Political Party

Rochester high-speed rail backers to hold Capitol press conference

The Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance has scheduled a press conference at the state Capitol in St. Paul tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. to unveil a new study. According to a news release, the study will provide an "apples-to-apples" comparison of potential high-speed routes between the Twin Cities and Wisconsin.

Alexander Metcalf, president of Transportation Economics & Mangement Systems, Inc., will answer questions about the results of the Tri-State III High-Speed Rail Study. He will be joined by legislative advocates and members of the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance, which commissioned the study.

While the news release does not provide any details as to what is in the report, Rochester DFL Sen. Ann Lynch said she believes the results will be a boost for Rochester's efforts to be part of a high-speed rail line.

"I think it is going to show that there is a very strong case for developing a route that encompasses Rochester," Lynch said.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is currently working to finish a statewide rail plan by the end of the year. Rochester is hoping to be a stop on a potential high-speed rail route from Chicago to the Twin Cities. Meanwhile, members of OnBoard Midwest are pushing for high-speed rail along the Mississippi River where there are existing railroad tracks. That plan calls for the trains to run from La Crosse, Wis. through Winona and Red Wing ending in St. Paul.

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.

Sen. Dave Senjem — an Internet sensation?

That's according to Michael Brodkorb, who heads up Senate Republican communications and writes for conservative blog Minnesota Democrats Exposed. The Rochester senator got fired up at a tax cut rally at the state Capitol on Saturday. You can view the video here.

Here's a few excerpts from his speech on the Capitol steps.

"In that building, there are 133 Democrats ready to tax the socks off you. You don't want that right?"

In response, the crowd yelled "Yeah!"

At one point, the Senate Minority Leader encouraged those in the crowd to get out their billfolds, lift them in the air and repeat after him.

"It's my money and not yours. Government, live within your means. Government, don't raise my taxes."

As a side note, Minnesota Democrats Exposed has another item about a Rochester lawmaker. The site says DFL Sen. Ann Lynch was looking for a Kentucky Derby hat to use this past weekend. Not sure what that's about.

Senate OK's legalizing pot for medical use

The Minnesota Senate gave preliminary approval to a bill by a vote of 36 to 28 that would legalize marijuana for medicinal use. The bill's sponsor is Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing. Supporters argue legalizing pot for patients would offer relief to Minnesotans dealing with severe pain and terminal illnesses. Opponents, including law enforcement groups, contend it would hurt drug-fighting efforts and could mean more people getting addicted to what is now an illegal drug.

Both of Rochester's senators — DFLer Ann Lynch and Republican Dave Senjem — voted against the bill.

"Just think about it. Do the people of Minnesota really want marijuana to be legalized in the name of medicine? I don't think they do," Senjem said on the Senate floor.

Local lawmakers who voted for the measure include Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona, and Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin — along with the bill author Murphy.

A bill to legalize marijuana for medical use has passed the Senate before but has stalled in the House. If the bill does get through the legislature, it would still face a possible veto from Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

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.

Rochester's 65th Street interchange gets big boost

Rochester's long-running battle to get an interchange built at 65th Street and U.S. 52 got a big boost on Thursday.

The Minnesota Senate approved an amendment to a transportation budget bill that would force the Minnesota Department of Transportation to issue the necessary permits for the project, provided there are no significant environmental impacts. Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem offered the amendment, which passed on a voice vote.

Senjem told fellow senators that MnDOT's refusal to issue these permits is preventing valuable projects from moving forward.

"On the east side of that (proposed) interchange, there are $168 million worth of commercial/residential projects ready to go, in the queue," Senjem said.

Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester, said the project would create 2,500 construction jobs and between 2,000 to 3,000 permanent jobs.

The measure is still far from a done deal. It remains to be seen whether the interchange amendment will make it in to the compromise transportation budget bill that will be drafted by a House-Senate conference committee.

Lynch turns out to be lynchpin for public safety bill

A Senate public safety budget bill seemed headed for a defeat on Monday, until Sen. Ann Lynch switched her vote. The Rochester Democrat had originally voted no on the omnibus public safety bill. The bill includes a 7 percent cut to public safety and corrections.

But after the first vote failed, Lynch switch her "no" vote to a "yes," helping the bill to pass by a vote of 34 to 31.  A total of 11 Democrats joined Republicans in voting against the bill.

After the vote, Lynch said she did have some concerns with the bill. In particular, she was upset the bill did not include a measure she proposed aimed at helping counties struggling with having to house short-term offenders in county jails. The state used to house these offenders but began mandating the county house them.

Lynch said voting for these tough budget cuts is not easy.

"When you are looking at a $6 billion budget deficit and trying to balance that with good public policy, it doesn't often match up really neatly," she said.

When asked whether DFL leaders pressured her to vote yes, Lynch said it came down to supporting the Senate's budget work.

"I think that it is important that we move our omnibus funding bills forward," she said. "We have a job to get done and I am committed to that end. And I think that is what was reflected in that action."

'Uh-oh' — Minnesota Dental Association targets Lynch in ad

I opened today's Rochester Post-Bulletin and was struck by a full-page ad  paid for by the Minnesota Dental Association. It features a patient with his mouth open and two gloved hands clutching dental tools that are in his mouth. Above the picture it says "The last thing you want to hear when you're getting dental care is 'uh-oh.'"

The ad then goes on to single out Rochester Sen. Ann Lynch saying she "wants to allow a new type of dental worker to perform unsupervised surgery on you and your family."

The ad urges readers to call the Democrat's office and "tell her unsupervised workers doing dental surgery is a bad idea."

This all centers around Lynch's bill, which would create a new mid-level dental practitioner. The goal is to help address dental access problems — especially for some lower-income residents in the urban core and rural areas. The oral health practitioners would be allowed to fill cavities, pull teeth and prescribe certain medication.

The Minnesota Dental Association today launched a vigorous ad campaign against the proposal. It includes a full-page ad in today's Minneapolis Star Tribune and ads in other newspapers across the state. They are also doing some radio ads and Web-only ads. But it's safe to say the association is spending tens of thousands of dollars to get their message out.

Forget money for Roch rail plan

It looks like Rochester's quest for $500,000 to study becoming a stop on a high-speed rail line from Chicago to the Twin Cities is dead. The measure failed to make it in to the House bonding bill. In the Senate, a bill sponsored by Sen. Ann Lynch seeking the funds failed to pass out of committee. As such, it failed to get in to the Senate bonding bill.

So it appears Rochester's rail advocates are focusing on a different goal — make sure the Minnesota Department of Transportation decides where the rail route should go — not lawmakers. The Senate bonding bill includes $5 million for an environmental study of a high-speed rail route that would run along the river through Winona ending in St. Paul.

But the House bonding bill avoids identifying money for a specific corridor. Rather, it emphasizes allowing MnDOT to finish a statewide rail plan to determine where the high-speed corridors should go. That drew collective relief among Rochester rail supporters.

"The House bonding supports the statewide rail plan currently underway and makes MnDOT the party responsible for passenger rail planning. We believe this approach lends itself to data-driven decisions. We are hopeful the Senate will accept the House approach," said Bryan Anderson, spokesman for Mayo Clinic and the Southeast Minnesota Rail Alliance.

What remains to be seen is whether this neutral rail language survives the conference committee.