Capitol View

Capitol View: December 14, 2010 Archive

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The Daily Digest

Posted at 6:25 AM on December 14, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Daily Digest

A legislative panel will discuss the impact of enrolling into early Medicaid at a hearing today.

Nothing sucks all of the oxygen out of the room like a stadium debate. And that's what is headed for the 2011 session.

MPR takes a look at how the stadium debate changes since the Metrodome roof collapse. Incoming House Speaker Kurt Zellers appears to be making the case against a new stadium.

Metrodome officials say the stadium is still functional.

The U of M is willing to host next week's Vikings game if the team gives them sufficient notice.

Food shelf visits are up sharply in Minnesota.

Minnesota faces an unsustainable burden to pay for long-term care.

Cities are pleading for patience with the snow removal.

Dayton transition

Democrat Mark Dayton is still looking for a budget commissioner.

Dayton and business leaders are playing nice.

Western Minnesota is excited that Dayton will hold the first "Governor's pheasant opener" in that part of the state next year.

Congress

The Senate gives approval to move the tax cut deal ahead.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar and DFL Sen. Al Franken both voted for the bill.

A Virginia Judge broke with two other Appeals Court Judges and declared the health care reform law unconstitutional. The measure requiring mandated coverage is in dispute.

The health care law offers relief from the so-called doughnut hole in prescription drug coverage on January first.

GOP Rep.-elect Chip Cravaack spoke at a Republican luncheon in Minneapolis. Cravaack spoke about spending cuts and mining exploration. He's also preparing for a tough race in 2012.

Listen to his speech here.

A bipartisan group of Minnesota's delegation calls for the FDA to speed up the approval process for medical devices.

Franken may push to pardon a Dakota Indian who was wrongly executed 150 years ago.

Redistricting

Minnesota's delegation will know on December 21st if Minnesota will have eight or seven House seats. The Census releases the info that morning.

Party Politics

Ken Martin is running for DFL Party Chair.

RNC Chair Michael Steele IS running for a second term.

MNGOP Chair Tony Sutton won't back Steele. He wrote on his Twitter feed that he supports Reince Priebus for the post.

2012

A Public Policy Polling poll of Republicans in Minnesota finds that they want GOP Rep. Michele Bachmann to challenge DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar.

Pawlenty for Prez Watch

The same poll (mentioned above) also shows Pawlenty is supported by more Republicans in MN than the other 2012 candidates.

Finally

Good-bye Tom Conlon.

Good-bye Anne Hatch.

Good-bye Richard Holbrooke.

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Franken says Obama "punted on first down."

Posted at 11:04 AM on December 14, 2010 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: U.S. Senate

DFL Sen. Al Franken is explaining his vote for a tax cut deal that would extend the Bush era tax cuts.

In his e-mail to supporters, Franken calls the vote "the hardest vote I've ever taken." Franken, who voted for the deal to move forward on Monday, said President Obama "punted on first down." The Senate is expected to vote on the bill later today. DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar also voted for the bill.

Here's Franken's full e-mail:

A lot of people are unhappy that the President punted on first down, and I'm one of them. Extending the Bush tax breaks for the super-wealthy will explode our deficit over the next two years without doing anything to help our economy. It's bad policy.

But for Minnesota's middle class, struggling to get by in a tough economy, there's a lot in this bill that will really help: tax cuts for working families, a payroll tax holiday, energy tax credits, and the extension of Recovery Act initiatives that are already making a difference.

And for the Minnesotans truly suffering right now-men, women, and children on the edge of economic disaster-the alternative is simply unacceptable. If we let Republicans block unemployment benefits, even temporarily, there will be a lot more pain for working families, a lot more homeless kids spending Christmas in a shelter or a car.

If this is the prelude of a permanent extension of the Bush tax breaks for the super-wealthy, we're in big trouble. We'll lose our ability to make the investments we need to grow our way out of long-term budget deficits: education, infrastructure, and research and development. And I am taking the President at his word that he will fight harder to put an end to these wasteful tax breaks in 2012 than he did in 2010.

This isn't a great deal by any stretch of the imagination. But I got into this line of work because I wanted to stand up for Minnesota families trying to put food on the table and build a better life for their kids. And, for them, the only thing worse than a bad deal would be no deal at all. That's why I voted yes yesterday-and why I will continue my fight for economic policies that create jobs, address our deficit problem, and build new opportunities for Minnesota.

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GOPAC picks Fischbach for Legislative Leaders Advisory Board

Posted at 11:21 AM on December 14, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: U.S. House

GOPAC, a Republican group that aims to train and elect Republicans to state Legislatures across the country, has announced that incoming Senate President Michelle Fischbach will be on the organization's 2011 Legislative Leaders Advisory Board.

"We are delighted that our 2011 Legislative Leaders Advisory Board is comprised of so many distinguished leaders from legislative chambers across the country. We will call upon our Advisory Board to help us promote the ideas and policies that Republicans at the state level are implementing to get spending under control, create lasting private sector jobs and deliver essential public services in innovative ways and at less cost," said GOPAC Chairman Frank Donatelli in a news release. "We will also be working closely with our Advisory Board to elect and develop a new generation of Republican leaders."

Fischbach will serve a one year term.

Fischbach is joining the group at a time when Republicans took control of both the House and Senate in Minnesota. Her caucus elected her Senate president a few weeks after the election. She officially starts the role on January 4th.

Pawlenty: Federal tax bill "a mixed bag."

Posted at 4:13 PM on December 14, 2010 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Tim Pawlenty

Gov. Pawlenty says a federal tax bill that would extend the Bush era tax cuts for another two years is a "mixed bag." He was asked about the deal, which President Obama and Republicans in Congress negotiated, after his speech in Rochester today.

"It's a mixed bag. I think in the middle of a recession we don't want to be raising taxes so continuing the current tax structure is an important step but unfortunately they loaded it up with a bunch of other stuff that's spending that will add to the debt in profound ways. That's not helpful especially when you have a country that's going broke."

Pawlenty didn't indicate in the interview whether he would support the measure but he reportedly told Fox News that he would back it.

"I would support it because of the tax extensions, but, again, each side got what they want. And those tax extensions are really important."
December 2010
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The feature examines statements made by Minnesota politicians and checks them for accuracy. Based on data analysis, document reviews and interviews with non-partisan analysts, statements are rated true, misleading, false or inconclusive. More

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