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Now there’s warmth: the Minnesota Fantasy Legislature.
Fantasy Legislature, hosted by Minnesota Public Radio, works like any fantasy sports league. Teams draft lawmakers, who get points as bills they’ve signed on to move through the Legislature. The closer the bills get to approval, the more points the lawmakers get.
While local lawmakers like the new approach to providing information on the Legislature, they say it’s unintentionally changed some behavior at the Capitol.
Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona, pointed out that the lawmaker leading the pack with 2,068 points Friday — Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka — has signed on to nearly 400 bills this session, and that he’s seen an overall increase in bills introduced this session.
Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona, agrees with Pelowski.
“It’s kind of a fun little game that they’re putting out there,” she said, but “I think they could do it in a way that’s really indicative of serious work. It has some really serious flaws.”
MPR clearly notes on the Fantasy Legislature Web site that the point system is no measure of proficiency. Rather, it’s a fresh way to track legislation and check in on local lawmakers, and maybe draw in a few followers who might otherwise want nothing to do with the process.
Freshman Rep. Ken Tschumper, DFL-La Crescent, started slow but has leapt into the top quarter, with 713 points. Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing, is close behind with 702 points and Ropes with 458.
“I’m carrying a good bucket load of water up here,” Ropes said, noting that the points are a little skewed: While up to 35 House members can sign onto a single bill, only five members can do so in the Senate.
Pelowski is close to the bottom with 227 points. And he’s just fine with that.
He’s had his hands full as chairman of the House’s brand new and expansive committee on government reform, technology and elections.
Government reform and mandate reduction, which Pelowski said is “the most difficult thing to do in the Legislature,” isn’t point-worthy.
“The MPR game may be fun, but it awards what is done easily and ignores those things that will benefit Minnesota’s quality of life,” he said.
Reporter Brian Voerding can be reached at (507) 453-3514 or at @winonadailynews.com
Brian Hanf wrote on Mar 19, 2007 9:42 AM: