Political Party

House DFL jumps into unallotment lawsuit

Minnesota House Democrats voted this morning to wade into the legal fight over Gov. Tim Pawlenty's unilateral budget cuts this summer.

Members of the House Rules and Legislative Administration Committee voted in favor of filing a friend of the court brief in a lawsuit brought by six Minnesotans who are suing Pawlenty over his use of unallotment. The vote was on a party line basis — 14 to 8.

Meanwhile, Rochester Democratic Rep. Tina Liebling has said she thinks the legislature is not going far enough. She said she supports the idea of the legislature suing the governor.

"I believe that there is a very strong legal basis for it. I believe what the governor did was illegal and possibly unconstitutional and needs to be challenged in court," Liebling said.

Here is a link to that story.

Taxpayers League scorecard not kind to Roch Democrats

The Taxpayers League of Minnesota has released its annual legislative scorecard. The scores are based on whether or not lawmakers voted for legislation deemed by the organization to be unfriendly to the taxpayer. In many cases, that involves whether or not a lawmaker supported bills with tax increases.

The report card did not have a favorable view of most DFLers — especially in Rochester. On a scale of 0 to 100, with 100 considered a perfect score, no Rochester Democrats received a rating above 13. In southeast Minnesota, the lawmaker with the lowest score was Sen Steve Murphy of Red Wing who netted a 0. 

Rep. Gene Pelowski of Winona was the highest ranking Democrat with a score of 47. That is in large part due to his voting against the DFL tax increase proposals. 

The report heralds Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and former House Minority Leader and potential gubernatorial candidate Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, as the "2009 Heroes of the Taxpayers" for standing up against tax increases.

Here is a look at ratings for Southeast Minnesota lawmakers. To look at the Taxpayers League's full list, go here.

Senate

Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona — 21

Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester — 7

Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing — 0

David Senjem, R-Rochester — 57

Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin — 14

House

Robin Brown, DFL-rural Austin — 7

Greg Davids, R-Preston — 80

Randy Demmer, R-Hayfield — 80

Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha — 87

Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing — 87

Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester — 13

Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester — 13

Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona — 47

Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin — 27

Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview — 13

Poppe backs Entenza for governor

Austin DFL Rep. Jeanne Poppe is wasting no time making her pick in the 2010 governor's race.

In an interview this weekend at Adams Dairy Days, Poppe said she is backing former House Minority Leader Matt Entenza of St. Paul. She said she is impressed with his experience and believes he has what it takes to win.

"He knows how to hire a good staff and how to get the job done," Poppe said.

In fact, Entenza’s campaign announced earlier this month he had hired five firms to help manage online operations, literature and direct mail, paid media and polling.

Other DFL candidates that have already announced plans to run include Sen. Tom Bakk of Cook, Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner and Sen. John Marty of Roseville. Other potential candidates include St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman, former U.S. Sen. Mark Dayton, former state Sen. Steve Kelley, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and state Rep. Paul Thissen.

It seems as though most local lawmakers are holding back on making endorsements. Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester, has said she is not ready to make a formal endorsement but she has been traveling around the city with Bakk. Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, hosted a meet and greet event for Anderson Kelliher at her Rochester home, but said she is waiting before she decides who to endorse.

Olmsted commissioners talk 'green pipes' and inmates

Olmsted County Commissioner met with area lawmakers this morning at the Capitol for an update on some of the county's legislative priorities.

One key area of concern is the county's quest to get $6 million for a steam line project from the Olmsted County Waste-to-Energy plant to Rochester Community and Technical College. Dubbed the "Green Pipes" project, the proposal would get $5 million from the state in the Senate bonding bill. But no such luck in the smaller House bonding bill — the Green Pipes project was left out.

So as a House and Senate conference committee meets to hash out differences, county officials were keen to learn whether the Green Pipes project would make the cut.

Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester, who serves on the conference committee, said she is optimistic the project will get bonding money.

"The odds are good," Lynch told commissioners.

Meanwhile, county officials also voiced concern that a deal to have the state take back responsibility for housing short-term offenders may not happen. That would come after Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty voiced support for the state taking back these offenders to help cash-strapped counties faced with housing these offenders.

County administrator Dick Devlin told lawmakers that the Olmsted County jail was housing more than 180 offenders this weekend and capacity is 200 to 210. If the state fails to take back responsibility for housing short-term offenders, it means the county may have to start paying to house inmates elsewhere or consider building a new jail.

Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, said it is unclear what is going to happen with this issue. But if the legislature balks at the $8 million price tag for the state, then she said she will try and pitch a compromise floated by local officials. That plan would allow certain well-behaved inmates the chance to get out of prison early and counties would be responsible for probation of these inmates. In exchange, the state would take back responsibility for housing short-term offenders.

Not the year for gay marriage debate

Today marks a crucial first deadline at the state Capitol. All policy bills must have cleared at least one chamber's policy committees in order to stay alive. Several bills both in favor and against gay marriage will miss that deadline — failing to get even a single hearing.

It seems with the state grappling with a $4.6 billion budget deficit, there is little appetite among state lawmakers to wade into this social debate.

Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha, has authored a bill that would amend the state Constitution to define marriage as union between a man and a woman. That proposed change would be submitted to the state's voters during the 2010 general election.

Meanwhile Rep. Tina Liebling, DFL-Rochester, is co-sponsoring the "Marriage and Family Protection Act," which would removes gender specific references in the state's marriage laws.

Other proposals include a bill that would allow for civil unions and another bill that would require Minnesota to recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states.