Capitol View: March 19, 2012 Archive

Lobbying expenses top $59 million in 2011

Posted at 12:15 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (2 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

The Minnesota Campaign Finance Board released a report that detailed the spending on lobbying of the Minnesota Legislature and the Dayton Administration in 2011. The Board reports that $59 million was spent to influence the Legislature and the Administration.

Business groups lead the spending. Xcel Energy spent $2.3 million, the most of any organizations. The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce spent $2 million, the Minnesota Business Partnership spent $980,000. Minneapolis Radiation Oncology Physicians, a group fighting a moratorium on new radiation treatment centers in Minnesota, spent $900,000. The Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities, which represents mostly rural cities, and the Minnesota AFL-CIO, a coalition of labor unions, spent $820,000 each.

Update: An official with the Coalition of Greater Minnesota Cities says they made a reporting error to the Campaign Finance Board. They say they will submit an amended report that says the group spent $460,000 on lobbying in 2011.

You can read the full list here.

Senate Democrats file ethics complaint against Geoff Michel

Posted at 12:45 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

Democrats in the Minnesota Senate have filed an ethics complaint against Sen. Geoff Michel, R-Edina, for how he handled the affair between former Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch and Senate Republican Caucus spokesman Michael Brodkorb.

Michel was first told about the "inappropriate relationship" between Koch and Brodkorb in September and then reported it to Senate human resources . He failed to confront Koch on the matter until late November.

"Upon being made aware of an alleged inappropriate relationship between the Senate Majority Leader and a subordinate senate employee in September, 2011, Senator Michel had an obligation as Deputy Majority Leader to take appropriate action to fully and swiftly address the matter," Sen. Sandy Pappas, DFL-St. Paul, wrote in the complaint.

Pappas also said Michel brought "dishonor and disrepute" to the Senate by not taking action to fully and swiftly address the matter. Pappas said he "betrayed the public's trust by making false and clearly misleading public statements regarding when he became aware" of the relationship.

Michel initially told reporters late last year that he became aware of the relationship in early November but later admitted he found out about the affair on September 21. Koch's former chief of staff, Cullen Sheehan, told Michel about the affair at that time.

Pappas is asking the Senate Ethics Committee to investigate the details of the matter and that the hearings be open to the public.

The complaint comes less than a week after attorneys for Brodkorb announced that they intend to sue the Senate for gender discrimination. They say they will provide examples of female staffers who had affairs with male lawmakers but still kept their jobs.

Will be updated...

Here's the complaint:

Update:

Sen. Michel issued this statement:

"This is about politics and payback and has nothing to do with ethics. The DFL wants a few more headlines. The conflict of interest has been resolved. The workplace environment has improved. And, we did this while protecting whistleblowers and staff. I have asked for an immediate hearing to resolve this matter."

Ethics Complaint 03-19-12

DFLer Hilty hangs it up

Posted at 4:20 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tim Nelson (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature

Eight term DFLer Bill Hilty is leaving the Minnesota House.

Hilty announced his departure in a statement this afternoon. Hilty lives in Finlayson and represents parts of Pine, Carlton, and St. Louis counties.

"It has been a privilege to be able to serve the people of our region and to work for the good of our state. I am grateful for all the friendships that have been built across Minnesota and I will continue to be a strong advocate for the critical issues facing our state," Hilty said in his statement.

Hilty is a former chair of the House Energy Committee. His district has been renumbered to 11B and will include parts of Kanabec and Pine counties.

That makes for at least nine house members who aren't running for re-election. Here's the list so far:

Rep. Connie Doepke, R-Orono (running for state Senate)
Rep. Kent Eken, DFL-Twin Valley (running for state Senate)
Rep. Lyle Koenen, DFL Clara City (running for state Senate)
Rep. Kate Knuth, DFL-New Brighton
Rep. Bev Scalze, DFL-Little Canada (running for state Senate)
Rep. Bobby Joe Champion, DFL-Minneapolis (running for state Senate)
Rep. Mindy Greiling, DFL-Roseville
Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan
Rep. Bill Hilty, DFL-Finlayson
Rep. Pat Mazorol, R-Bloomingon
Rep. John Kriesel, R-Cottage Grove
Rep. Mark Murdock, R-Perham
Rep. Kurt Bills, R-Rosemount (running for U.S. Senate)
Rep. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo Township (running for state Senate)
Rep. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake (running for state Senate)
Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake (running for state Senate)
Rep. Branden Peterson, R-Andover (running for state Senate)

Note: list has been updated...

AFL-CIO registers PAC to fight "right-to-work" amendment

Posted at 5:00 PM on March 19, 2012 by Catharine Richert
Filed under: Campaign 2012

Minnesota's unions have formed We Are Minnesota, a fund meant to raise money to oppose a proposed constitutional amendment that would make union membership and the payment of union dues voluntary for all workers.

A Senate panel approved the "right-to-work" bill last week.

We are Minnesota is backed by "public and private sector workers, nurses, firefighters, police officers, teachers, construction workers, clergy, small business owners, local elected officials, students and your neighbors," according to the group's web site.

The committee was registered March 9 with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board by the Minnesota arm of the AFL-CIO, an organization that represents labor unions.

Minnesota AFL-CIO spokesman Chris Shields would not detail We Are Minnesota's members, but said that the group will have announcements about support soon.

Shields added that fundraising hasn't started yet; the group is waiting to see if the Legislature agrees to put the amendment on the ballot this fall, he said.

If it is, Shields said cash would be spent on ads such as this one urging Minnesotans to vote against the amendment.

House GOP focuses on asset preservation in $280m bonding bill plan

Posted at 9:55 PM on March 19, 2012 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)
Filed under: Campaign 2012, MN Legislature, Mark Dayton, State Government

House Republicans are putting forward a $280 million public works bill that focuses mostly on asset preservation at the state's higher education institutions, correctional facilities and local road and bridge improvement. The proposal is less than half the size of what Gov. Dayton outlined in his bonding bill proposal.

Update: The House GOP is also moving a separate bonding bill that focuses on restoring the Capitol. The plan borrows $220 million. That bill is being heard on Tuesday.

The House GOP proposal, put forward by House Capital Investment Chair Larry Howes of Walker, dedicates $35 million in bonding for asset preservation at the University of Minnesota and $20 million for asset preservation for the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system. The plan also dedicates $33 million for Rural Finance Authority grants, $20 million for local bridge replacement and rehab, $10 million for local road improvement.

Dayton has been pushing for $775 million in borrowing to help boost the state's construction sector. Some Republicans have argued that the state shouldn't borrow too much in light of the recent economic downturn but Dayton compared the bonding bill to a family mortgaging a house.

Some big-ticket items have been left out of the House Republican plan. The plan does not include money for the Mayo Civic Center in Rochester, the Mankato Civic Center and upgrades to the Minnesota Security Hospital in St. Peter.

House Republicans also dedicate $1 million in borrowing to the St. Cloud Civic Center (Dayton proposed $10 million), $2 million for the St. Paul Saints ballpark in St. Paul (Dayton proposed $27 million) and $2 million for the State Emergency Operations Center in Arden Hills (Dayton proposed $26 million).

The House Capital Investment Committee will hold its first hearing on the bill on Tuesday Wednesday. It may face stiff DFL opposition considering DFL House Minority Leader Paul Thissen characterized the proposal on Twitter as the "Tea Party Express strikes again." Democrats have argued for a larger bonding bill. Republicans need to garner 81 votes in the House to get the bonding bill passed since it needs a three-fifths majority to pass each chamber.

Senate Republicans have yet to release their proposal.

Here are some of the highlights of the House GOP plan:

$35 m for HEAPR at the U of M
$20 million for HEAPR at MnSCU
$13.8 million for the Ridgewater College, Willmar- Technical Instruction Lab Renovation
$33 million for Rural Finance Authority Grants
$20 million for local bridge replacement and rehab
$10 million for local road improvement
$10 million in asset preservation at Department of Corrections
$9 million for The Hormel Institute in Austin
$12 million for the St. Paul Children's Museum
$20 million for the Wastewater Infrastructure Funding program
$10 million for foreclosure remediation

Here's the full proposal:

House Bonding Bill March 19