Sandy’s Blog

Legislators respond to Franken articles

Mon, 9 Jun 2008 08:34:31 -0500

Statement from Senator Kathy Saltzman and Representative Sandy Wollschlager
June 5, 2008

As Minnesotans, we find the articles written by Mr. Franken to be most disturbing. While some may describe these writings to be satire, comedy, or an expression of free speech, we find them offensive and highly inappropriate when linked to a candidate for the United States Senate.
The standard for any party should be doing the people’s work and the prism through which candidates should be vetted and policies examined. While many still believe that Mr. Franken is a viable candidate for endorsement, we find it very difficult to see past these actions.

Pioneering New Legislative Procedures

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 14:54:27 -0500

The Sesquicentennial Wagon Train started from Cannon Falls on a 100-mile journey to the State Capitol and on Sunday, May 11, 2008, kicked off statehood week. Along the way community members came out to wish us well and kids held banners that read Happy Birthday Minnesota!

The wagon train was well organized and I was able to ride my American Quarter Horse, Stormy, for about half the trip. And while it was our time to toot our horn, we also met some resistance. Dakota people held a protest at Fort Snelling and marched at the Capitol. Speakers said that they had approached the Sesquicentennial Commission and asked for an opportunity to reflect on the suffering of Dakota people. For example, they wanted to tell the story of the thirty-eight Dakota men who were hanged the day after Christmas in 1862. Protestors said because they were denied a time and place, they were forced to conduct truth-telling through protests and demonstrations. The truth-telling was peaceful and it was a gentle reminder that what pioneers started has been slowly shaped through the generations.

The experience highlights a principle of democracy: majority rule, minority rights. Just as these twin pillars of a democratic government put the brakes on the wagon train, they also slow down business at the Capitol. That shouldn't change.

But, Minnesota voters also have clearly voiced they want legislation moved forward in a timely manner. People do not want a repeat of the years 2003 - '06 when three special sessions were called, one state shutdown occurred, and a bonding bill failed to pass. Your frustration boiled over at the ballot box in 2006, and I became one of 34 new House members. Over this biennium we have worked hard and finished on time. It is also obvious to me and many other Minnesotans that the Minnesota State Legislature is a work in progress, and more effort is needed.

Rep. Gene Pelowski Jr. (DFL-Winona and Red Wing High School graduate of 1970), now serving his 11th term, is leading an initiative as Chair of the House Governmental Operations, Reform, Technology and Elections Committee, of which I am a member. Together we are working with other committee members to introduce in 2009 a package of proposed rule changes to improve our lawmaking processes. Currently the committee is reviewing ideas shared by other states at the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), as well as our own House Research and Revisor's Office. Serious consideration is being given to a number of proposed changes:

• Jump Starting Sessions: In 10 states, legislatures swear in members, elect leaders and organize committees within weeks of their November elections so that by January, they are ready to do business immediately.

• Reduce Committees: Too often the number of committee prevents a bill from getting to the floor. Efficiency recommends 10 to 15 committees per chamber; Minnesota has 28 in the House, 18 in the Senate.

• Time Limits on Floor Debates: This change is particularly urgent in the House, which is the nation's ninth-largest state lawmaking body. This year, six-hour floor sessions have been the norm and 12-hour talk-a-thons are no longer rare. The bill that proved the tipping point was HF1812 (the Omnibus Budget Bill) reported to the House Apr. 3, 2008. We convened at 10:00 a.m. and adjourned nearly 15 hours later. According to
Patrick McCormack, director, House Research, it could have been worse. That's because 247 amendments were drafted, but we only voted on 46. Rep. Steve Simon, (DFL-St. Louis Park) summed it up best when he said, "It's the wild wild west on the floor."

Possible solutions include setting a time limit for discussion of a bill. For example, House leaders can set a one-hour time limit with one half hour each for the Majority and Minority to make their arguments. Other changes: allow one speech per legislator on a question, and limit the duration of each speech - typically at 5 to 15 minutes.

Change is clearly needed and available to Minnesotans. And just as the pioneers before us who started out slowly to shape so much of our current existence, we are pioneers in legislative reform who will start slowly and take the first steps to put in place legislative processes that will benefit us all for many years to come.

End of 2007-2008 Legislative Session Report

Wed, 4 Jun 2008 14:53:07 -0500

We ended the 2008 legislative session with a lot of hard work and a good deal for Minnesotans. Additional resources for our schools and nursing homes, direct property tax aid, a transportation-funding package, a strategic public works bill that focuses on higher education and environmental investments, and a health care reform package are among the positive strides made for our communities.
Capital Improvements: The primary focus was passage of a "bonding bill." It is an economic stimulus package that will create more than 10,000 jobs. The first priority is to provide funding for state colleges and the University of MN. The second priority is to provide funding for environmental protection. There were five local projects that were included and these are:
• MN Correctional Facility – Red Wing Vocational Education Building, $6 million.
• A Mississippi River Aquatic Invasive Species Barrier: $500,000 for use by the commissioner to match available federal dollars and dollars from other states.
• A provision for Frontenac State Park to restore some deteriorating trails along the bluffland.
• A provision for the Mill Towns Trail from Lake Byllesby Park to Cannon Falls.
• A grant to Olmsted and Wabasha Counties to design and engineer the restoration of Lake Zumbro.
Transportation: Early in the session we passed a transportation bill that will invest $6.6 billion into our roads and bridges over the next ten years, and add more than 30,000 jobs for the next five years. One example of how investing in transportation equals jobs: Hancock Concrete, Cannon Falls, MN, received an order for several box culverts that will serve as a pedestrian tunnel under the new I35 W bridge. Making a 20 feet wide by 11 feet high by 252 feet long tunnel will keep twelve people dedicated 100 percent of their time working for four weeks.
Legacy Act: Another provision passed early by the legislature is a bill I co-authored. It has been coined the “Legacy Act,” a constitutional amendment on the November ballot that will allow the voters to say yeah or nay to dedicating a portion of the state sales tax (3/8 of one percent) to Minnesota's environment and natural resources, parks, and arts. Legislators have been working hard on this for eleven years. Obviously we got the right coalition to pass this important piece of legislation and bring it before the people of Minnesota. Ultimately it is the people's choice to invest in Minnesota's natural resources and provide long-term funding to preserve our legacy.
Relief Funding: We also provided $38 million for Interstate 35W bridge collapse victims and $157 for flood relief funding for southeastern Minnesota.

Health Care: Better health care and better value for Minnesotans by:
• Lowering costs through administrative reform.
• A focus on prevention. Chronic conditions (obesity, heart disease, diabetes, asthma and depression) make up 83% of health care costs.
• Making coverage affordable for those with health insurance.
• Extending it to more Minnesotans who have no coverage.

Nursing homes are slated to receive a 2 percent cost of living adjustment in 2009, on top of the 2 percent they received in 2008.

Education:
Public schools in Minnesota will receive an additional 1 percent funding increase next year, adding $51 dollars for every student. In addition, schools are being offered the flexibility to make one-time transfer of an additional $51 from their capital budget to their general fund to address critical needs. (This is in addition to the $850 million in investments made last year.)

Tax Credits, property tax relief and local aid to cities and counties:
Finally, my highlight, as Vice-Chair of the Tax Committee, was passage of the tax bill. It contained a couple of provisions I have worked hard for. First, there will be an increase in tax credits for military servicemen and servicewomen who are in a combat zone (from $59 per month to $120 per month). There is a provision for 100% disabled vets or career military (over 20 years of service) of $750 per year. The credit phases out for incomes above $30,000.

There will be $23 million plus in property tax relief assisting those who need it most. That's enough for 10,000 new homeowners and more dollars to 60,000 homeowners who all ready receive some benefit. And all the cities in this district will benefit from a $42 million increase for local city aid, and $22 million increase for county aid. The City of Red Wing - starting in 2010 and beyond – will receive greater than $1.5 million in permanent aid as host to a large utility.

House Tax Bill Provides Significant Property Tax Relief

Mon, 5 May 2008 12:38:09 -0500

It has been an intense two-week time period in Tax Committee, but now we have a House Tax bill that provides significant property tax relief. The revenue-neutral (no state tax increase) proposal targets property tax relief directly to homeowners with incomes up to $200,000 (95 percent of Minnesotans) who pay more than two per cent of their income in property taxes.

In other words, senior citizens and the middle class will most likely receive property tax relief, while the owners of major league sports teams will not.

House Research has created an online calculator for you to see how this proposal affects you for taxes payable in 2009, the first year it would be in effect. Here's how to reach the tool. Go to www.house.mn. On the main page, click on House Committees, click on Taxes, and click on Calculate property tax relief proposed in H.F. 3149, Omnibus tax bill.

For example, I have created a file for a senior married couple on fixed income that live in a home valued at $200,000, and a property tax of $2,000.

Filing status - 2
Income - $30,000
Home value - $200,000
Property tax on homestead - $2,000
Property tax on cabin (0 if none) - 0
Number of children claimed as dependents - 0 Number senior/disabled (1 for homeowner, 2 for homeowner and spouse) - 2

The lower box on the screen will display property tax benefits for the example you've entered for current law and for the proposal in HF 3149. A positive change number indicates higher benefits under the proposal; a negative number indicates lower benefits under the proposal. In this example, the total benefit is $335. I encourage you to go ahead and try it and experience the results first-hand.

Overall, the House tax bill provides direct property tax relief to homeowners that need it most, and it tightens up, and in some cases eliminates - corporate subsidies.

One controversial measure, a roughly $200 million public subsidy for a parking ramp at the Mall of America, was kept out of the House tax committee bill. While you are on the House website, you can also check this out. Listen and view the entire five and half hour debate, and/or just check out my comments starting a minute after the first hour. (Go to www.house.mn. On the main page, click on Hearing Room Audio, click on Taxes, and click on Tues., Apr. 22, 2008, HF 2237, Television Archive). In a nutshell, I stated, "it's about my district, and when I walk up and down those downtown streets - I see empty buildings. And you can blame it on Walmart, and you can blame it on Target, but you can also blame it on the Mall of America."

My comments continue to be reported upon statewide, and that's why I want to close by thanking Dave Broin of Cannon Falls Pine 'n Prints, Reed Qualey of Cannon Falls Scofield Drug, Jim Althoff of Edina Reality in Cannon Falls, and Richard Fuller of Wabasha Wind Whisper West. All agreed to speak with a Rochester Post Bulletin news reporter working on a new story about how greater Minnesota can compete against giants like MOA.

That's it for this time, Sandy

Weighing in on matters of reliability and fairness for our localities and people.

Fri, 2 May 2008 10:35:08 -0500

It's late April and if you like action, check out the schedule and grab a chair in the Tax Committee hearing room. A year ago we heard a proposal for a public subsidy to help build a new Vikings Stadium. We did not act on it, so I took advantage of the following months to survey people here. By year's end I had 263 results - 78 for and 185 against. Many people wrote comments that went along the line: "Let the multi-millionaires fund their own stadiums since they will be the main beneficiaries." A few wrote: "Good for the jobs and identity for the state."

So far, the Vikings Stadium proposal seems to be taking a back seat to another high profile bill. The Mall of America is seeking a public subsidy for a parking ramp expansion, which amounts to $22,000 per parking stall. Again, I have tried to get area input, and the comments are following along similar responses as the Vikings stadium proposal. Here's hoping April showers bring May flowers, but April sessions bring few MOA concessions.

Our committee work will focus on property tax relief, local government aid, a utility classification rate change, and a multitude of business tax credit proposals.

One bill that would greatly upset this balance is a Republican legislator's bill abolishing the state and local property taxes. On one side of the coin who wouldn't want liberation from property taxes! The other side of the coin basically leaves Minnesota localities to "In God We Trust." That's because the property tax is almost the sole tax source for local governments in Minnesota. Let's take a look at what this proposal would do to the Red Wing school district, the city of Red Wing and Goodhue County.

In fiscal year 2007, for example, the Red Wing school district would have lost $6.7 million in levy, or 20 percent of their total revenue. Think of the trouble the school district is now having cutting programs with a $2.1 million funding hole. According to district projections, a cut three times that size would create an absolute nightmare. Eliminating all extracurricular programs would only address $650,000. There would be massive teacher layoffs and a major loss of curricular programs.

It's even bleaker for Goodhue County and the City of Red Wing. For 2008 Goodhue County would lose greater than $23 million or 92 percent, and the City of Red Wing would lose more than $2.5 million, or 100 percent.

During the long discussion, the big question became, where else would money come from? Would Goodhue County, the City of Red Wing, or the Red Wing school district want to rely more on state aid? If so, would the state use income tax? The downside is that the income tax is the most volatile of all taxes. How about the sales tax? The downside is that this tax most impacts those least able to pay. Questions about taxes are never easy but always necessary to sustain those services and programs we value most in Minnesota. Suffice to say, I'm glad I have a seat at the table to weigh in on matters of reliability and fairness for our localities and people.