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The Winona Daily News spoke to five area legislators about what they liked and what they didn’t from this year’s session:
Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Wabasha
THE GOOD: Drazkowski hailed last week’s passage of a cap on local property tax levies. The cap will limit local government to increasing levies by 3.9 percent a year for the next three years.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty called the cap the “linchpin” to a broader budget compromise, though some criticized it for tying the hands of local governments.
Drazkowski said cities and counties still will be able to increase taxes faster than inflation.
“I think (the 3.9-percent limit) is high enough that it provides for reasonable decision making,” he said.
THE BAD: House DFL leaders ignored Republican-authored bills to address illegal immigration, including a Drazkowski measure that would have made English the official language of Minnesota. Drazkowski also favored a bill to strip state aid from so-called “sanctuary cities” such as
Minneapolis and St. Paul, which prevent police from arresting illegal immigrants solely for their undocumented status.
“It’s almost as though (House DFL leaders) were encouraging illegal immigration,” Drazkowski said.
Sen. Steve Murphy, DFL-Red Wing
THE GOOD: As author of a $6.6 billion transportation bill that became law in February, Murphy steered one of the highest-profile proposals of the 2008 session. The measure — which boosted gas taxes and other fees to pay for road and bridge maintenance — was enacted when six House Republicans broke ranks to override a Pawlenty veto.
The override was a personal and political victory for Murphy, who has long criticized what he called Pawlenty’s neglect of state roads.
“When we get down the road five or 10 years, we’ll say (the transportation bill) was the linchpin of the whole session,” Murphy said.
THE BAD: The Senate passed another Murphy bill making seat belt violations a primary offense. Pawlenty supported the measure, but it died in the House.
Murphy said police should be able to pull over motorists who don’t buckle up.
“Just run the numbers — we’d save 40 lives every year,” Murphy said.
Sen. Sharon Erickson Ropes, DFL-Winona
THE GOOD: Ropes applauded a tax bill — passed as part of last week’s larger budget agreement — that’s expected to reduce property taxes for at least 70,000 Minnesotans. Cities and counties will receive more aid to hold down local property taxes, and $25 million more will go toward property tax refunds.
“We’re trying to do what we can to keep local property taxes down,” Ropes said.
THE BAD: Pawlenty vetoed a Ropes-sponsored bill that would have allowed workers to use sick leave to care for their parents, siblings or adult children. Many employers restrict use of sick leave to care for oneself or a young child.
“We need family members to have more flexibility in the workplace,” Ropes said.
Rep. Gene Pelowski, DFL-Winona
THE GOOD: Pelowski requested — and received — $8.4 million for Winona State University as part of this year’s bonding bill. The state money will help pay for WSU’s planned Wellness Center, which also will be financed by $7 million in student fees and $3 million in private donations.
Pelowski lobbied hard for the Wellness Center funding in 2008 after assurances of state support disappeared during the 2007 legislative session.
“(The Wellness Center funding) was a huge boost,” Pelowski said.
THE BAD: Pelowski was one of just 19 House members to vote against a bill passed last week to balance the state budget. He particularly criticized cuts to state payments to hospitals, a proposal that cost Winona Health more than $800,000.
Pelowski said it made no sense to cut those payments while expanding other programs.
“I’m not going to cut somebody to give to somebody else,” Pelowski said. “It’s a fairness issue.”
Rep. Ken Tschumper, DFL-La Crescent
THE GOOD: Tschumper said Minnesota did plenty to improve its transportation infrastructure in 2008. That includes a bill to leverage federal funding for light rail in the Twin Cities, plus a February measure that increased gas taxes and other fees to raise $6.6 billion for state roads.
Tschumper voted to override Pawlenty’s veto of the gas tax, arguing that road repairs simply couldn’t wait any longer after years of neglect.
“(The gas tax) absolutely was needed,” Tschumper said. “It absolutely was the right thing to do.”
THE BAD: Tschumper opposed a mandate for all diesel fuel sold in Minnesota to be at least 20 percent biodiesel by 2015.
Government subsidies and mandates boosting biofuel production have sparked a sharp rise in the cost of corn- and soybean-based feed for cattle, he said.
“People are really starting to have second thoughts about biofuels,” Tschumper said. “They’re really hurting livestock farmers.”
