Polinaut: February 18, 2009 Archive

The Daily Digest: 2-18-09

Posted at 6:38 AM on February 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

State lawmakers will try to get a better idea of how the stimulus bill will impact the state. Staffers from the Department of Education and Management and Budget will brief lawmakers today. One important phrase to learn - Maintenance of Effort.

Fox9 and the Pi Press explain what the stimulus package means to you.

MinnPost talks with the state's top finance chief about the stimulus.

St. Paul's Mayor says the stimulus won't save the city from cuts.

Hennepin County looks to secure $202 million in projects.

Washington County will cut $3.2 million in expenses. Mostly staffers.

Meanwhile, House and Senate Republicans hold a news conference today to call for a pay cut for lawmakers and constitutional officers.

ECM says job creation and bonding are on the plate of state lawmakers.

DFL Sen. Keith Langseth proposes a $300 million bonding bill. MPR and Forum Communications have stories.

MnDOT seeks input on a 20-year transportation plan.

A bill urges tighter rules for guardians.

A group works to renew tax breaks that they hope will lure moviemakers back to the state.

Gov. Pawlenty downplays his proposed cuts to LGA.

Pawlenty also visited Winona.

Principals are doubtful of meeting No Child Left Behind Standards. MPR and the Star Tribune have stories.

DFL Sen. David Tomassoni will take over as chair of the Iron Range Resources Board.

Common Cause urges voting changes.

The MPCA says mercury levels keep rising in walleye.

The St. Cloud Bridge replacement is on schedule.

A green jobs bill moves forward.

Paul Koering, the only openly gay Republican member of the Legislature, said he'll vote against the marriage equity bill (h/t Minnesota Independent).

GOP Sen. Geoff Michel says Pawlenty's budget is on target in this op-ed.

There's another push to lower the state's drinking age.

The Swamp

One day after signing the massive stimulus package, President Obama takes on home foreclosures.

Cities may have to wait longer for stimulus money.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar says the stimulus bill should help.

High Speed Rail is a part of the stimulus package.

The stimulus package also gives Obama and Democrats a political chip - Two of the largest tax cuts in the history of the U.S.

The Dow drops nearly 300 points.

Automakers seek $14 billion more in aid.

Obama OKs 17,000 more troops to Afghanistan.

A group backing Children's Health Insurance (supported by Phrma) is running ads on behalf of DFL Rep. Tim Walz and GOP Rep. Erik Paulsen.

GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann said "We're running out of rich people in this country." (h/t DumpBachmann). She also blogged that all the world is providing tax cuts except the U.S.

Illinois Senator Roland Burris is in some hot soup.

2008 U.S. Senate Race

The court tries to streamline the election contest. MPR, the Pi Press, MinnPost and the Star Tribune have stories.

The Coleman campaign is focusing on how Carver County elections officials handled absentee ballots.

Some speculate that Coleman is laying the groundwork for an appeal.

AP says the stimulus vote highlights the Minnesota recount.

2010

DFL Rep. Paul Thissen writes an op-ed in the Bemidji Pioneer that focuses on the plight of the state's seniors.

Kelliher and Pogemiller on Midday

Posted at 6:59 AM on February 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck

DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and DFL Sen. Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller will be on MPR's Midday today at 11.

If you buy the pizza, it's ok to have a slice...

Posted at 10:35 AM on February 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Gov. Pawlenty used that line during his appearance on Rachel Maddow's show on MSNBC. Maddow tried to hold Pawlenty's feet to the fire regarding his opposition to the stimulus bill but his willingness to take the money. Maddow also praised Pawlenty for being one of the few Republicans that is willing to go on the show.

Watch it here:

As Coleman is dealt another setback, GOP leaders help him raise money

Posted at 11:34 AM on February 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Norm Coleman's campaign has sent a video to supporters featuring several House and Senate GOP leaders rallying around Coleman. The video features Mitch McConnell, John Boehner and Michael Steele.

The video comes as Coleman's campaign was dealt another setback by the three-judge panel considering Coleman's election contest. They denied his request to reconsider an ruling.

Update: This Politico story (entitled Coleman needs a miracle) probably doesn't help his fundraising efforts.

Do lawmakers and constitutional officers need to cut their own pay?

Posted at 2:57 PM on February 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck (6 Comments)

Several House Republicans, including Sen. Geoff Michel and Rep. Dan Severson, want an across the board five percent pay cut for state lawmakers and Minnesota's five constitutional officers. The proposal would reduce the base pay for state lawmakers from $31,140 to $29,583 a year. The pay reduction for the constutional officers would vary since they earn different amounts. Governor Pawlenty's annual salary would be reduced from $120,303 to $114,288.

Supporters of the plan say the pay cut, which would save the state $674,441 over the next two years, would send a strong signal since businesses and families are forced to cut back in light of the economic downturn.

Gov. Pawlenty says he supports the plan. DFL Legislative leaders say they're willing to hold a hearing on the proposal but were a bit skeptical.

Question of the Day: Should lawmakers cut their own pay?

Update: The proposal does not impact the per diem rates for state lawmakers (although Michel says he hopes Democrats would cut those rates as well). The Senate rate for meals and other expenses is $96/day. The daily House rate is $77/day.

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"They can't even manage peanut butter."

Posted at 4:53 PM on February 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)

The House Health Care and Human Service Policy Oversight Committee approved a bill that would allow chronically ill patients to use marijuana to manage their pain. The bill now moves on to another committee. There wasn't much news in the hearing since it was similar to a Senate Committee hearing held last last week (Story here).

That being said, there was an interesting exchange between a supporter and an opponent at the House hearing.

GOP Rep. Steve Gottwalt said marijuana wouldn't be regulated enough under the proposal:

"If we want this to happen. If we believe that it's effective even for limited uses in cases of extreme pain and hospice situations then it ought to go through the FDA process."

That prompted the bill's author, DFL Rep. Tom Rukavina, to say:

"They've done a helluva good job lately. They can't even manage peanut butter."

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Federal money will mean budget do over

Posted at 5:11 PM on February 18, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (3 Comments)

State lawmakers say the federal economic stimulus bill will require Gov. Tim Pawlenty to rework his budget proposal.

The issue came up today during a meeting of the Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy. Management and Budget Commissioner Tom Hanson explained that strings attached to the federal money will likely prevent the governor's proposed spending reductions for health and human services programs. The governor's use of an accounting shift for K-12 education funding also appears to put federal money in jeopardy.

"Basically, we're really talking about a do-over budget for the governor at this point," said House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis.

Hanson largely agreed with Kelliher analysis.

"I don't know if the whole budget is a do over." Hanson said. Human services most likely will be."

But when Kelliher reminded the commissioner that human services represent a third of state spending, and education is an even bigger piece, Hanson revised his do-over calculation.

"Well, probably 85 percent of it," Hanson said.

After the meeting, the House Republican minority leader issued a news release to criticize Kelliher and her comments.

"Speaker Kelliher's caucus has offered very little in terms of its own ideas for balancing the budget and growing jobs," said Rep. Marty Seifert, R-Marshall. "While Republicans have put forth numerous ideas and Gov. Pawlenty made his proposal, Democrats continue to recline in the easy chair and not offer any solutions."

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