen. Amy Koch and Rep. Matt Dean.

Senate DFL leaders will be arriving at the same location at 3:40 p.m. Making the trip are Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and Sen. Linda Berglin, who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Budget Division.

Dems make governor a counter offer

House and Senate Democrats have responded to Gov. Tim Pawlenty's budget-balancing offer with one of their own. Here are the details:

1. It would require the governor to sign the budget balancing bill HF 3834 passed this morning

2. Lawmakers would pass a second bill that would authorize this governor and the next governor to use their executive authority to apply or not apply for early enrollment to Medical Assistance.

3. That bill would also need to address the interim General Assistance Medical Care Program. House Majority Leader Tony Sertich said lawmakers want outstate hospitals like Mayo Clinic to be eligible for the same deal given to metro area hospitals who provide coverage to the low-income Minnesotans on this program.

4. No special session.

5. Instead of relying on the $408 million to balance the budget, use any money that comes in for the state's reserve fund.

Governor makes budget offer as time runs out

With 7 1/2 hours until the legislature has to adjourn, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty made a new budget offer to Democrats. Under the proposal, they would be asked to pass the unallotment cuts he made last summer.

Pawlenty is asking Democrats to drop their push to spend $188 million to expand Medical Assistance in order to get $1.4 billion in federal aid. House and Senate Republicans have said they are not willing to back that expansion saying it would bring "Obamacare" to Minnesota and they have concerns the federal dollars will be available in the future. Democrats have pushed hard to make that part of a final budget solution saying it makes sure Minnesota gets back more of the dollars it sends the federal government and would provide better coverage for poor Minnesotans.

The governor is offering to drop his proposal to cut an additional $114 million from health and human services. As part of the deal, if $408 million in anticipated federal health care dollars arrive by a certain date this summer, it would cover those costs and also provide some additional dollars that could go in the state's reserves. If that money doesn't come, Pawlenty said he would call a limited Special Session to focus on making additional health care/ health and human service cuts to balance the budget.

DFLers are going to present the idea to their caucus to see if there is support for the plan.

After an all-night session, the DFL-led Legislature passed a budget balancing bill. It made $1.2 billion in cuts and included $230 million in funding shifts. It also delayed more money for K-12 schools than the governor had previously recommend for a total of $1.9 billion. Also in the bill was the early Medical Assistance expansion. It passed the House 82 to 49 and the Senate 46-21. Pawlenty vowed to veto the bill.

All area DFL lawmakers voted in favor of the bill with the exception of one — Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester. She said the cuts in the bill were far too deep and did not include a way to pay back the school payment shifts. She said House Republicans are the ones blocking a potential deal.

"The governor has given them the authority to make a deal and they refuse to do it unless it's their way," Liebling said.

All area Republicans voted against the bill. The one exception is Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing, who did not cast a vote.

Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, said he will not support expanding Medical Assistance saying that he believes "there is a very good chance after the November elections that Obamacare will be defunded and it won't be there anyway."