Polinaut: May 18, 2009 Archive

The Daily Digest: 5-18-09

Posted at 7:51 AM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

It's the last day of the legislative session and Governor Pawlenty and DFL legislative leaders are no closer to a budget deal. House Democrats failed in their attempts to override Gov. Pawlenty's line-item veto of General Assistance Medical Care and a veto of a bill that increases taxes by $1 billion. They fell several votes short on each attempt. Failure to reach an agreement means Governor Pawlenty will be forced to cut spending on his own. He said he will not call lawmakers back for a special session.

MPR, the Star Tribune, AP, Forum Communications and the Pi Press have stories.

Forum Communications takes a look at unallotment.

Pawlenty also line-item vetoed $85 million in projects from the bonding bill. Here's a story. Here's the list of projects that got whacked.

Minnesota to divest from Iran under the new law.

2008 Race for U.S. Senate

Democrat Al Franken tells delegates at the Minneapolis DFL convention that he ran an efficient campaign.

Republican Norm Coleman makes his final argument to the Minnesota Supreme Court.

Politico says Coleman didn't weigh in on Franken's request that the court order Gov. Pawlenty to issue the election certificate after it rules on the appeal.

Congress

The U.S. says Pakistan is rapidly growing its nuclear arsenal.

During his commencement speech to Notre Dame, President Obama calls for "open minds" amidst the protests.

A biotech portion of a foreign aid bill draws criticism. DFL Rep. Betty McCollum is mentioned.

The Fed Chair tells DFL Rep. Keith Ellison that he expects demand for the central bank's loans to buy asset- backed securities is likely to rise in June.

DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar says he'll support the expansion of Northstar Commuter Rail when GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann does.

An ethanol rebellion is building in Congress. DFL Rep. Collin Peterson is mentioned.

Sales tax deal headed for conference committee

Posted at 11:12 AM on May 18, 2009 by Tim Nelson (1 Comments)
Filed under: MN Legislature

A pair of DFL senators say there's a deal on the table for doling out the proceeds from the new 3/8 cent sales tax.

It's the only bright spot in an otherwise gloomy scenario this session. The tax is expected to raise about $234 million in the next fiscal year, starting in July.

Tom Saxhaug, of Grand Rapids, said a few minutes ago "there will be an Article I" when the conference committee meets at 1 p.m. today. He isn't promising that everyone will vote for it.

But he seemed confident that the House's most controversial outdoor provisions -- the ones generating some angst among hunters, anglers and the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Commission -- have been paved over.

He demurred on another of the controversial elements on debate over the new tax. A few lawmakers were trying to take retired Sen. Bob Lessard's name off the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Committee that doles out a big chunk of the money. The name "will be in there, somehow," Saxhaug said of his former colleague.

Patricia Torres Ray, of Minneapolis, said the less-controversial parks, trails and clean water provisions are done and look good for this afternoon's meeting.

We haven't been able to track down Dick Cohen, the conference committee's DFL co-chair. But as one of the Legislatures' most ardent patrons of the arts, he's been the most insistent on getting a deal done. Presumably, Cohen will have something to bring to the table today.

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Buckle up!

Posted at 3:00 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck

For the first time ever, the Minnesota House passed a bill that allows law enforcement to pull over a motorist for failing to wear their seat belt. The issue has created strange bedfellows over the year with civil libertarians teaming up in opposition to the bill with lawmakers worried about racial profiling. The bill is likely to be sent to Gov. Pawlenty since the Minnesota Senate has overwhelmingly voted for it in the past. Gov. Pawlenty told a safety awards group the other day that he would sign the bill.

Pogemiller on budget talks

Posted at 4:29 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Here's the video from DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller after the hour long meeting between Gov. Pawlenty and legislative leaders.

Pogemiller on end of session talks from tommy scheck on Vimeo.

GOP legislative leaders on budget talks

Posted at 5:22 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck

GOP House Minority Leader Marty Seifert and GOP Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem discuss this afternoon's private meeting with Gov. Pawlenty and DFL leaders.

GOP Rep. Marty Seifert and GOP Sen. Dave Senjem from tommy scheck on Vimeo.

There will be blood

Posted at 6:09 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

DFL Sen. Tarryl Clark says the DFL controlled Senate is planning to hold confirmation votes tonight on Department of Employment and Economic Development Commissioner Dan McElroy and Department of Labor and Industry Commissioner Steve Sviggum. DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller said this on MPR's Midday today:

Gary Eichten: "Are you expecting that some of the commissioners are going to be voted on?"

Larry Pogemiller: "I've said there are two commissioners left. We have voted on everything that the governor has put before us and there are two commissions left. Jobs and labor and economic development. And I believe that the state is not doing very well in either of those two areas. And I believe the votes are not there in the Senate to confirm either of those two commissioners. So its really a question if we take them up. If we take them up, they will not be confirmed. So it's a question of whether or not we take them up."

Eichten: "Is this is a question of payback?"

Pogemiller: "I believe that the votes have not been in the senate to confrim either of htem for many many months. I just think it's a question of whether the members particularly in the jobs area, I think the economic development direction that we have been on in hte l;ast seven years is not working. I think we need a new driection, we need some new leadership and we also need a professional in that job, in the area of job creation."

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DFLers on budget talks

Posted at 6:01 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Here's the video from DFL House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller on this afternoon's private budget talks with Gov. Pawlenty and GOP leaders.

An errant shot on the outdoor amendment?

Posted at 7:11 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tim Nelson

An 11th hour conference committee just passed the so-called "Legacy Amendment" deal over sales tax money for the outdoors, clean water, parks and trails and the arts.

The deal spends $213 million in the next year, including $78 million each for the outdoors and clean water, $33 million for parks and trails and $46 million for the arts. The spending reflects the general direction of the Senate bill - the House wanted to keep more of the funding in reserve and dole it out in more measured doses, via the State Arts Board and the Minnesota Historical Society.

The compromise also eliminates state audits of restoration projects and some of the other restrictive House language. "We didn't get that," said DFL Rep. Jean Wagenius. "Yet."

But there's another catch looming. Retired Senator Bob Lessard, namesake of the council that doles out the outdoor money, was in high dudgeon out in the Capitol rotunda an hour and a half ago. He says the law was intended to preserve, protect and enhance wild lands for fish, game and wildlife.

"It's meant for the wildlife," Lessard said. "All of it."

That's not what the bill says, though. It provides money for prairies, wetlands, forests AND habitat for fish and game. There's no overarching wildlife benefit required in the Constitutional amendment, Wagenius says, so there isn't one in the conference committee report.

It's been one of the lurking debates over the bill for weeks, and it's still there. It's waiting, perhaps, for clarification on the House and Senate floor tonight. Or not.

House passes Medical Marijuana

Posted at 7:59 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

The Minnesota House passed a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana to treat their pain. The bill passed 70-64. Here's the roll call:

ST. PAUL (AP) _ Votes Monday as the House, on a 70-64 vote, approved a measure to allow terminally ill patients to use medical marijuana. Voting yes were 63 Democrats and 7 Republicans. Voting no were 24 Democrats and 40 Republicans.

DEMOCRATS VOTING YES
Atkins (Inver Grove Heights); Benson (Minnetonka); Bigham (Cottage Grove); Bly (Northfield); Carlson (Crystal); Champion (Minneapolis); Clark (Minneapolis); Davnie (Minneapolis); Dittrich (Champlin); Eken (Twin Valley); Falk (Murdock); Faust (Hinckley); Gardner (Shoreview); Hansen (South St. Paul); Hausman (St. Paul); Haws (St. Cloud); Hayden (Minneapolis); Hilstrom (Brooklyn Center); Hilty (Finlayson); Hornstein (Minneapolis); Hortman (Brooklyn Park); Huntley (Duluth); Jackson (Milaca); Johnson (St. Paul); Juhnke (Willmar); Kahn (Minneapolis); Kalin (North Branch); Kelliher (Minneapolis); Knuth (New Brighton); Koenen (Clara City); Laine (Columbia Heights); Liebling (Rochester); Lillie (North St. Paul); Loeffler (Minneapolis); Mahoney (St. Paul); Mariani (St. Paul); Masin (Eagan); Morgan (Burnsville); Morrow (St. Peter); Mullery (Minneapolis); Murphy, E. (St. Paul); Nelson (Brooklyn Park); Newton (Coon Rapids); Obermueller (Eagan); Paymar (St. Paul); Persell (Bemidji); Peterson (New Hope); Poppe (Austin); Reinert (Duluth); Rosenthal (Edina); Rukavina (Virginia); Sailer (Park Rapids); Scalze (Little Canada); Sertich (Chisholm); Simon (St. Louis Park); Slocum (Richfield); Solberg (Grand Rapids); Swails (Woodbury); Thao (St. Paul); Thissen (Minneapolis); Tillberry (Fridley); Wagenius (Minneapolis); Winkler (Golden Valley)

DEMOCRATS VOTING NO
Anzelc (Balsam Twp); Brown (Moscow Twp); Brynaert (Mankato); Bunn (Lake Elmo); Dill (Crane Lake); Doty (Royalton); Fritz (Faribault); Greiling (Roseville); Hosch (St. Joseph); Kath (Owatonna); Lenczewski (Bloomington); Lesch (St. Paul); Lieder (Crookston); Marquart (Dilworth); Murphy, M. (Hermantown); Norton (Rochester); Olin (Thief River Falls); Otremba (Long Prairie); Pelowski (Winona); Ruud (Minnetonka); Slawik (Maplewood); Sterner (Rosemount); Ward (Brainerd); Welti (Plainview)

REPUBLICANS VOTING YES
Buesgens (Jordan); Demmer (Hayfield); Garofalo (Farmington); Gunther (Fairmont); Hackbarth (Cedar); Kelly (Red Wing); McNamara
(Hastings)

REPUBLICANS VOTING NO
Abeler (Anoka); Anderson, B. (Buffalo Twp); Anderson, P.
(Starbuck); Anderson, S. (Plymouth); Beard (Shakopee); Brod (New Prague); Cornish (Good Thunder); Davids (Preston); Dean (Dellwood); Dettmer (Forest Lake); Doepke (Orono); Downey (Edina); Drazkowski (Wabasha); Eastlund (Isanti); Emmer (Delano); Gottwalt (St. Cloud); Hamilton (Mountain Lake); Holberg (Lakeville); Hoppe (Chaska); Howes (Walker); Kiffmeyer (Big Lake); Kohls (Victoria); Lanning (Moorhead); Loon (Eden Prairie); Mack (Apple Valley); Magnus (Slayton); McFarlane (White Bear Lake); Murdock (Ottertail); Nornes (Fergus Falls); Peppin (Rogers); Sanders (Blaine); Scott (Andover); Seifert (Marshall); Severson (Sauk Rapids); Shimanski (Silver Lake); Smith (Mound); Torkelson (Nelson Twp); Urdahl (Grove City); Westrom (Elbow Lake); Zellers (Maple Grove)

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Senate sends Medical Marijuana bill to Gov. Pawlenty

Posted at 9:41 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck (4 Comments)

The Minnesota Senate voted 38 to 28 in favor of a bill that would allow terminally ill patients to use marijuana to treat their pain. The bill is now headed to Gov. Pawlenty who has previously said he would veto the legislation.

Here's the Roll Call:

DFLers voting yes

Anderson, Bakk, Berglin, Betzold, Bonoff, Carlson, Chaudhary, Clark, Cohen, Dahle, Dibble, Doll, Erickson Ropes, Foley, Higgins, Kelash, Latz, Loury, Marty, Metzen, Moua, Murphy, Pappas, Pogemiller, Prettner Solon, Rest, Rummel, Saltzman, Scheid, Sheran, Seiben, Tomassoni, Torres Ray, Wiger

Republicans voting yes

Johnson, Koering, Michel, Vandeveer

DFLers voting no
Fobbe, Kubly, Langseth, Lynch, Olseen, M. Olson, Saxhaug, Skoe, Skogen, Sparks, Stumpf, Vickerman

Republicans voting no

Day, Dille, Fischbach, Frederickson, Gerlach, Gimse, Hann, Ingenbrigtsen, Jungbauer, Koch, Limmer, Ortman, Pariseau, Robling, Rosen, Senjem,

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Plans for February?

Posted at 10:53 PM on May 18, 2009 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

The Legislature has adopted a resolution to start the 2010 legislative session on February 4th.

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