Political Notebook

Winona Realtor to challenge Miller for Senate seat

A Winona real estate agent announced Wednesday that he will run for the Minnesota Senate seat held by freshman Republican Sen. Jeremy Miller.

Democrat Jack Krage said he is running because the Republican-led Senate has failed to do what is in the best interest of the state.

"In one short year in control of the House and Senate, they've forced a government shutdown, raised property taxes by nearly $1 billion, and there is now a good chance that the state is still in the red. Minnesota needs a change in leadership," he said in a statement.

Krage grew up on a dairy farm in Ridgeway and is a graduate of Winona State University. He has been a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Skeels/Moore and Associates for 27 years. He serves on the Lions Global Leadership Management Team. He has served two terms as president of the Southern Minnesota Association of Realtors.

Miller, a Winona businessman, narrowly defeated first-term DFL Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, 51 percent to 49 percent. He won in a year when Republicans regained control of the Minnesota Senate for the first time in nearly 40 years.

Senate District 31 stretches from Winona to La Crescent to Chatfield. But it is unclear what the final senate boundary lines will look like in 2012 due to the redistricting process. Every 10 years, the state is required to redraw all the political boundaries based on the latest census data.

"With the economy struggling, the middle class cannot afford to be pinched even tighter," Krage said in a statement. "I would like to be southeastern Minnesota's voice in the Senate and let the Legislature know that enough is enough."

Fight over where to put vets cemetery reemerges

Last session, lawmakers representing Fillmore County squared off with lawmakers representing Olmsted County over the issue of where a new veterans cemetery should go. In the end, it was the Olmsted County lawmakers who prevailed.

Former state Rep. Andy Welti, DFL-Plainview, and former Sen. Ann Lynch, DFL-Rochester, both backed a bill that would require all of southeast Minnesota be considered for a new state veterans cemetery. The argument was that all of southeast Minnesota should be examined for a possible site to make sure the best location was picked. That could potentially include land near Stewartville.

Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, and former Sen. Sharon Erickson-Ropes, DFL-Winona, had backed a bill that would require the new cemetery be built in Fillmore County. The county and city of Preston have offered to donate land for the project.

But in the end, the broader language passed last year. But Davids is bringing the issue back up sponsoring a bill to require the cemetery be built in Fillmore County. There is a hearing at 12:30 p.m. before the Veterans Services Decision on his bill, HF 226. Sen. Jeremy, Miller, R-Winona, is sponsoring a similar bill in the Senate.

The bills rely on $500,000 in funding already appropriated for veterans cemeteries. That isn't much, given that there are three proposal in the works in Minnesota — one in southwestern Minnesota, one in northeastern Minnesota and one in southeast Minnesota.

 

Local GOP candidates join in mass election filing

A crowd of Republican candidates gathered in St. Paul today as part of a mass election filing. Several area candidates made the trek and joined in a news conference featuring Republican gubernatorial candidate Tom Emmer.

Local non-incumbent GOP candidates filing today to run against were Duane Quam for House District 29A, Carla Nelson for Senate District 30, Charlie O'Connell for House District 30A, Mike Benson for House District 30B and Jeremy Miller for Senate District 31. Incumbents at today's mass filing included Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem of Rochester, Rep. Steve Drazkowski of Mazeppa and Rep. Tim Kelly of Red Wing.

At an enthusiastic (and very warm!) press conference, Republican candidates this morning compared this year to the GOP's landslide midterm election win in 1994.

"If you can't get excited about this year, your heart is not beating," Senjem told a crowd of enthusiastic candidates and supporters.

Local Republicans running say voters are concerned about government spending.

"The number one issue people are talking about is out-of-control government spending," said Miller, who is running for the seat currently held by Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona.

Benson, who is running against DFL Rep. Andy Welti of Plainview, said he believes voters want change.

"I've knocked on 1,600 doors now, as late as Saturday I knocked on 400, and overwhelmingly the people I've talked to are looking for a new direction," Benson said.

In particular, he said they want lawmakers who will restructure government and lower taxes with the goal of encouraging economic development.

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

Clock running out on fixing tax reciprocity agreement

A bipartisan group of 21 lawmakers has sent a letter to Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle and Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty asking them to restore the tax reciprocity agreement between the two states.

The lawmakers are asking officials to start negotiating both a short-term and long-term fix to the reciprocity dispute. And the clock is ticking. The Minnesota Department of Revenue said a solution has to be in place by early November in order to alert affected taxpayers and employers. Otherwise, the reciprocity agreement will end as of Jan. 1, 2010.

Lawmakers signing the letter include DFL-Winona, Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston and Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona and Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing.

The letter goes on to ask the two states to also look at a long-term fix to the problem. That could include updating a study that calculates reimbursements and potentially revising the interest rate applied to Wisconsin's payments.

The letter states, "We are keenly aware of the difficult budget circumstances facing both states. We believe, however, that this fact makes it even more important to strive for a long-term agreement that will support the working relationship and regional economy  of which we have been so reliant and have benefited from in the past."

Last month, the Minnesota Department of Revenue announced it was scrapping the 41-year-old agreement as of Jan. 1, 2010. At that point, Minnesotans who work in Wisconsin must file and income tax return in both states. That means higher taxes for Minnesota workers. The department estimates that 8,000 Minnesota residents will see a tax increase of $300 year.

Click here to Download Reciprocity Restoration Letter

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

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.

Nursing requirements ruffles Mayo's feathers

Winona Democratic Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes is sponsoring a bill that would mandate hospitals follow certain nurse staffing guidelines to protect patient safety. The bill would require all hospitals to draft a staffing plan by July 1, 2010. Direct care nurses must agree with this plan. Hospitals that fail to complete the plan could be subject to stiff penalties — including the suspension or revocation of its license to operate.

The bill also outlines specific requirements when it comes to how many patients a direct care nurse can have at a time, depending on the situation. Supporters argue this bill is about preserving patient safety.

But Mayo Clinic is not a fan. The clinic's lobbyist Frank Iossi said the clinic is concerned about putting mandates on state hospitals instead of allowing hospital staff to determine what nursing levels are needed.

The bill gets a hearing this afternoon before the Senate's Health, Housing and Family Security Committee.