Political Notebook

Quam blasts new political boundaries in Dodge County

Republican Rep. Duane Quam said the special redistricting panel did a poor job when it came to redrawing the boundaries in Dodge County. The county of just over 20,000 people to the west of Rochester has spent the past decade being represented by one senator and one representative. But the redistricting maps released yesterday show the county being carved up among five representatives and four senators.

"That doesn't serve them well," Quam said. "I think it's poor drawing. There is some identity to a county."

Of the House members whose districts will include Dodge County, three are Republicans and two are Democrats. Among senators, three are Republicans and one is a Democrat. So, here is a breakdown of how Dodge County's cities are divided up among incumbents.

— Hayfield and Blooming Prairie will be part of House District 27A with incumbent Rep. Rich Murray, R-Albert Lea. The Senate incumbent is Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin.

— Claremont, Ashland Township and Ripley Township will be part of House District 24B with incumbent Rep. Patti Fritz, DFL-Faribault. The Senate incumbent is Sen. Mike Parry, R-Waseca (who, incidentally, is running for the 1st Congressional District seat).

— West Concord will be within House District 21B with incumbent Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa. The Senate incumbent is Sen. John Howe, R-Red Wing.

— Kasson, Mantorville and Dodge Center would be in House District 25A with incumbent Rep. Duane Quam, R-Byron. The Senate incumbent is Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester.

— Vernon Township will be part of House District 27 B with incumbent Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin. The Senate incumbent is Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin.

So could these new maps encourage a bunch of politicos in Dodge County to run for office? We'll have to wait and see. For now the only candidate to announce running for the legislature from the county — Kasson-Mantorville Elementary School Teacher John Vossen — will still be taking on Quam.

 

Senjem endorses Parry

Rochester Sen. Dave Senjem is endorsing fellow Republican Sen. Mike Parry for congress. The Parry campaign sent out a news release this morning touting the endorsement of Senjem and other southern Minnesota political figures.

In the news release, Senjem is quoted as saying, "During his visit to Rochester last week, Senator Parry said something that was very special and sets him apart from nearly everyone in Congress, or running for Congress: he knows what it's like to sign both sides of a pay check. He has been in the trenches. He understands what it takes to grow jobs and to make business work, something our country desperately needs in these terribly uncertain times. Senator Parry is the kind of leader the people of Southern Minnesota can rely on to jump start our economy and make job growth and a new prosperity our nation's number one priority moving forward."

Parry is running for the 1st Congressional District seat held by DFL Congressman Tim Walz. So far, he is the only Republican to officially announce he is running for the seat. Allen Quist has said it is very likely he will run again for the seat.

Also endorsing Parry was state Senate Agricultural Committee Chair Doug Magnus, R-Slayton, and several Republican county leaders. They included Mower County Republicans Chair Charles Mills, Steele County Republicans Co-Chair Norrine Jensen and Freeborn Republicans Co-Chair Al Arends.

It is interesting to see who is not included in the endorsements. Rochester's other Republican senator, Carla Nelson, is not listed. None of the leaders of the Republican Party of Olmsted County are on the list.

Local lawmakers weigh in on a new Vikes stadium

The press corps offices at the Capitol cleared out this afternoon as reporters headed to Arden Hills to cover the big Minnesota Vikings news conference this afternoon. The Vikes announced they have partnered with Arden Hills and are looking to build a $1 billion stadium with a retractable roof on the site of an abandoned ammunitions plant.

The news comes after Minneapolis officials came forward with a proposal to build a new stadium at the site of the existing Metrodome yesterday. But the Vikings were cool that that plan.

So what do southeast Minnesota lawmakers think about all this talk of stadiums? I caught up with a few of them to get their thoughts.

Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, said her focus is on solving the state's $5 billion budget deficit — not getting a stadium built. But she said once lawmakers reach a budget deal, she is willing to consider options for funding a Vikings stadium.

"If we’re talking revenue we should be talking about revenue to fund our schools, to fund our colleges, to make certain that we don’t kick 100,000 people off health care, to meet that is a priority and if we can do that and deal with the Vikings afterward, I am more than willing to keep an open mind," Norton said.

Rep. Mike Benson, R-Rochester, said in order for any stadium deal to have his support, the people of Ramsey County would have to be given the chance to vote on any local tax increase proposals.

 "I could support the plan only if the people of Ramsey County get a chance to vote on that sales tax. If it's something that forces them to take that (tax increase) or they don’t have any input then it doesn’t have my support," Benson said.

House Taxes Committee Chair Greg Davids said he is open to taking a closer look at the stadium proposal. But he said he does not back a proposal that would raise income taxes on football players to help cover the state's share of the cost.

I do have concerns with the income tax issue. I don’t know how we could consider income tax increases (for players) when we are demanding no income tax increases," Davids said.

DFL Austin Sen. Dan Sparks is also open to a possible stadium deal. But he said he wants to take a closer look at the specifics first.

"Obviously (a new stadium) could put a lot of people to work and the Minnesota Vikings are widely supported, but we have to be careful how we spend taxpayers dollars," he said.

Liebling signs court brief defending constitutionality of health care law

Rochester Rep. Tina Liebling joined 34 others Democrats in the Minnesota House and Senate who signed onto a "friend of the court" brief that defends the constitutionality of the new federal health care law. The brief was filed in the U.S. Court of Appeals in the 11th District. The brief was signed by 154 state legislators in 26 states.

This comes after Florida Judge Roger Vinson recently struck down the entire health care law. Vinson concluded that Congress exceeded its authority when it passed the individual mandate requiring all citizens to have health care coverage.

The friend of the court brief argues that Congress has the authority to address national concerns — including health care. They also argue the commerce clause in the constitution gives Congress the authority to impose the mandate.

It's interesting to note that Liebling is the only Democrat from southeast Minnesota who signed onto the amicus brief. Of course, she is on the DFL lead on the House Health and Human Services Committee and a lawyer by trade. Those who did not sign the brief were Rep. Kim Norton, DFL-Rochester, Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, Rep. Jeanne Poppe, DFL-Austin and Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin.

 

Senjem to introduce racino bill next week

Rochester GOP Sen. Dave Senjem is taking the lead in pushing a bill to allow video slot machines at two horse-racing tracks in the state.

I just got a press release about a news conference slated for 10 a.m. Monday at the state Capitol announcing Senjem will be the chief author of the racino bill. Also joining him will be DFL Sen. Dan Sparks of Austin, who sponsored the bill last year. Rep. Bob Gunther, R-Fairmont, will be the chief author in the house. The measure could raise $250 million per year.

Previous racino attempts have fizzled at the Capitol. But with the state facing a $5 billion budget deficit, this might be the year lawmakers and the governor are willing to consider gambling as part of the solution. A big question is how those racino dollars would be used. One option would be for the money to help go towards building a new Minnesota Vikings Stadium. DFL Gov. Mark Dayton has said he would not want to see gambling money diverted to a stadium. Rather, he would like to see any such revenues go towards education.

Joining the lawmakers for the press conference will be representatives from Minnesota's equine industry, who are strong supporters of the bill. But expect a tough fight on the measure — especially from Native American tribes who argue this expands gambling in the state and will divert business from their casinos.

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

No Rochester lawmakers on Senate HHS Committee

No senators from Rochester or southeast Minnesota will serve on the Senate's Health and Human Services Committee in the coming year. That's pretty striking given that Rochester is home to Mayo Clinic and health policy decisions made at the Capitol can have a big impact on the clinic.

DFL Sen. Ann Lynch of Rochester, who was defeated by Republican Carla Nelson, previously served as vice chair of the Health and Human Services Budget Division Commitee and on the Health, Housing and Family Security Committee. Her predecessor Sen. Sheila Kiscaden, DFL-Rochester, served on the Health and Family Security committee along with some other health-related committees.

It should be noted that the new Republican-led Senate did drastically reduce the number of committees so there is only one left that deals with health.

Three newly-elected Republican senators from the area have scored vice chairmanships.

Sen.-elect Nelson of Rochester has been named vice chair of the Senate Education Committee. That makes sense given her background in education. She earned a bachelor's degree in education with an emphasis in special education from Drake University. She also worked as an elementary special education teacher.

Sen.-elect Jeremy Miller of Winona will serve as vice chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee. Winona is home of course to Winona State University and Saint Mary's University.

Sen.-elect John Howe of Red Wing will be vice chair of the Senate Transportation Committee.His predecessor DFL Sen. Steve Murphy was the longtime chair of this committee.

One important thing to note. There are no lawmakers from Rochester or southeast Minnesota appointed to the Health and Human Services Committee. That's notable considering that Rochester is home to the Mayo Clinic and health policy decisions at the state can have a big impact on the clinic.

Below is a roundup of all the committee assignments for southeast Minnesota senators.

Howe: Energy, Utilities and Telecom, Jobs and Economic Growth and the Transportation (VC)

Miller: Capital Investment, Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources, Higher Education (VC) Jobs and Economic Development

Nelson: Capital Investment, Education (VC), Local Government and Elections

Sen. Dave Senjem, R-Rochester: Capital Investment (C), Taxes, Rules, Higher Education and Transportation

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin: Agriculture, Commerce and Consumer Protection, Energy, Utilities and Telecom

 

 

 

Austin school board member to challenge Sparks

Austin Post-Bulletin reporter Tim Ruzek reports today that longtime Austin School Board member Kathy Green plans to run against DFL Sen. Dan Sparks for the Senate District 27 seat.

In the story, Green said she plans to run as a Republican describing herself as a fiscal conservative with bipartisan credentials. Part of what has motivated her to jump into the race is concern about how the state's budget woes since 2002 have impacted schools.

"I can no longer sit on the sidelines," Green said.

Sparks, first elected in 2002, filed Wednesday for re-election to a third term. In 2006, Sparks won by 68 percent to 32 percent over GOP candidate George Marin, of Albert Lea.

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.

Senate votes to override gov's veto of GAMC

The Minnesota Senate voted to override the governor's veto of a bill that would temporarily extend the General Assistance Medical Care Program. The bill passed 45-21 along party lines. Voting "yes" were all of the area's Democrats — Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, of Winona; Sen. Ann Lynch, of Rochester; Sen. Steve Murphy, of Red Wing; and Sen. Dan Sparks, of Austin. Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, voted no.

Republican criticized Democrats for bringing the override measure forward at a time when they are negotiating with the governor on a compromise. Democrats responded that the governor's office is moving ahead with its plan starting Monday, which has given an urgency to the situation.

The House is expected to vote Monday on an override of the GAMC veto.

The Minnesota Hospital Association released an interesting spreadsheet showing the potential financial impact on hospitals across the state if the GAMC bill does not pass. For Mayo Clinic hospitals in Rochester, the DFL proposal is a better financial deal. But for some facilities including Olmsted Medical Center, the governor's proposal to transition GAMC patients to MinnesotaCare would be better financially.

Click here to Download GAMC hospital impact