Political Notebook

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.

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.

Mayo Clinic's DMC plan passes House

Mayo Clinic’s ambitious expansion plans for Rochester are one step closer to becoming a reality.

The Minnesota House voted 69 to 64 to approver funding for Mayo Clinic’s Destination Medical Center proposal on Wednesday as part of a sweeping tax bill. The 20-year plan requires Mayo Clinic to invest $200 million before state dollars would begin to flow for public infrastructure projects in Rochester. The local community would be required to contribute $128 million toward the project. The county would be on the hook for an additional $33 million for transportation upgrades.

House DMC bill sponsor Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, said the project will create an estimated 25,000 to 30,000 direct jobs, up to 15,000 in indirect jobs and up 2,200 annual construction jobs.

"This is probably the largest economic development opportunity anywhere in the country," she said.

But not all the lawmakers in the Rochester-area delegation agreed the tax bill was worth supporting — even if the DMC project is in it. Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron, said while there may be some good provisions in the bill, the damage caused by tax increases in the bill outweigh any potential benefits.

"This is a stone cold, job killing bill," he said.

The House tax bill raises $2.6 billion in revenue and includes raising taxes on wealthier Minnesotans, alcohol, cigarettes, sports memorabilia and silica-sand mining. It creates a fourth-tier 8.49 percent rate on couples with a taxable income of more than $400,000 and single filers with taxable income of $226,200. It also imposes a two-year, 4 percent income surcharge on taxable income over more than $500,000. Taxes would be boosted by $1.60 a pack for cigarettes and 7 cents a drink on alcoholic beverages. Those additional dollars would be used to close the state’s $627 million budget gap, pay back $854 million borrowed from K-12 schools and provides $250 million in property tax relief.

Local share for DMC jumps to at least $128 million in House plan

Note: This blog post has been updated to correct an error. Olmsted County would not be responsible for entire $119 million in transportation upgrades as originally reported. Rather, the county would only pay a portion of that amount based on a formula. Details about the specific dollar amount were not available Monday night.

The local match for Mayo Clinic Destination Medical Center would swell to at least $128 million under a legislative compromise unveiled Monday night as part of the House tax bill.

The legislation would require the city to contribute at least $128 million toward the 20-year project. In addition, the county would be responsible for a portion of $119 million in transportation upgrades needed for the project. That’s well above the $60 million in local funds initially pledged toward the project. The bill also drops the state’s share of the cost to $338 million instead of the $565 million Mayo Clinic had been seeking.

Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, said Mayo and local officials will have to determine whether this proposal is workable. The plan would give the city and county the authority to raise a wide range of taxes to cover the local match. Ideally, the majority of those taxes would be targeted at visitors, but Norton said that won’t cover the whole cost. Inevitably, local taxpayers will have to pony up more for this to work.

“There will be an additional burden, and it could just be an extension of our sales tax, which everyone is used to paying, and I am sure that won’t sit well with some citizens,” she said. “And yet, we’ll all benefit from what’s going to happen financially as well as being a livable city.”

In order to remain more globally competitive, Mayo Clinic has pledged to invest $3.5 billion to expand its Rochester campus and leverage more than $2 billion in private investment. In exchange, the clinic wants the state to pay for the public infrastructure upgrades needed to support that massive growth. Those dollars would go towards things like parking ramps, transit, bridges and site clean-up costs.

Initially, Mayo proposed capturing a portion of the additional state taxes generated by the project and using those to pay for the infrastructure upgrades. But that idea failed to win support among key lawmakers, including House Taxes Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenczewski. Under the new plan, Mayo Clinic would have to spend $200 million on construction before any state money would be available. The state would provide up to $30 million per year in direct aid to the city for infrastructure.

Lenczewski said an analysis showed that Rochester residents pay far less for infrastructure than residents in other large cities. This plan requires the local governments to pay their fair share.

“We think it’s a very reasonable lift,” she said.

Local share of DMC plan over $100 milllion in House compromise

The city of Rochester and Olmsted County's share of Mayo Clinic's Destination Medical Center plan would swell to more than $100 million under a House plan, according to bill author Kim Norton.

The House tax bill language will not officially be released until 6 p.m., but Norton offered a brief overview of what is included in the bill. It would drop the state's funding for the plan from upwards of $500 million to more than $300 million. Those dollars would go toward building public infrastructure to support Mayo Clinic's plan to invest $3.5 billion to expand its Rochester campus and leverage $2 billion in private investment.

Gone is Mayo Clinic's initial proposal to capture some of the state sales tax generated by the development. Instead, Norton said the funding would be based on capital investments made as part of the project. It would also lower the cap on amount of money available for infrastructure upgrades  per year to less than half of the $75 million Mayo had wanted. In terms of the local match, officials would get to choose from up to eight different types of tax increases to raise the money.

The tax bill also revamps the DMC's governing structure. Mayo Clinic had initially proposed establishing an economic development corporation to oversee daily operations and then a separate advisory board to approve how public dollars are spent. The House plan scraps the advisory board and lays out criteria for membership on the nonprofit corporation's board. The nine-member board would include the mayor, a city council member and a county board member. It also gives the Rochester Area Chamber of Commerce the chance to suggest a number of members with the city council selecting two. Mayo Clinic would also recommend appointees with the city council choosing two. The last two seats would be appointed by the governor.

"I think we're all comfortable with where we're at knowing there's plenty of opportunity for change," Norton said.

Local lawmakers back push for civil unions

A Red Wing Republican opposed to legalizing gay marriage is urging fellow lawmakers to back civil unions instead.

Rep. Tim Kelly announced Wednesday he plans to introduce a bill today recognizing civil unions. He said his bill offers a chance for a bipartisan solution to a very difficult social issue.

“We are here offering a way to unite Minnesota and bring forth a bill that will take the divisive social issues away from the political arena and give everyone the individual rights they deserve,” Kelly said.

But supporters of same-sex marriage say civil unions would treat gay couples as second-class citizens, creating a separate but unequal system.

“Who dreams of growing up and getting civil unioned to somebody? You dream of falling in love and getting married. That is what this is about,” said Sen. Scott Dibble, DFL-Minneapolis, who is sponsoring a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

Gay marriage advocates a prime opportunity to pass legislation this session legalizing gay marriage with Democrats in control of the Legislature and DFL Gov. Mark Dayton in the Governor’s Mansion. Same-sex marriage bills have already cleared all the key committees on straight party-line votes and are awaiting action on the House and Senate floors. Dayton has expressed his strong support for gay marriage and is expected to sign such a bill.

But not all Democrats are comfortable with the fast pace of the same-sex marriage debate. Assistant Minority Leader Kim Norton of Rochester is the lone Democrat to sign onto Kelly’s bill. She said she is disappointed that her party’s leadership is moving ahead with a vote on the marriage issue this year. Civil unions offer a compromise on a very divisive issue among her constituents.

“The community is very split on this issue, and I am just trying very hard to listen and to do the right thing,” she said.

When asked if she would vote against a bill legalizing gay marriage, Norton said she is undecided. But she added that “I tend to think I could not vote against the civil rights of another individual.”

Mayo Clinic gets shout-out in State of State address

DFL Gov. Mark Dayton made a point of recognizing Mayo Clinic President and CEO Dr. John Noseworthy during his State of the State address on Wednesday night and reiterating his support for the clinic's $6 billion Destination Medical Center initiative.

"The renowned Mayo Cinic wants us to help them continue to outclass their competitors in other state and other countries and to continue doing so from Rochester. I thank Mayo, whose CEO Dr. John Noseworthy is with us tonight as a guest of Speaker (Paul) Thissen, for giving Minnesota the change to partner with them and help assure their world medical pre-eminence for decades to come in Rochester, Minnesota," Dayton said.

That proved to be one of the few statements made by the governor during his speech that won strong bipartisan support. The governor's decision to talk about Destination Medical Center was somewhat of a surprise. His spokeswoman Katharine Tinucci said on Tuesday she did not expect him to bring it up.

Assistant Majority Leader Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, said she appreciated the governor’s statement.

“That was really nice. I think he was showing his serious concern about Mayo Clinic’s health and their growth and their growth here in Minnesota,” she said.

Mayo Clinic is asking lawmakers for more than $500 million to pay for public infrastructure that would support its plans to expand in Rochester. As part of the deal, the clinic has pledged to spend $3.5 billion over the next 20 years and leverage an estimated $2 billion in private investment. Funding for the infrastructure would come from the increased state taxes generated by the clinic’s expansion. Norton plans to introduce the Destination Medical Center bill today in the House and Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, plans to carry it in the Senate.

Noseworthy said in an interview after the speech he was honored to be invited to the Capitol for the State of State address and to have the clinic's project mentioned by the governor.

“We are very pleased to have the governor express support for the proposal, and we look forward to working to make it a reality, to make Minnesota a destination site for health care,” he said.

Norton's election bill headed to House floor

ST. PAUL — A bill making it easier to remove a deceased candidate's name from the ballot is headed to the Minnesota House floor.

The legislation was inspired by the 2012 Rochester City Council president election. Assistant House Majority Leader Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, authored the bill with the goal of making sure other communities don't find themselves in the awkward position of having a dead candidate's name on the ballot. In June, longtime Rochester City Council President Dennis Hanson died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm. Hanson had filed for re-election, so, under state law, Hanson's name could not be removed from the ballot and the filing period could not be reopened. That left one living candidate on the ballot — Jan Throndson, a retired maintenance mechanics supervisor at the Federal Medical Center.

Ultimately, Hanson's family and friends campaigned on his behalf to force a special election so voters would have a choice between multiple candidates on the ballot. Rochester attorney Jeff Thompson also launched a write-in campaign. Hanson ended up winning the election.

Norton's bill would allow for a candidate's name to be removed from the ballot in a nonpartisan race if the death occurs more than 84 days before the general election. A five-day filing period would open up, and there would be no primary. It also aims to make sure voters have a choice on the ballot. If a candidate ends up withdrawing within two days of filing for office, leaving only one candidate or no other candidates on the ballot, a five-day filing period would open up.

The Minnesota House Elections Committee approved the bill Thursday on a voice vote with no discussion. It now heads to the Minnesota floor for a vote. Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, has introduced a similar measure in the Senate.

Norton attributes the bill's easy passage to other lawmakers understanding the tough situation Rochester faced as a result of recent changes to the state's election law.

"People understood that problems were going to come up ," she said. "We just serve as the sad and unfortunate example that forces the issue, maybe faster or sooner than anyone thought."

Meanwhile, in Rochester, Thompson on Wednesday filed as a candidate for the upcoming Rochester City Council president special election.

He joins the council's interim president, Randy Staver, and Throndson as candidates. Staver and Throndson filed on the first day of the filling period, which was Tuesday. The last day to file is Feb. 5.

The election is March 19.

Norton backs election law changes in wake of Rochester City Council president race

A Rochester lawmaker is backing a bill that would make it easier to remove a candidate's name from the ballot if he or she dies after filing for office.

Assistant House Majority Leader Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, introduced the bill today. The goal is to prevent what happened during Rochester's most recent city council president race. In June, long-time Rochester City Council President Dennis Hanson died unexpectedly of a brain aneurysm shortly after filing for office. But under state law, Hanson's name could not be removed from the ballot and the filing period could not be reopened. That left one other candidate on the ballot — Jan Throndson. Ultimately, Hanson's family launched a campaign urging voters to vote for Hanson as a way to force a primary election and provide voters with a choice. Rochester attorney Jeff Thompson also launched a write-in bid. Hanson ended up winning with more than 51 percent of the vote. The special election is set for March 19, with a filing period from Jan. 22 to Feb. 5.

Norton's bill would allow for a candidate's name to be removed from the ballot in a nonpartisan race if the death occurs at least 84 days before the general election. A five-day filing period would open up and there would be no primary with all the candidate's names appearing on the general election ballot. She has asked Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, to sponsor the bill in the Senate.

While the legislation is not ideal, Norton said it's the best option lawmakers have to address the problem. Tying their hands is a strict election timeline to ensure there is enough time to mail and receive back military and overseas ballots. The bill also excludes judicial elections from the new provisions because of a recent judge race where 23 candidates appeared on the general election ballot. There is the potential this new law could result in a slew of candidates ending up on a ballot for nonpartisan races, but Norton said this law will only be triggered on very rare occasions and appeared to be the best option available. After working with officials at the Minnesota Secretary of State's office on the bill, she discovered there simply would not be enough time to allow for a primary election if a death happened within 84 days of a general election because of a requirement enough time be available for a recount.

"This was very sensitive and tough for our community. It was tough certainly for Dennis' family to have to go through that, and I anticipate that others will be interested in signing on (to the bill)," she said.