MARCH 14, 2003 VOLUME 20, NUMBER 10

In this issue:

EDUCATION STANDARDS PRESENTED

STATE BLIND SERVICES, CONGESTION DEBATE, AND MORE HF774-HF905 ESSION S Weekly Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services. During the 2003-2004 Legislative Session, each issue reports daily House ac- tion between Thursdays of each week, lists bill introductions and upcoming commit- tee meeting schedules, and provides other information. The publication is a service of the Minnesota House. No fee. CONTENTS To subscribe, contact: Minnesota House of Representatives IGHLIGHTS Public Information Services H 175 State Office Building Agriculture • 5 Environment • 9 Law • 13 St. Paul, MN 55155-1298 Children • 6 Ethics • 10 (651) 296-2146 or Local Government • 13 1-800-657-3550 Crime • 6 Government • 10 Recreation • 13 TTY (651) 296-9896 Education • 7 Health • 11 Safety • 14 Elections • 8 Higher Education • 11 Transportation • 15 Director Employment • 8 Insurance • 12 Veterans • 16 Barry LaGrave Energy • 9 Assistant Director LeClair G. Lambert FEATURES Editor/Assistant Director Michelle Kibiger At Issue: Employment — State Services for the Blind, set for additional cuts under Assistant Editor Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s budget for 2004-05, provides employment and workforce ser- Mike Cook vices to visually impaired adults. • 17 Art & Production Coordinator At Issue: Game & Fish — A case before the Minnesota Supreme Court will estab- Paul Battaglia lish the degree of probable cause a conservation officer must have in order to Writers search a boat. • 18 Miranda Bryant, Patty Janovec, At Issue: Health — Two organizations providing cancer referral and treatment ser- Jeff Jones, Tom Lonergan vices stand on opposite sides of an issue regarding whether doctors should be Chief Photographer allowed to have financial interests in clinics they refer patients to. • 19 Tom Olmscheid At Issue: Metro Affairs — Lawmakers are grappling with which solutions would Photographers help solve growing congestion problems in the Twin Cities metropolitan area. • 20 Andrew Von Bank, Kristine Larsen Office Manager People — Rep. Lyle Koenen (DFL-Maynard) hopes to bring his rural, farm per- Nicole Wood spective to his new role as legislator. • 21 Staff Assistants People — Rep. Doug Meslow (R-White Bear Lake) didn’t expect to become a legis- Christy Novak, Joseph Rude lator, but hopes to help make good policy as a new member of the House. • 22

Session Weekly (ISSN 1049-8176) is published People — Rep. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) brings experience as a community ac- weekly during the legislative session by the tivist and teacher to the House of Representatives. • 23 Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services, 175 State Office Building, People — Rep. Pete Nelson (R-Lindstrom) is carrying on a family tradition estab- St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Periodicals postage lished by his father Howard Nelson who served in the House and the Senate and paid at St. Paul, MN, and at additional mailing great-uncle George Nelson who served in the Wisconsin Assembly. • 24 offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Session Weekly, Public Information Services, Minnesota House of Representatives, 175 State Office Building, St. Paul, DEPARTMENTS/RESOURCES MN 55155-1298. It’s a Fact: From game warden to The 50 States 30

Printed on recycled paper which is 50% recycled, conservation officer 4 Reflections: Currency 31 30% post-consumer content. Bill Introductions (HF774 – HF905) 25 Minnesota Index: Driving and crashing 32 Committee Schedule (March 17-20) 28

On the cover: A visitor climbs a staircase of the Capitol to the first floor. — Photo by Tom Olmscheid 2 March 14, 2003 IRST READING F★ ★ ★

school math standards. “Math is more about resources and the approach to teaching,” she Replacing the profile said. “The profile had the right idea, but there was a lack of specificity and guidelines for New English and math standards compiled by a committee are teachers.” Delaney had also served on an aca- designed to better measure student achievement demic panel that reviewed profile standards. Yecke said the proposed standards were “set- ting the bar” for measuring student progress. BY TOM LONERGAN that would repeal the profile and replace it with “What we want are high expectations at the ow they come in the form of a 50-page new standards. Senate DFLers are expected to end of the school year,” she said. “You don’t document to be pored over by legislators, propose a different set of standards than the want the bar so low that there’s nothing to Neducators, and a fair share of parents. commissioner’s. strive for.” New state tests will also be devel- Eventually, the proposed state academic Rep. Lyndon Carlson (DFL-Robbinsdale) oped to measure the new academic standards. standards in language arts and math may pro- asked Yecke, “What happens if there’s no agree- Rep. Jim Davnie (DFL-Mpls), an eighth-grade vide the guideposts to measure public school ment (on stan- social studies student achievement for kindergartners to se- dards) this session?” teacher, said the pro- niors in high school. Yecke said assess- posed standards, Draft standards in English and math, de- ment of student “appear challenging veloped in three weeks by volunteer commit- achievement would but achievable.” He tees working with the Department of Children, then be developed questioned how the Families and Learning, were presented using the profile Pawlenty adminis- March 11 to the House Education Policy Com- standards. tration expected mittee by Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke. The state requires school districts to The new grade-level content standards that two sets of tests to prepare students for could possibly replace the state’s unpopular measure student new standards when Profile of Learning, were “a fine starting point progress and aca- it was proposing for discussion,” Yecke said. The committee took demic achievement. cuts in funding for no action on the proposed standards. The basic skills test after-school and There wasn’t a lot of discussion among and profile-related summer school committee members who received the pro- Minnesota Compre- programs. posed standards for the first time. “You get to hensive Assessments Yecke said the ad- read and memorize this,” joked Rep. Barb are taken by grade ministration Sykora (R-Excelsior), the committee chair. school and high planned to pursue The House voted to scrap the Profile of school students. State more federal fund- Learning standards Feb. 17 and directed the test results alone do ing provided education commissioner to develop new stan- not determine through the federal dards in English, math, science, history, and whether a child No Child Left geography. Though the profile repeal is not yet progresses from Behind Act. “Minne- law, department officials are moving ahead grade to grade or sota is not getting its with plans to develop new standards. In fact, graduates from high fair share,” she said. the English and math standards are on a faster school, Yecke said. “We plan to pull timeline to meet a federal requirement to have The tests are one of down more federal specific tests for grades three through eight and many student per- funds and be cre- high school by the 2004-05 school year. The formance criteria PHOTO BY TOM OLMSCHEID ative with existing State Education Commissioner Cheri Pierson Yecke state does not currently test students in all of considered by teach- presents the preliminary work of the Academic Stan- funding to imple- those grades. ers, she added. dards Committee to members of the House Education ment the standards.” Academic standards have been a conten- The proposed Policy Committee March 11. The committee is work- Yecke praised the tious issue in the Legislature for the past five standards are con- ing on standards to replace the Profile of Learning. 65 volunteers who, years. Attempts to change the profile standards sidered a guide for she said, have cu- have “crashed before,” warned Rep. Mindy school districts to develop curriculum and in- mulatively spent approximately 3,000 hours Greiling (DFL-Roseville). “We have one idea struction plans with teachers. One criticism of since mid-February reviewing other state and in the House and one idea in the Senate and the profile standards from teachers and school national academic organization standards, end up with nothing.” administrators was that they were too vague. national studies on reading and math, and a Yecke also presented drafts of the proposed “There is no perfect curriculum,” said Ellen variety of instructional curricula toward de- standards to the Senate Education Commit- Delaney, a North St. Paul math teacher, who veloping the proposed state academic stan- tee. The Senate has taken no action on bills served on the subcommittee proposing high dards. The volunteers included parents,

Session Weekly 3 teachers, school administrators, and represen- tatives from higher education and business. Each committee also included a representative from statewide superintendents and principals organizations and the state teachers union. For sixth-grade, the proposed reading stan- From game warden to conservation officer dards, for example, would expect a student to Enforcement of the state’s natural resources laws their role since late 19th century “read narrative and expository text fluently and accurately, both aloud and silently.” One When historians chronicle Minnesota’s wardens, the few people who did say a kind of the writing standards proposed for the early days, they praise the bounty that the word about the wardens were somehow in- ninth-graders would measure the student’s state’s land and natural resources provided, volved in public affairs. And working in his ability to “write in a variety of styles to express particularly in relation to the abundance of hometown was tough for a game warden; meaning: narrative and expository writing.” trees, water, hunting, and fishing. tact was an indispensable skill. The literature standard for high school se- Many a resident enjoyed the state’s re- In 1967, the Legislature passed a law that niors would require the student to “respond sources for business and for pleasure. And for reorganized the Department of Conserva- to, analyze, evaluate, and appreciate a wide the most part, the state’s natural resources tion. That move primarily renamed and variety of fiction and nonfiction texts,” meet- went unregulated until the late 19th century. reconfigured the organizations within the ing eight specified criteria, including reading An essential part of the regu- department. And game war- and analyzing the development of American, lation of those resources were the dens received new titles: con- British, or world literature. wardens appointed to enforce servation officers. In math, a fourth-grade student, for ex- laws regarding natural resources. At the time, there were 147 ample, would be required to “demonstrate The Legislature authorized the conservation officers. Accord- mastery of the multiplication tables for num- state’s first and only game war- ing to a booklet produced in bers between 1 and 12.” Seventh-grade stu- den at the time in 1887. A fish the late 1960s, Your Minnesota dents would show their ability to “multiply and warden was appointed two years Department of Conservation, divide fractions and mixed numbers,” as well later. By 1891, the state had estab- the state had as many as 3 mil- as “identify the reciprocal of a given fraction.” lished a five-member Board of lion fishing licenses, 1 million Game and Fish Commissioners Game warden John hunting licenses, and 72,000 For high school students, two sets of math Salvator changing a standards are proposed. One set of standards to oversee activities related to fish pheasant hunting sign trapping licenses in the state. covering algebra, patterns, and functions and wildlife resources. in 1943. Conservation officers were would apply to all students. A set of additional That board evolved into the also responsible for a signifi- standards would be geared towards “post-sec- Game and Fish Department in 1915. cant portion of the public relations and ondary preparation in math related fields.” All during this time, the divisions which outreach for conservation policies. Accord- Public hearings, which began March 13 and would eventually come under the jurisdic- ing to the report, the officers attended about are expected to continue through the end of tion of the Conservation Department, and 2,000 meetings with an interest in conser- the month, would provide more suggestions, later the Natural Resources Department, vation to discuss policies. Yecke said, “so the standards are set appropri- were being created as separate entities and The agency’s name was changed to the ately.” Another draft of the standards is sched- creating their own administrative policies. Department of Natural Resources in 1971. uled to be provided to the education policy A state fire warden was created in response Today, about 130 conservation officers en- committee on April 1. to the Hinckley fire in 1894. And the state force the natural resources laws in the state. auditor was given jurisdiction over state According to the DNR Web site, conser- parks and the state’s mineral lands. vation officers are responsible to enforce The state had 120 game wardens and the following: state laws and regulations Standards through the years deputy wardens in 1906 to oversee 30,000 related to hunting, commercial and sport 1998 – Legislature adopts Profile of licensed deer hunters. fishing, trapping, and fur buying; rules per- Learning academic standards. In 1931, all the departments that were over- taining to state parks, campgrounds and 2000 – Legislature allows schools flexibility to implement the Profile of Learning. seeing the state’s natural resources were col- recreational areas under DNR jurisdiction; 2002 – Federal No Child Left Behind Act lected under the Department of Conservation. all-terrain vehicle, boating, off-highway adopted, requiring stricter state learning A DNR account of the department’s first 50 motorcycle, and snowmobile regulations; standards; reporting of student and school years noted that game wardens held very little laws dealing with the alteration of lake beds, performance. sway in Greater Minnesota at that time. streams and wetlands; shooting preserve 2003 – House repeals Profile of Learning “Local juries and citizens in outstate rules; and laws governing the harvest of and directs the state education commissioner to propose new academic communities considered game and fish laws Minnesota’s wild rice crop. standards. Senate expected to repeal Profile unnecessary and game wardens themselves In addition, the officers work with outdoors of Learning and draft new standards. an intolerable nuisance,” wrote Greg and conservation organizations and other 2003-04 – Pending Legislature approval, Breining in the account. volunteers to administer several training pro- new academic standards implemented in Even when game wardens would catch an grams including advanced hunter education, school districts. 2004-05 – New state assessment tests, offender, juries would not impose signifi- bowhunter education, firearm safety, snow- based on new standards, provided to school cant penalties, the report said, and people mobile safety, and off-highway motorcycle districts for grades three through eight and were unwilling to turn in their neighbors and all-terrain vehicle safety. high school. for poaching. (M. KIBIGER) According to accounts of former game Photo courtesy of the Minnesota Historical Society

4 March 14, 2003 IGHLIGHTS M ARCH 6 - 13, 2003 H★ ★ ★

The committee took no action on the ethanol industry, according to the state Agri- ★ AGRICULTURE governor’s budget proposal at the meeting. culture Department. Last year, ethanol production topped 300 Their fair share? million gallons. Corn production during 2002 A half-dozen people told the House Agri- was 1 billion bushels, the first time in Minne- Significance of ethanol culture and Rural Development Finance Com- sota history that level has been reached, ac- mittee March 6 that the Agriculture Ethanol advocates told the House Agricul- cording to the state Corn Growers Association. Department would bear a “disproportionate” ture and Rural Development Finance Com- According to the department, about share of cuts if Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposed mittee March 11 that continued state support 13 percent of that crop was made into ethanol 2004-05 budget is approved. is critical to the fuel additive industry’s growth and livestock feed. A 14 percent reduction in the department’s in rural Minnesota and would help smaller budget, combined with a proposed 50 percent plants survive. cut in ethanol producer payments, means state Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s 2004-05 biennium spending on agriculture would be cut 38 per- budget proposal cuts state producer payments Regulating repairs cent during the next two years, said Al to ethanol plants in half, a $32.5 million sav- Warranty work performed by farm equip- Christopherson, president of the Minnesota ings to the state’s general fund. The payments ment dealers on behalf of farm equipment Farm Bureau Federation. “We’re being asked are based on a per gallon rate that’s capped at manufacturers would be regulated under a bill to do more than our fair share,” 15 million gallons produced by a plant. approved March 11. Christopherson said. The 34,000-member Pawlenty proposes that the rate be cut, effec- Sponsored by Rep.Greg Davids (R-Preston), group does not support a tax increase to bal- tive July 1, 2003, from the current 20 cents per HF547 was approved by the House Commerce, ance the state budget, he added. gallon to 10 cents. Ethanol producers told the Jobs, and Economic Development Policy Representatives of milk, pork, and turkey pro- committee they could live with 16 cents per Committee and now moves to the House floor. ducers and county fairs also provided testimony. gallon. The bill received support from three imple- A grant program that helps dairy farmers The Legislature “really made a contract” ment dealers in Caledonia, Fergus Falls, and increase profitability and plan efficiency im- with the ethanol industry when the producer Madison, as well as from the Farm Equipment provements should be maintained at full fund- payments began more than a decade ago, said Dealers Association, based in Owatonna. ing, said Bob Lefebvre, executive director of Rod Jorgenson of Kasson, a farmer and presi- According to the dealers association, almost the Minnesota Milk Producers Association. dent of the Minnesota Coalition for Ethanol. all farm equipment manufacturers offer war- The governor’s budget proposes a $200,000 “I can’t think of a better economic program ranties on equipment sold to farmers through cut in the more than $1 million program. “This for rural Minnesota.” authorized dealers. However, some do not re- is definitely a blow to us,” Lefebvre said. In- Randall Doyal, chief executive officer of the imburse dealers adequately for repairs done vestment in agriculture “has been declining as Alcorn Clear Fuel ethanol plant in Claremont, under the warranty. Many manufacturers lack a percentage of the state budget,” he added. said the state’s incentive program “forced de- written warranty reimbursement policies or If the governor’s budget proposal stands, velopment” to rural areas because it capped agreements. agriculture would represent “one-quarter of production capacity, leading smaller plants to Dealers are expected to provide service at a 1 percent of the state budget,” said former state seek locations near corn suppliers. rate far below their established labor rates, and representative Doug Peterson, now president When the federal government attempted to are not reimbursed for handling and freight of the Minnesota Farmers Union. “On bal- stimulate growth in ethanol production in the costs when replacement parts are shipped, said ance,” he said, “rural Minnesota got more of a 1970s, Doyal said, the incentive was, “I’ll write Rich Strom, the dealer association’s executive severe hit than our city cousins” in the you a big check.” Minnesota’s program, he said, director. governor’s proposal. was based on an ethanol plant successfully “The dealer is faced with subsidizing the The Pawlenty administration also proposes starting before the state provided financial manufacturer’s warranty or charging the cus- to eliminate $359,000 in grants that county support. tomer for the un-reimbursed amount,” he said. agricultural societies use to partially fund “Today, we’re here saying, ‘Where’s the HF547 would require manufacturers to re- county fairs. check?’” Doyal said. He said most of the 13 imburse dealer’s labor expenses at a reason- The state aid, which dates back some 135 ethanol plants receiving producer payments able rate, and to reimburse for parts at a rate years, should be maintained, said Sharron “doubled their production facilities with the 15 percent higher than the dealer’s net price. Wessel, chair of the Minnesota Federation of anticipation that the state would stand behind In addition, the bill would require that County Fairs. The fairs provide “a chance to its commitment.” manufacturers approve or disapprove the educate the public on what agriculture is,” Rep. Maxine Penas (R-Badger) said the dealer’s reimbursement claims within 30 days, Wessel said. A similar amount for county fairs state’s hard financial times means it must make and pay claims that have been approved within was cut from the current year budget in the “hard choices.” She requested that ethanol 30 days. governor’s unallotments last month. plants provide their latest annual audit to According to Bob Klug of Caledonia Imple- Representing the fair group, Jerry prove that a 16 cents per gallon producer pay- ment, Minnesota has a similar law for war- Schoenfeld said that county fairs collected ment is needed. “You need to make a profit,” ranty work on lawn and garden equipment, $207,000 in sales tax revenue for the state last she said. “If you get a subsidy, we need to know all-terrain vehicles, boats, snowmobiles, and year. A pair of representatives from each party the facts.” licensed motor vehicles. indicated that they would support restoring From fiscal year 1986 to fiscal year 2002, the Fifteen states have similar warranty laws, state aid to the fairs. state has invested about $206.3 million in the including North Dakota and South Dakota,

Session Weekly 5 said Donald Lund of Lund Implement in premeditation and intent would explicitly be- Sponsored by Rep. Doug Meslow (R-White Madison. come first-degree murder under HF550, spon- Bear Lake), HF432 would extend a first-degree A Senate companion bill (SF674), spon- sored by Rep. Debra Hilstrom (DFL-Brooklyn murder charge to a known abuser who kills a sored by Sen. Dallas Sams (DFL-Staples), Center). The bill would also add that crime to child during an act of child abuse. Current law awaits a hearing before the Senate Agriculture, the list of first-degree offenses requiring life only provides for the charge if the suspect has a General Legislation, and Veterans Affairs in prison without the possibility of release. history of abusing that particular child, other- Committee. Hilstrom said she proposed the bill at the wise the crime is a second-degree offense. request of the state Attorney General’s Office, “Our concern is to target (people) who abuse which hopes to deter crime against children children repeatedly, whether it is the same child and give prosecutors additional leverage when or multiple children,” said Assistant Hennepin ★ CHILDREN handling such cases. County Attorney Judy Johnston. If approved, she said the sentence would The bill was approved by the House Judi- Substitute teachers likely be applied in only one case each year. ciary Policy and Finance Committee and re- The House passed a bill March 6 that would Current law calls for a life sentence, which ferred to the House floor. allow licensed child-care providers more flex- means a person must serve at least 30 years A Senate companion bill (SF136), spon- ibility in filling-in for absent teachers. behind bars before being eligible for super- sored by Sen. Leo Foley (DFL-Coon Rapids), HF419, which passed 132-0, would allow vised release for the rest of the criminal’s life. was approved by the Senate Judiciary Com- “experienced aides” to continue filling in for Other crimes eligible for a penalty of life in mittee and awaits a hearing in the Senate Fi- classroom teachers without supervision for up prison without the possibility of release in- nance Committee. to one-quarter of a center’s daily hours. Cen- clude the following: The fact that this bill, like one proposed by Rep. ters must notify parents that they use experi- • Murder while committing or attempting to Debra Hilstrom (DFL-Brooklyn Center) that enced aides and post notice in the classroom commit criminal sexual contact in the first- would toughen penalties for killing a child un- where the aide works. or second-degree with force or violence, der age 14, was deemed to have no fiscal impact Under the bill, experienced aides must be at • Murder in connection with a kidnapping, on the state budget surprised Rep. Eric Lipman least 20 years old, be certified in first aid and CPR, • Murdering a prison guard while he or she is (R-Lake Elmo). Lipman said when legislators and have two years or more of child-care expe- performing their duty, and propose tougher penalties, the prison system rience, including at least four months at that • Murder in connection with terrorism. generally requires more beds, which requires child-care center. They are not required to be full- The bill has no Senate companion and next more money from the state. “If they are putting time employees or certified teachers. goes before the full House. A similar bill re- a marble into the bucket, they should take a Similar legislation signed into law in 1999 ceived committee approval last year, but never marble out of the bucket,” he said. is set to expire this year. came up for a vote on the House floor. Hilstrom said she supports decreasing penal- On the House floor, Rep. Nora Slawik (DFL- ties for some less-serious offenses. “Our job is to Maplewood) asked if the bill would affect the put away the most heinous criminals,” she said. quality of child-care in the state. Child abuse murders The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Barb Sykora (R-Ex- The killing of any child by a person with a Funding the corrections ombudsman celsior), said child-care providers have been pattern of previous child abuse would garner State Corrections Ombudsman David pleased with the practice since it was first allowed a harsher sentence under a bill approved Larson told lawmakers March 12 that the cost in 1999. Since they are already employees of the March 12 by a House committee. of just a few lawsuits from prisoners would center, experienced aides are familiar with the students they would supervise, she said. “So when DENTITY THEFT PROPOSAL they fill in for a teacher on a day when they need I a substitute it really works out better than a sub- stitute might,” Sykora said. “There was never a serious problem of any kind with experienced aides,” she added. Changes suggested by opponents of the 1999 law were incorporated into this year’s version and some of those former opponents testified in fa- vor of the bill in House committees. The bill now moves to the Senate.

★ CRIME Child murder sentence The number of crimes punishable by life imprisonment without possibility of release PHOTO BY ANDREW VON BANK would increase, under a bill approved by the With visual aids and the help of a page, John McCullough, representing the Retailers Protec- House Judiciary Policy and Finance Commit- tive Association, testifies before the House Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee March 13 tee March 12. in support of a bill that would prohibit mail theft and provide a venue for identity and mail Murdering a child under age 14 with theft prosecution.

6 March 14, 2003 more than outweigh the money saved by elimi- basis with the goal to improve the academic nating his office. ★ EDUCATION achievement of all students, including at-risk Larson told the House Judiciary Policy and students. The bill does not require school Finance Committee the ombudsman’s work Mandate opt out boards to establish new programs. — investigating and resolving complaints The House Education Policy Committee Parental involvement in schools is “spotty,” about the state corrections system — has approved a bill March 6 that could relieve Ellison said. “We want to say as a Legislature helped avoid costly litigation. school districts from following certain state that parents need to be engaged. This is a way The office of Ombudsman for Corrections policy mandates. to do that.” was created in 1973 and given broad access to Sponsored by Rep. Mark Olson (R-Big Several committee members questioned prison records and facilities in order to inves- Lake), HF472 was referred to the House State why the bill was necessary. tigate complaints of unlawful actions, unsafe Government Finance Committee. Zona Sharp-Burk, executive director of the or unjust conditions, or other reported mis- Effective with the 2003-04 school year, the bill Minnesota Academic Excellence Foundation, conduct by corrections officials in state jails would establish a procedure, including public said nearly all school districts in the state have and prisons. “Ours is considered a model for hearings, for school districts to notify the state parent involvement programs, but they’re of- many other states’ ombudsman’s offices,” that they want to opt out of a state mandate. ten of the “one page fits all” type. “Do they Larson said. Olson said the bill was “not targeting any (districts) do them well and evaluate? No,” The office has sustained dramatic cuts in the mandate in particular.” Its purpose, he said, Sharp-Burk said. last three years and is pegged for elimination was to foster “intergovernmental communi- The committees a school board could es- under Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposed fiscal cation, a vehicle which does not exist today.” tablish under the bill would consist of two- year 2004-05 budget. After losing funding for Opponents said it could potentially allow thirds parents and one-third teachers. They seven employees since 2000, the office now school districts to seek release from special edu- could evaluate the effectiveness of district- operates with Larson and one part-time cation, transportation, health, and safety stan- wide parental involvement programs or those deputy. dards or the state’s public employee bargaining at a specific school. The bill would require that Of the 1,500 calls Larson expects to receive law, among other mandates. Olson said it was a majority of committee members be parents this year, he said he would only be able to in- not the bill’s intent to allow districts “to avoid of students enrolled in the school district. vestigate 250, one-sixteenth the number of the responsibility of a mandate.” Participating district and school site evalu- cases the office could handle three years ago. Under the bill, if 10 percent (approximately ation committees would have to report to the “I have to wait for them to cluster up some- 35) of the state’s school districts were to no- school board by March 1 of the school year. place before I can act,” he said. tify the state during a regular legislative ses- The bill, which would be effective for the Larson said he spends two days a week tak- sion that a required mandate does not apply 2003-04 and 2004-05 school years, was re- ing calls from prisoners, families, the public, to them, both the House and Senate must each ferred to the full House. and the occasional lawmaker, he said. The respond by taking timely action during the A Senate companion bill (SF346), spon- other three days are spent visiting facilities to session on any bills related to the issues the sored by Sen. Linda Higgins (DFL-Mpls), investigate complaints and talk to prisoners school districts raised. awaits a hearing before the Senate Education and officials to try and resolve reported The bill would require a district to state the Committee. problems. reason it wants to be relieved of a state mandate Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL-Mpls) said he was and “indicate how the school district will other- wise meet the objectives of the mandate.” A local disappointed to see the governor’s recommen- Limiting teacher leave school board would be required to hold at least dation, especially at a time of rising prison Leaves of absence for public school teach- populations and looming overcrowding. one public hearing on the issue and identify the district’s costs of mandate compliance that would ers to teach at a charter school would be lim- Ellison said he feared the consequences would ited to five years, under a bill passed 132-0 by go beyond the financial costs of lawsuits. exceed state and federal funds the district receives. The district would also have to identify the state the House March 6. “When inmates feel they have nowhere to Sponsored by Rep. Carla Nelson (R-Roch- turn and no one to talk to … that’s what causes or federal revenue it could lose by opting out of the state mandate. ester), HF424 would amend state law by plac- riots,” he said. ing a defined length on charter school leaves Rep. Jim Rhodes (R-St. Louis Park) said State mandates districts could not opt out of include election law, property taxes, and fi- granted by a school district. The law now al- Minnesota prisons don’t have the problems lows a leave to be granted for the number of encountered in other states because they are nancial accounting and audit requirements. A companion bill (SF737), sponsored by years a teacher requests. The bill would also well-run and administered by the Department give school boards the authority to consider of Corrections. Sen. Michele Bachman (R-Stillwater), awaits a hearing in the Senate Education Committee. extending a teacher’s leave beyond five years. According to the governor’s proposal, elimi- The law now requires a school district to ex- nating the office will save the state $336,000 tend the leave at the teacher’s request. in the upcoming biennium. Nelson said school district associations and The committee took no action on the Parental involvement the teachers’ union support the bill, which was proposal at the meeting. The House Education Policy Committee requested by Rochester Public Schools. Unlim- approved a bill March 6 that would give local ited leaves have made it hard for the district to school boards the option to create parent- find long-term substitute teachers to replace If you have Internet access, visit the teacher committees to evaluate parent involve- those who moved to a charter school, Nelson Legislature’s web page at: ment programs in schools. said. http://www.leg.mn Sponsored by Rep. Keith Ellison (DFL- There are 78 charter schools operating in Mpls), HF218 would establish parent involve- the state, under a law approved in 1991. School ment review committees on a two-year pilot districts must grant a teacher’s written request

Session Weekly 7 for a leave to teach in a charter school. Teach- be voting for president. A similar bill passed both houses of the ers maintain reinstatement rights to the posi- Olsen says the bill has good things in it, be- Legislature in 2001, but did not make it past a tion they vacated, as well as seniority, salary, cause it encourages school board members to conference committee. and insurance rights under their union con- visit all areas of a consolidated school district. This year’s bill now moves to the Senate. tract with the school district. A Senate companion (SF451), sponsored by The bill would take effect the day after en- Sen. Tom Saxhaug (DFL-Grand Rapids), actment and apply only to approvals of leaves awaits action in the Senate Rules and Admin- Future jobs or extensions of leaves made after that date. It istration Committee. The future of Minnesota’s workforce and the now moves to the Senate. measures the state government must employ to meet that workforce’s needs are spelled out in a ★ EMPLOYMENT report presented March 11 to the House Jobs and ★ ELECTIONS Economic Development Finance Committee. Passing along information The Governor’s Workforce Development School board elections The House approved a bill March 10 that Council presented an inventory of publicly A bill that would allow a school district to would make it easier for employers to relay funded workforce development programs and switch from electing its members by ward to certain information about current and former a strategic plan. electing them on an at-large basis was ap- employees to other prospective employers Among the report’s findings is that a long- proved March 10 by a House committee. without the fear of lawsuits. term labor shortage will be witnessed again in Sponsored by Rep. Stephanie Olsen (R- Sponsored by Rep. Jim Knoblach (R- Minnesota. By 2010 there will be nearly Brooklyn Park), HF 391 was approved by the St. Cloud), HF480 would let companies pass 3.3 million jobs in the state, an increase of House Governmental Operations and Veter- along basic employment information such as 400,000 from 2000. This 13.1 percent gain in ans Affairs Policy Committee and now moves wages and job description as well as written jobs compares to only a 12 percent projected to the House Education Policy Committee. disclosures of any instances of theft, harass- gain in the workforce in the same period. Current law allows school districts to elect ment, violence, or other illegal conduct that The workforce will be increasingly diverse. board members a number of ways — either has been documented in the employee’s record. In 1990, 6.3 percent of the state’s population by ward, by a combination of wards and at- The employee’s consent would not be required identified themselves as non-white or His- large seats, or all at-large seats. While a dis- for disclosure of this information. panic, or both. In the 2000 census, 11.8 per- trict may change from an at-large system to a Knobloch said many companies are reluctant cent were non-white. No future projections ward system, it may not elect to do the reverse. to pass on significant information about em- were given for this demographic. The bill would allow that option. ployees to other companies for fear of expensive “This presents an excellent opportunity to Bob Meeks, director of governmental relations lawsuits resulting when an employee thinks the continue and expand efforts to welcome and with the Minnesota School Boards Association, information shared hurt their chance to get a job. attract immigrants to Minnesota,” stated the said an example of the need for the bill occurred The consequences can be dangerous, he said, report. when the Lake of the Woods School Board when the information failing to be passed along Also on the horizon is a shortage in funda- wanted to close a building due to declining en- deals with violent behavior, illegal activity, or mental worker skills, as well as in the skills rollment. The district had the option of electing sexual misconduct in the workplace. areas of scientific and technical, managerial members at-large, avoiding bias toward ward- Employees wanting to bring suit under the and administrative, human services, and elected members who wouldn’t vote for the clos- bill would have to meet a high burden of proof medical skills. Some of these shortages can be ing because it affected their ward. He says the by showing clear and convincing evidence that addressed through primary and secondary addition to law “empowers” people. the information was both knowingly incorrect level education, according to the report. A special election would need to be held to and harmful to them. “Although we face other challenges in grow- make the change to at-large elections. It could A provision in the bill dealing specifically ing Minnesotans’ income over time, (it’s clear) be called by a school board acting on its own with school districts would require districts to that Minnesota’s economy supports many jobs or by a petition of 50 people or a number equal share documented information about sexual that require little or no experience or advanced to 10 percent of the votes cast in the most re- misconduct or violence towards a student. training. … We could do more to help prepare cent school general election. On a 128-0 vote, the House defeated an and place many high school students who will Rep. Bill Hilty (DFL-Finlayson) expressed amendment by Rep. Anthony Sertich (DFL- not, at least in the short term, pursue advanced concern that the bill could allow a population Chisholm) to remove the language dealing education and training,” stated the report. center to elect every member to its school with schools. The report concluded that addressing the board, meaning rural areas might not be ad- Representatives of Minnesota’s business long-term labor and skill shortages would equately represented.. community testified in a House committee require: Meeks replied that the process is very simi- Feb. 26 that the bill would help them hire the • Creating greater mobility in the labor mar- lar to a representative’s election in a district, best possible workers and ensure the safety of ket by making benefits, such as health care and currently consolidated districts can do their employees and the public. and pension coverage, portable; exactly what Hilty described. Labor union representatives testified against • Finding additional people to enter the labor An amendment successfully offered by Rep. the bill, saying employees would not be made market, such as immigrants, people with Marty Seifert (R-Marshall) would require that aware of what information had been shared be- disabilities, older workers, welfare recipi- any change be voted upon at a general election, tween employers. They also claimed the high ents, ex-offenders, and others; and rather than a special election. He says a rural resi- burden of proof would make it virtually impos- • Encouraging a workforce with skills, specifi- dent might “not put as much effort” into getting sible for employees to successfully prove an em- cally in the high labor demand area of to the polls on a snowy day for a special election, ployer lied about their work record and that they nursing. as they would a general election where they might were convincingly harmed as a result. The committee took no action on the report. 8 March 14, 2003 energy resources, was the culmination of a family, including white-tailed deer, elk, moose, ★ ENERGY several-year legal battle between the utility, the and caribou. The state’s first cases of the dis- Public Utilities Commission, environmental ease were found last summer in two farm elk, More nuclear waste storage groups, and the Indian community that lives part of herds near Aitkin and Sauk Centre. A bill that would allow additional radioac- on Prairie Island. There are 30 elk herds currently quaran- tive waste storage at the Prairie Island nuclear Jurisdiction over future nuclear storage fa- tined in the state, said William Hartmann, ex- power plant and remove the Legislature’s au- cilities or dry cask storage units at Xcel’s two ecutive director of the state Board of Animal thority to determine future waste storage re- nuclear plants would return to the Public Health. Along with the Departments of Agri- quests at either the Prairie Island or Monticello Utilities Commission, according to the bill. culture and Natural Resources, the board has nuclear plants received a first hearing March The bill would also reduce Xcel’s financial been monitoring both captive and wild deer 12 before the House Regulated Industries obligation to fund renewable energy develop- and elk more closely since chronic wasting Committee. ment, now at $8.5 million annually, with a disease was found in Wisconsin wild deer in There was no action on HF775, sponsored preference for projects in Minnesota. That February 2002. That led to quick legislative by Rep. Torrey Westrom (R-Elbow Lake), the amount is based on $500,000 per 17 dry casks action a year ago to control the threat of the committee chair. The hearing was continued at Prairie Island. The bill would reduce the disease in Minnesota and restrict imports of to March 18. annual amount for renewable development to deer and elk. Westrom said the bill would “keep the lights $6 million ($500,000 per each of 12 casks) and A legislative report on the disease, required on” in the state, noting that nuclear plants pro- direct $2.5 million to be spent toward a po- by the 2002 law, recommended the animal vide 20 percent of the state’s energy supply. tential settlement with the Mdewakanton Da- health board be provided $600,000 to increase Xcel Energy has said it needs additional dry kota Tribal Council. its regulatory program. storage casks for spent nuclear fuel rods at The tribal council opposed additional dry Swenson’s bill would require owners of deer, Prairie Island or it would have to shut down cask storage in an appearance before the com- elk or other live cervidae to register with the the plant in 2007. mittee last month, but said it was negotiating animal health board by Jan. 1, 2004, provide a The bill would allow Xcel to add an unspeci- with the utility. verified inventory of farm herds, and report fied number of dry storage casks to the 17 cur- Westrom said the parties may be close to an any movement of animals in a herd to another rently at Prairie Island that the Legislature agreement on such issues as emergency access location within 14 days. The bill would also approved under a 1994 compromise with the off the island, movement of the plant’s high- require that all perimeter fences for elk or deer utility. Federal regulations would allow up to powered transmission lines, and possible re- herds be at least eight feet high, and that im- 48 casks on the site. That 1994 legislation, location of reservation members who live close port restrictions on deer and elk that are due which allowed the off-site storage silos and to the plant. to expire June 1, 2003 be made permanent. committed the utility to develop renewable The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and James Byrne, president of the Minnesota Elk representatives of four businesses who are Xcel Breeders Association, said his 250-member customers testified in support of the bill. group supports the bill. “Our farmers are will- George Crocker, executive director of the ing to go the extra step,” he said. “It benefits North American Water Office, spoke against our market to have a disease free state.” the bill. He said it would reverse the state’s About 230 herds have participated in the commitment to develop renewable fuel animal health board’s voluntary program to sources as potential alternatives to nuclear monitor the disease. The bill would require all power. “Why make a commitment to a terri- 770 of the state’s deer and elk farms to partici- bly unforgiving technology?” pate and submit brain samples of deceased animals for testing. The bill would also give the commissioner of natural resources wide-ranging authority to take emergency action to prevent or con- ★ ENVIRONMENT trol wildlife diseases and would prohibit the taking of wild or native deer as pets. Battling animal disease A companion bill (SF548), sponsored by The House Agriculture Policy Committee Sen. Steve Dille (R-Dassel) was approved by approved a bill March 12 that would provide one Senate committee and referred to the Sen- more regulatory tools for the state’s Board of ate Agriculture, General Legislation, and Vet- Animal Health and Department of Natural erans Affairs Committee. Resources to track and control chronic wast- ing disease, which is fatal to deer and elk. Sponsored by Rep. Howard Swenson Tom Clarke, left, who opposes more nuclear waste (R-Nicollet), the committee chair, HF649 was Wastewater treatment storage casks at Xcel Energy’s Prairie Island referred to the House Environment and Natu- A bill that would repeal recently published nuclear power plant, talks with Diane Peterson, ral Resources Policy Committee. The bill, rules regarding water quality standards was right, who brought her sign to the House Regu- Swenson said, would help “control the disease approved by the House Governmental Opera- lated Industries Committee meeting March 12. tions and Veterans Affairs Policy Committee The committee took no action on a bill that would, and hopefully prevent it from becoming a among other things, allow additional dry storage major issue in our state.” March 11. casks at the facility and reduce the company’s Chronic wasting disease is a slow progres- Sponsored by Rep. Bill Kuisle (R-Roches- obligation to fund renewable energy develop- sive brain disease caused by an abnormal pro- ter), HF426 would require the Minnesota Pol- ment. tein that’s fatal to animals of the cervidae lution Control Agency to adopt new water Session Weekly 9 quality assessment rules by Jan. 1, 2004, in- Lindner as chair of the Economic Develop- stead of those published in the State Register ★ ETHICS ment and Tourism Division of the House on Jan. 27 of this year. Commerce, Jobs, and Economic Development The rules are used to satisfy a federal re- Complaint filed Committee. quirement whereby states must submit a list House DFLers filed an ethics complaint Sviggum said he “strongly considered” do- of “impaired water” sites to the Environmen- March 11 against Rep. Arlon Lindner (R- ing that, but chose not to. tal Protection Agency every two years. At issue Corcoran) for remarks he made about gays “Even though his words were offensive to is what definitions the PCA uses to determine and history. me and my caucus, and wrong, think of the whether water is impaired. On the House floor one day prior, Lindner chilling effect that would be done to debate on For bodies of water deemed to be impaired, reiterated his belief that homosexuals may not the House floor or in committees if the speaker states must then adopt total maximum daily have been persecuted during the Nazi by one person could say ‘These words were loads for the problem pollutants. Counties and Holocaust. offensive so there is going to be a consequence. municipalities say they don’t have the money Lindner is also the sponsor of a bill (HF341) There’s going to be a removal of a committee to fund the costly process to treat wastewater. that would remove sexual orientation as a pro- assignment or chairmanship,’” Sviggum said. Citing a likely reduction in local govern- tected class under the state Human Rights Act “That would be really dampening to this pro- ment aid and other mandates continually be- and in other statutory provisions. cess we believe in so strongly in relationship ing put on cities by the state, Kuisle said test “What I’m trying to prevent is the holocaust to the right of free speech. costs should not be “passed onto to local units of our children getting STDs, AIDS, and various “I think Rep. Lindner needs to face the con- of government.” other diseases that’s going to affect their lives the sequence of his own words and his own ac- Steven Nyhus, an attorney for the Coalition rest of their lives,” he said. “If you want to sit here tions. He has a good heart but it seems every of Greater Minnesota Cities, said the words are and wait until America becomes another Afri- word he uses gets him in a worse position.” so vague that the expensive process could be can continent, well then, you do that, but I’m applied to any accumulating water body, even going to try to do something about it.” a golf course pond. Nyhus said PCA rules The complaint offers two counts against specify every single body of water must be pro- Lindner: that his conduct “violates accepted ★ GOVERNMENT tected for “aquatic life and recreation.” norms of House behavior” and that his com- Requiring impact notes Nyhus also said attempts have been made ments “bring the House into dishonor or dis- A bill that builds on another moving to have definitions clarified by agency officials, repute.” The complaint is signed by five through the Legislature was approved by the but no clear explanation has been received. Minneapolis DFLers (Rep. Karen Clark, Rep. House Governmental Operations and Veter- Keith Nelson, director of public works in Keith Ellison, Rep. Frank Hornstein, Rep. Mar- ans Affairs Policy Committee March 12. Winona, said, “this is a powerful hammer the garet Anderson Kelliher, and Rep. Neva Sponsored by Rep Marty Seifert PCA can use against our communities.” Walker), Rep. Lyndon Carlson (DFL- (R-Marshall), the bill (HF624) would require Agency officials said the bill would undo two Robbinsdale), House Minority Leader Matt the commissioner of finance to prepare a fis- years of agency rulemaking that cost about Entenza (DFL-St. Paul), and Rep. Ron Latz cal impact note, upon the request by a gov- $475,000. (DFL-St. Louis Park). erning body, if proposed administrative rules Marvin Hora, program administrator in the On the House floor Rep. Dennis Ozment cost the entity more than $10,000 over a one- agency’s executive office, called the bill “un- (R-Rosemount) said Lindner has the right to year period. Such rules are enacted by state reasonable” considering the process of how the free speech under the First Amendment agencies and have the full force of law. Seifert rules were developed. He said the coalition, whether someone agrees with him or not. said that currently only the chair of the House along with a myriad of groups, asked the Entenza agrees, but said a day later, “The Taxes Committee can request a fiscal note. agency to come up with the rules that defined question is has he brought the House into dis- Seifert said he “cleaned up” the bill, and the waters that should be put on the list. honor and disrepute.” Entenza says yes. House added townships to the governing bodies that Faye Sleeper, program administrator in rule 6.10 says an ethics complaint may be can request a fiscal note. In addition, he said remediation for the agency, said it is still in the brought against a member if his or her con- he lowered the fiscal impact number from process of deciding how to address the total duct does that. $100 million over a 10-year period, as was maximum daily loads, and if the bill became law, The next step in the process would be a hear- suggested in the previous bill. the Legislature would be placing the “stakeholder ing before the House Ethics Committee, which Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) raised ques- process before the rulemaking process.” under existing rules must occur within 21 days tions regarding how the timeline would work Mark Ten Eyck, advocacy director for the Min- of the receipt of the complaint by the commit- for the commissioner to supply a fiscal impact nesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, said tee chair, Rep. Sondra Erickson (R-Princeton). note. For example, she said, what if a govern- “These definitions are not new,” noting they have She received the complaint March 12. The ing body requested one 10 minutes before a been in the program for 25 to 30 years and the committee has options ranging from doing meeting. She offered an amendment that language hasn’t caused problems before. “Golf nothing to expelling Lindner from the House. would give the commissioner 10 days to cal- courses haven’t been closed,” he said. DFLers are asking for Erickson to be re- culate the impact. The amendment was The bill moves to the House Environment moved from the proceedings because she is a adopted. and Natural Resources Finance Committee. A co-author on HF341. House Speaker Steve Rep. Stephanie Olsen (R-Brooklyn Park) companion bill (SF419), sponsored by Sen. Sviggum (R-Kenyon) doesn’t intend to do that, said the $10,000 was a “low threshold” con- Dallas Sams (DFL-Staples), awaits action in saying, “That will not affect Rep. Erickson’s sidering large school districts such as Minne- the Senate Environment and Natural Re- decision in any way, shape, or form. I have the apolis and counties such as Hennepin County. sources Committee. utmost faith in Rep. Erickson, but I will speak to her about it.” Seifert responded that an amendment could DFLers are also calling for the removal of be offered to “exempt the metro area … if you want to let the mandates flow.”

10 March 14, 2003 Kahn raised the question that the bill doesn’t no over-the-air programming as of mid-March. eliminate without hurting services,” said LCC address a cost versus cost scenario where a city The Legislative Coordinating Commission Director Greg Hubinger, “but we will probably could pass the financial burden onto another serves as an umbrella organization over joint need to eliminate some staff.” city. Seifert said as the bill moves forward to agencies and legislative commissions. Among For example, Legislative Auditor James the State Government Finance committee, he those are the Office of the Revisor of Statutes, Nobles said they will reduce their workspace is willing to work on the bill’s language to ad- Legislative Reference Library, and the Office to hopefully decrease their rent in the Centen- dress those concerns. of the Legislative Auditor and Legislative Au- nial Office Building by $40,000 annually, and There is no Senate companion for HF624. dit Commission. employee salary saving leaves of 80 hours will The Senate companion to Seifert’s previous Representatives from 11 areas said they are be recommended. He said even with those re- bill, (SF61), sponsored Sen. Don Betzold all looking at ways to save money as well, but ductions he anticipates having to keep nine (DFL-Fridley), was passed March 3 by the Sen- few had any ideas set in stone. vacant positions unfilled, and let go another ate. SF61 passed the full House March 13. “We’re scouring for areas in the budget to 8-10 people from his current staff of 70. “We’ve pared everything we can find, but it SILENT RALLY will cut into people,” said Robbie LaFleur, di- Legislative, commission plans rector of the Legislative Reference Library, A number of employees could lose their which is looking at an 18.8 percent funding jobs, and services would be reduced if Gov. reduction. “We’re in the process of seeing all Tim Pawlenty’s planned 2004-05 budgets for that we can do.” the Legislature and areas falling under the Leg- The committee took no action on the islative Coordinating Commission heading proposal at the meeting ultimately become law. “This is not a pleasant task for any of us to go through,” Rep. Bill Haas (R-Champlin), HEALTH chair of the House State Government Finance ★ Committee, said at the March 11 meeting. Long-term protection House Controller Paul Schweizer said the A bill passed by the House March 6 would estimated need for current operations to con- give state protection to holders of long-term tinue status quo would mean that $59.5 mil- care insurance in the event their insurer goes lion would be needed in the 2004-05 out of business or declares bankruptcy. biennium. However, the governor is propos- Approved 131-0, HF51 would put long- ing $48.3 million. term care insurance in the same category as Schweizer said options are being formulated health and life insurance. as to how the target will be met, but that a re- Under Minnesota law, if a company provid- duction in services and staff would be ing those types of insurance goes bankrupt, necessary. the state protects its clients by ensuring up to He said that he has not heard how the Sen- $300,000 in claims, under the Minnesota Life ate would address its equal 15 percent reduc- and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. tion, to $36.1 million for the biennium. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Greg Davids (R- That status quo includes $2.8 million that has Preston), said he was surprised to learn that already been trimmed by the House in fiscal year long-term care was not explicitly covered un- 2003. In addition to $2 million in salary and staff der that protection. He said that his bill was to savings from things such as voluntary leaves of clarify potential confusion and was not in re- absence, keeping permanent positions vacant, sponse to any specific problems that have and reducing the number of temporary staff, arisen. $315,000 has been saved by eliminating out-of- Long-term care insurance mainly covers state travel and canceling committee budgets, and costs associated with nursing home care. Even $485,000 has been saved in miscellaneous ways, though only a small percentage of Minneso- such as postponing equipment purchases and tans currently have the insurance, Davids said eliminating newspaper subscriptions, over-the- those who do should be protected. counter medications, coffee, and some bottled The Minnesota Life and Health Insurance water. Guarantee Association is funded by money Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) said he has collected from the insurance companies it heard from many people wanting to know if protects. television coverage would still be available. The bill now moves to the Senate. Schweizer said that both the House and Sen- PHOTO BY TOM OLMSCHEID ate allocated an additional $95,000 for the cur- Crystal Martinez, a freshman in the deaf rent fiscal year to keep legislative television on program at St. Louis Park High School, holds a string of hands provided by students in ★ HIGHER EDUCATION the air through the end of session. Pawlenty can- the sign language program at Chaska High celed grant money for this purpose when he re- School to demonstrate the importance of Student concerns solved the current deficit. That would have meant services to deaf, deaf blind, and hard of In the late-1980s, John Hoverman had to hearing individuals during a March 11 rally in the Capitol Rotunda. leave the University of Minnesota-Duluth be- cause he could no longer afford to pursue a Session Weekly 11 degree in electrical and computer engineering. HESO budget effects enough, the third option would be to place a He said that since then he has had trouble The 2004-05 biennial budget proposed by surcharge on families, and the fourth option finding jobs because companies want some- Gov. Tim Pawlenty could offer good news for would be to increase the student share by at one with a degree. By his estimates, he has lost some students, but not enough to ease con- least 1 percent. $450,000 in income since he left the univer- cerns about tuition increases. Poch reluctantly admitted that if aid is re- sity. He said in his best year he made less than Robert Poch, director of the Higher Educa- duced it could ultimately lead to students not $30,000. tion Services Office (HESO), told the House being able to attend a post-secondary When he left school, Hoverman said he Higher Education Finance Committee program. needed to begin repaying student loans. With March 10 that the governor’s plan calls for a Upon questioning from Rep. Jeff Anderson his income it was a struggle to pay them off, $60 million increase in funding for the state (R-Austin), Poch said that Minnesota ranks and they went into default at one point. grant program. He said $54 million of the high in regards to giving financial aid to stu- Now, Hoverman is back at the Duluth cam- amount would go towards meeting the in- dents, but it is too early to tell how the current pus in large part he said because his family crease in demand from fiscal year 2003, and situation will affect the state’s rank. “It depends was able to help him pay off his thousands of the remainder would help offset tuition and on what other states do,” he said. dollars in loans. fee increases of about 3 percent in both 2004 The governor’s recommendation also cuts “My story is that this can happen to others,” and 2005. funding for a program that provides grants to he told the House Higher Education Finance However, a number of committee members low-income students in grades 7-11 to attend Committee March 6. noted that the University of Minnesota and the a summer program at a post-secondary insti- Hoverman was one of nine students to tell Minnesota State Colleges and Universities tution. Higher Education Services Office offi- legislators what might happen if the reductions (MnSCU) system are anticipating tuition in- cials say the program reinforces or initiates in higher education funding, as proposed by creases far greater than 3 percent. student plans for higher education. The 2001 Gov. Tim Pawlenty for the next biennium, be- Poch said that if there is insufficient money Legislature allocated $275,000 for the program come law. The students were part of the Uni- to cover needed grants, the governor’s plan for each year of the current biennium, an versity of Minnesota’s student advocacy day. calls for money to be transferred from the state amount later reduced to $200,000 by last year’s “We’re poor kids, poor students,” said Nicole work-study program and then from child-care Legislature. Lisk, a junior in the pre-nursing program at grants. The programs are proposed to receive Additionally, grants for students achieving the Twin Cities campus. “We can’t afford the $12.4 million and $4.7 million in each year of a certain grade in an Advanced Placement/In- governor’s proposal.” the next biennium, respectively. ternational Baccalaureate high school class The governor’s plan calls for a general fund With the anticipated tuition rates, Rep. Ron would be zero for the next biennium. Nearly reduction of $179 million to the university in Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) said that the gover- 130 awards have been granted at either $625 the next biennium. University leaders, who say nor might as well say that work-study and or $525 per student this fiscal year. that with other proposed reductions the total child-care grants will be zero in the next bien- Poch said if the plan were approved, both adds up to almost $200 million, also say that nium because the money would go to state programs would be eliminated. He said there raising tuition will have to be part of the grants. would be no staff savings because those ad- solution. If the transfer of that money were still not ministering the programs had the duties tacked Nate Saete, a sophomore at the Crookston on to their additional activities. campus, said students there mainly come from The committee took no action on the pro- middle-income families. He said that not only posals at the meeting. would some students no longer be able to af- ford college, but also the number of classes could be reduced, meaning fewer elective ★ INSURANCE choices. Health care costs “We can deal with colder classrooms and things like that,” said Cendy Gonzalez, a A state health insurance plan for high-risk sophomore at the Morris campus, citing other enrollees would be allowed to offer higher ways to reduce costs. But she, too, questioned deductibles for clients desiring smaller premi- how some students would deal with higher ums, under a bill approved by the House Com- costs. merce, Jobs, and Economic Development One of the larger concerns is a Pawlenty Policy Committee March 6. plan to take $30 million from the base bud- HF673, sponsored by Rep. Bill Haas (R- gets of the university and Minnesota State Champlin), now moves to the House floor. Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system The Minnesota Comprehensive Health As- and put it in the state grant program. sociation (MCHA), a nonprofit corporation Lisk said that is not fair to public school stu- created in 1976 by the Legislature, offers health dents, because the money would go from their insurance to Minnesotans who have been de- institutions, and into a system where more nied private health insurance coverage due to than 50 percent of the funds are distributed to pre-existing health conditions. Under state law, all health insurance companies doing business students at private colleges and universities. Robert Poch, director of the Higher Education Ser- “That money needs to be kept in the institu- vices Office, tells the House Higher Education Fi- in the state must belong. tions,” she said. nance Committee March 10 what the governor’s Among 30 high-risk pools in the United States, proposed budget would mean for the State Grant The committee took no action on the bud- Minnesota is the second oldest and the largest, Program and other financial aid programs. get proposal at the meeting. according to Association President Lynn Gruber. It counts 31,000 members, of which 60 percent 12 March 14, 2003 live in Greater Minnesota. Individuals seeking Sponsored by Rep. Tim Wilkin (R-Eagan), Hennepin County, which is in the council’s coverage must have lived in Minnesota for six HF106 makes a 2001 law permanent by re- jurisdiction. It’s unnecessary, said Borrell, for months and have proof of rejection by a private moving its 2004 expiration date. The law re- the city to follow Metropolitan Council poli- health insurance carrier. Pre-existing conditions quires that damages or settlement money cies requiring submittal of long-range plans, are not covered under the client’s first six months collected on behalf of the state go into the gen- low-income housing reports, and other paper- on the program. eral fund rather than to any special fund or work for a small portion of the city. State law mandates that premiums be of- outside entities. “It’s quite a burden for a small number of fered at prices 1 percent to 25 percent higher Wilkin cited the historic tobacco settlement homes,” Borrell said. than private market rates to individuals in the as an example of the practice the law seeks to Rockford Mayor Mike Beyer added that program. Client premium rates vary by age stop. Rockford’s city limits extend into Hennepin and deductible plan, but not by gender or In that settlement, $202 million was put into County by 11 acres. The acreage is undevel- medical history. The average age of members a fund dedicated to anti-smoking programs oped, hilly, and has been for sale for quite some is 50, with premiums varying from $590 a that he said is now “out of reach” of the Legis- time. The growth of the city is occurring in month to $856 a month. lature. He also noted a settlement between the another direction, he added. The plan currently offers premiums with state and US Bank that specified money must Rep. Mark Buesgens (R-Jordan) said he not annual deductibles of $500, $1,000, and be given to the non-profit group Habitat for only supported HF415, but also hopes to dis- $2,000. HF673 would add optional deductibles Humanity. cuss at a later date allowing all local govern- of $5,000 and $10,000. Gruber said clients “The Legislature should have deciding au- mental units within Metropolitan Council have requested higher deductibles in order to thority over where taxpayer dollars are allo- jurisdiction to withdraw. lower premiums. cated and not the courts,” Wilkin said. Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls), a former In addition, the bill would add language Rep. Ron Latz (DFL-St. Louis Park) said the Metropolitan Council member himself, said, pertaining to employees who have lost work, law represented a dangerous precedent. “I think it (the bill) makes sense to me in terms in part, to international competition under the “The Legislature should not be in the busi- of the way the city is growing.” However, he Federal Trade Act of 2002. Under this federal ness of interfering with the litigation process said, he doesn’t support drawing a conclusion provision, individuals can receive a tax credit and the settlement process,” Latz said. He from it about the overall relevance of larger for 65 percent of their premiums. The six- added that sometimes it’s a good idea to keep metropolitan governing bodies. month residency requirement is waived, as is money away from the Legislature. Referring A balance must be struck, added Hornstein, the pre-existing condition limitation. to the tobacco settlement money he said, “If between local control and the need to plan as Currently, the risk pool contracts with Blue this Legislature had the opportunity to touch a region for growth and land use. Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota for health that money, I’m sure it would.” A companion bill (SF512), sponsored by care services. HF673 would allow extension of Rep. Eric Lipman (R-Lake Elmo) responded Sen. Mark Ourada (R-Buffalo), awaits action the contract for three years. that the constitutional obligation to spend the from the Senate State and Local Government One-half of the association’s costs are cov- state’s money lies with the Legislature, not the Operations Committee. ered through premiums, with state law requir- executive branch. “Taxpayers are entitled to a ing that member insurance companies be little accountability from the Attorney assessed the remaining costs. Companies in General’s Office,” he said. RECREATION turn pass the assessment on to clients, which Wilkin said the law only applies when the ★ in today’s market are usually small businesses state brings suit on behalf of the taxpayers, not Shooting ranges under fire and individuals. Medium- and large-size en- when it is suing for a specific fund or on be- Though gun ranges are unusual in urban tities, including the State of Minnesota, often half of a particular group of people. settings, whether range operators should pay opt to self-insure. The bill passed 83-49. It now moves to the for relocation when cities expand toward the Therefore, small businesses bear the brunt Senate. ranges in more rural areas is up for debate. of the association’s assessment, Gruber said. A bill that would prohibit local governments To ease the pain felt by small businesses, the and neighbors from limiting the operation of association received appropriations from the LOCAL GOVERNMENT Legislature of $200,000 in 1978, $30 million ★ in 1999, and $15 million in 2000. Community withdrawal Gruber said no money would be requested The City of Rockford will be allowed to this year. “As long as the state has a deficit we withdraw from the regional planning agency are not going to be coming to the Legislature serving the seven-county Twin Cities metro- looking for dollars,” she said. politan area under a bill approved March 11. HF673 has no Senate companion. Sponsored by Rep. Dick Borrell (R- Waverly), HF415 passed the House Local Gov- ernment and Metropolitan Affairs Committee and now moves to the House floor. ★ LAW Under current law, the Metropolitan Coun- Allocating settlement money cil serves the seven-country metropolitan area, David Gross, representing the Minnesota Gun Money collected from lawsuits brought by save for three cities. Removed in 1978 was New Owner’s Civil Rights Alliance, testifies before the the Minnesota Office of the Attorney General Prague; 1980, Northfield; and 1983, Hanover. House Environment and Natural Resources Policy Committee March 11 in support of a bill that must continue to be deposited in the state’s Rockford has 1,100 homes in Wright County, which does not fall under Metropoli- would define shooting range practices in relation general fund, under a bill that passed the to local ordinances, closing and relocations, and House March 6. tan Council purview, and 84 homes in nuisance liability.

Session Weekly 13 shooting ranges was approved by the House speaking on behalf of Ellsworth Township Environment and Natural Resources Policy residents, said local support for the park is Committee March 11 and sent to the House strong. Geyer mentioned endorsements from floor. the Litchfield and Hutchinson chambers of The bill (HF327) would direct the Depart- commerce and Meeker County Board, and he ment of Natural Resources to develop gener- cited a 93 percent approval rating of the park ally accepted operation practices for shooting initiative from respondents to a recent local ranges and protect those ranges who comply newspaper poll. with the guidelines from nuisance lawsuits. The measure will be considered for possible The measure also would require local govern- inclusion in the omnibus lands bill. The Sen- ments to pay for noise buffering when devel- Bill Morrissey, director of the Department of Natu- ate companion (SF610), sponsored by Sen. opment approaches within one mile of an ral Resources Parks and Recreation Division, tes- Steve Dille (R-Dassel), has been referred to the established shooting range. tifies before the House Environment and Natural Senate Environment and Natural Resources “We are telling local governments, ‘Please don’t Resources Policy Committee March 11 about a bill Committee. that would establish a new state park in Meeker encroach on shooting ranges because they are a County. valuable asset to the state of Minnesota,’” said bill sponsor Rep. Tom Hackbarth (R-Cedar). includes nearly a quarter of a million acres of SAFETY “Shooting ranges are a precious and, I’m land and could grow by 1,140 acres under a ★ sorry, fragile resource,” said David Gross of the proposal (HF681) brought to the House En- Seat belt usage Minnesota Gun Owners Civil Rights Alliance. vironment and Natural Resources Policy A 40-year-old law prohibiting evidence Towns have “moved out and we’ve got more Committee March 11. about seat belt use in personal injury cases people, more development, and there is more “It’s an undeveloped piece of land that we would be repealed under a bill approved by pressure on this resource.” can’t afford to lose,” bill sponsor Rep. Dean the House Civil Law Committee March 11. Shooting ranges and preserves are one of Urdahl (R-Grove City) said of the parcel on Civil cases involving injury or property the largest industries in Minnesota, Gross said. Greenleaf Lake in Meeker County. The land is damage due to a car accident currently can- He described the fiscal impact of shooting available and affordable now, he said, in re- not include evidence of whether the injured ranges as a “ripple effect” that contributes as sponse to the question on everyone’s mind — person was wearing a seat belt at the time of much as $4 billion to the state’s economy. why the state would do this under the current the incident. Rep. Rebecca Otto (DFL-Marine on St. budget situation. The sponsor of HF513, Rep. Paul Kohls (R- Croix) said she does not know of any other This is the beginning of a process that may Victoria), said the prohibition can result in industry where the taxpayers have to pick up take six to eight years, Urdahl said. It’s an “ex- unfair awards because a person’s injuries may the tab if they don’t like the emissions. pression of faith to the future.” be enhanced due to their own failure to wear “He who calls the tune must pay the piper,” The Department of Natural Resources has a seat belt. Juries should have all the relevant Gross replied, and suggested that there is a lot taken a neutral position on the bill, although information and be able to assign some per- more room for cooperation than local govern- they have served in an advisory capacity, said centage of blame to the victim of the accident ments admit. DNR Parks and Recreation Division Director if they see fit to do so, he said. Several associations representing cities, Bill Morrissey. An exception to the current law, passed in towns, and counties oppose the bill because it The parcel meets the criteria for state parks 1999, allows seat belt evidence in cases where would unnecessarily restrict local planning set forth in statute, Morrissey said. It is a “tran- equipment in an automobile is defective. The and zoning authorities, they say. sition zone between big woods and prairie Legislature passed the exception over the veto Craig Johnson, an intergovernmental rela- landscape,” he explained. of then-Gov. Jesse Ventura, who supported tions representative with the League of Min- In addition to the potential for hiking, repealing the seat belt evidence prohibition nesota Cities, said the bill would allow the camping, boating, fishing, skiing, and altogether. property rights of a shooting range owner to snowmobiling, there is an opportunity for Olmsted County Sheriff Steve Borchardt supersede the rights of all other surrounding public education because “the Dakota Con- called the bill a “consistent, common sense” property owners. flict of 1862 really started here,” Morrissey said. approach and said the state sheriffs’ associa- “That’s what zoning is all about — striking The cost to the state could be in the neigh- tion hopes the change would promote the balance of competing needs regardless of borhood of $1 million to establish basic fa- their use,” said Kent Sulem, an attorney with cilities, Morrissey said, and he tossed out the the Association of Minnesota Townships. following ballpark figures: “This bill does not provide the balance.” • $300,000 for a headquarters station; A companion bill (SF462) sponsored by • $500,000 for a medium-sized campground; Sen. Jim Vickerman (DFL-Tracy) has been re- and ferred to the Senate State and Local Govern- • $200,000 to build roads and trails. ment Operations Committee. The Parks and Trails Council of Minnesota strongly supports the initiative and would be willing to provide some private funding to ac- Future park acquisition quire the land now and seek reimbursement The most significant growth years for from the state at a later date, said Executive Olmsted County Sheriff Steve Borchardt testifies Minnesota’s state parks system were 1937, Director Dorian Grilley. The council does not make a profit from the sales, Grilley said. before the House Civil Law Committee March 11 1957, and 1963, according to the Department in support of a bill that would repeal the seat belt of Natural Resources. Today, the system Mark Geyer, a Greenleaf Lake landowner evidence admissibility prohibition.

14 March 14, 2003 increased seat belt usage. Borchardt said the routes, and both peak and off-peak fares on driving the cost of construction projects. association would also support making fail- express routes and for Metro Mobility services. Dennis Berg, Anoka County commissioner, ure to wear seat belts a primary offense. He also said they are proposing to expand the and Doug Fischer, Anoka County engineer, While most drivers and front seat passengers afternoon peak fare period by 30 minutes. testified about the environmental regulations are required to wear seat belts in Minnesota, law In addition, the system proposes reducing that could have potentially delayed a signifi- enforcement officers cannot stop drivers merely some regular route service, particularly in cant project in the county and did drive up for failing to wear seat belts. Most back seat pas- routes that are more elastic, Diaz said. Metro costs of the final project. sengers, and drivers in some specific instances, Mobility service hours would be adjusted to The project involved the reconstruction of are excluded from the requirement. minimum requirements under the Americans a county state aid highway from Interstate 35W Opponents said repealing the law would with Disabilities Act, as well. to the intersection with State Highway 14. As give defense lawyers a way to pass the blame Diaz said, however, that these measures are part of the reconstruction, the interchange from bad drivers to good ones and result in a all just proposals right now, and would require with I-35W was redone, Fischer said, which windfall to insurance companies. public hearings prior to implementation. “We dictated a very tight project timeline. Mike Bryant, a Minneapolis attorney, said are going to have extensive public hearings State regulations in many cases are stron- a legislative commission explored the proposal throughout the region,” Diaz said. ger than those required by the federal govern- in the 1990s and decided against repealing the The bus system could lose about 1 million ment, Fischer said. He called the requirements law. He said the change would require some- riders per year, Diaz said, or about 1.5 percent. “a paper chase” that didn’t really improve the one to assume they are going to be in an acci- The plan would also shift federal funding environmental conditions that the project af- dent, and punish them if they don’t. for capital expenditures to cover some oper- fected, but forced the county to spend more Rep. Joe Atkins (DFL-Inver Grove Heights) ating costs. Diaz said that is allowable in some money solving the issues. said allowing seat belt evidence would result circumstances, such as maintaining the fleet He described some new regulations that in a parade of expert witnesses coming before of vehicles or providing ADA services. were recently put in place requiring several juries to speculate on what injuries would and In addition, the system will take over operat- different permits for stormwater sewer sys- would not have been prevented by a seat belt. ing costs for the Hiawatha Light-Rail Transit line, tems. As part of the permit process for the That, he said, would take time and money from set to begin partial operations in early 2004. Es- project, the county had to have a series of pub- the court system. timates suggest the line will require $13.4 mil- lic hearings and accommodate other public Rep. Steve Smith (R-Mound) requested an lion per year to operate, and Pawlenty has outreach efforts. estimate of the fiscal impact the bill would have recommended dividing operating costs between “We’re already doing a lot of this stuff, but on the state’s court system when it next goes the state and local governments, with the state now we’ve got to go through the process of before the House Judiciary Policy and Finance picking up 40 percent (or slightly more than documenting all these things,” Fischer said. Committee, which he chairs. $5 million) and Hennepin County and the cit- “It’s a lot of administrative work with zero A Senate companion (SF467), sponsored by ies along the line accounting for 60 percent. benefit to the environment.” Sen. Don Betzold (DFL-Fridley), awaits a No formal agreement has been established Fischer estimated that 20 people at the hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee. for funding the line. county level had worked on the permit appli- The discussion prompted a number of ques- cation in some way throughout the process. tions from committee members regarding how Rep. Frank Hornstein (DFL-Mpls) asked metropolitan transit is funded. Key among the Fischer what could be wrong with involving ★ TRANSPORTATION debated items was the degree of benefit such the public in the process. Fischer said that a transit lines provide to local governments and public hearing is a little thing. But a number Metro Transit cuts detailed the state, as well as providing for operating costs of them, with all the notification, for the same At the March 11 House Transportation Fi- prior to building new transit infrastructure. project created a large amount of additional nance Committee meeting, Metropolitan Said Rep. Dan Larson (DFL-Bloomington) work for staff. He said the county also hired a Council transit officials detailed strategies to about plans for dividing the Hiawatha oper- private consultant to help sort through the absorb an $18.9 million reduction in its gen- ating costs, “I frankly think the proposal’s ob- permit regulations. eral fund budget for 2004-05 proposed by Gov. scene, and it’s clearly unfair.” The county replaced between 25 and 27 Tim Pawlenty. In response, Rep. Bill Kuisle (R-Rochester), acres of wetland as part of the project. In ad- The governor proposed a $106.9 million the committee chair, suggested policymakers dition, three endangered species were identi- biennial general fund budget for Metro Tran- should take more care in developing transpor- fied in the project area. The county paid the sit, in addition to other sources of funding, tation infrastructure without providing for state $500,000 to receive a permit regarding including 20.5 percent of motor vehicle sales future operating costs. construction where the species were, down tax revenues and some federal funds. “This whole debate should have happened from an original price tag of $1 million, To handle the cuts, said Nacho Diaz, trans- before we built it,” he said. Fischer said. portation planning director for the council, The committee took no action on the “We bought our way out of delays on this Metro Transit will do a combination of the proposal at the meeting. project, which is frustrating,” he said. following: Several members asked that Department of • Increase fares, Natural Resources and Pollution Control • Reduce service, Counties call for change Agency officials come before the committee to • Reduce underlying costs of service, Several county officials testified before a testify about the background of the regulations • Shift some federal funding to cover specific joint meeting of the House Transportation and the necessity for permits and fees. operating costs, and Finance and Policy Committees March 12, say- Fischer and other engineers said they aren’t • Reduce administrative overhead costs. ing that state regulations, particularly those against preserving the environment, they just Specifically, Diaz said, Metro Transit is pro- governing the environment, have been wish the regulations weren’t so stringent. posing to raise peak fares on local service Session Weekly 15 “We can’t do a project in our county with- committee last month, and asked why it has bottles, Rep. David Dill (DFL-Crane Lake) out affecting a DNR protected water or (Wet- not been given a hearing. Rep. Jim Rhodes (R- remarked, “I’m glad to know we’re going to land Conservation Act) wetland,” Fischer said. St. Louis Park), the committee chair, said be- have less dependence on imported vodka.” “No one is asking for us to be absolved of our cause this bill is a department bill “it leads.” responsibility when we impact” the environ- Rhodes suggested Thissen could sign onto ment. HF768 as a co-sponsor. Where to find information Witnesses also testified regarding prevailing Rep. Loren Solberg (DFL-Grand Rapids) House Public Information Services wage law concerns, historic preservation regu- expressed concern that persons studying an- 175 State Office Building lations, and a desire for the Legislature to fully cestry, under this bill, would not be able to (651) 296-2146 or 1-800-657-3550 fund wetland replacement efforts through the obtain papers that could help in their track- House Public Information Services is a Board of Water and Soil Resources. ing of family. nonpartisan office that provides committee The committee took no action at the hear- Pugliese said there are ways for spouses and meeting schedules; legislator information; ing, but Rep. Bill Kuisle (R-Rochester), chair children to get copies of a veteran’s discharge and publications, including the Session of the Transportation Finance Committee, papers, if a veteran passed away. Solberg asked Weekly newsmagazine, educational bro- said he plans for the committee to further ex- if a fourth-generation family member could chures for all ages, and member directories. amine ways to streamline the permit acquisi- obtain copies. Pugliese said they could not All information is available at no charge. tion process. under the bill, but there were other means for Most of what this office publishes can be them to get information through the National viewed on the Legislature’s World Wide Web page. To connect, point your web Personnel Records Center. browser at: http://www.leg.mn The bill now goes to the House Civil Law ★ VETERANS Committee. It has no Senate companion. Senate Information Office 231 State Capitol (651) 296-0504 Identity theft The Senate Information Office is respon- A bill that would classify veterans’ military sible for all information about the Senate, discharge papers as private was approved by including the committee schedule, bill sta- the House Governmental Operations and Vet- tus, legislator information, and the distri- erans Affairs Policy Committee March 12. bution of bill copies. Michael Pugliese, deputy commissioner for Senate Media Services the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, B-44 State Capitol (651) 296-0264 testified that HF768 would protect veterans Value-added agricultural products aren’t Senate Media Services, a bipartisan office, from identity theft. He said “currently anyone produces television programs, multi-media all about fuel additives like ethanol. can walk in (to the department) and get productions, scriptwriting, photography and DD214 papers.” Identity theft would be easy During her testimony before the House Ag- graphics. It offers live coverage of the Senate to do he said, because those papers contain riculture and Rural Development Finance floor sessions and some committee large amounts of private data for a person. Ex- Committee March 11, Janet Lundebrek, presi- hearings. amples include social security number, date dent of First Security Bank in Benson, brought of birth, and last mailing address. a couple of bottles of vodka made in Minne- To find out who represents you Rep. Jeff Anderson (R-Austin), the bill’s sota using an ethanol by-product. at the Capitol . . . sponsor, said the agency came to him with the “There’s an $8.1 billion vodka market in the Call House Public Information legislation. country,” said Lundebrek, who was also rep- Services at (651) 296-2146 Rep. Paul Thissen (DFL-Mpls) submitted a resenting the Chippewa Valley Ethanol Co. or 1-800-657-3550 nearly identical bill (HF667) to the As committee members examined the

Constitutional Officers Governor State Auditor Secretary of State TIM PAWLENTY (R) PATRICIA AWADA (R) MARY KIFFMEYER (R) 130 State Capitol 525 Park St. 180 State Office Building St. Paul 55155 Suite 400 St. Paul 55155 (651) 296-3391 St. Paul 55103 (651) 296-2803 1-800-657-3717 (651) 296-2551 Election Division: (651) 215-1440 Fax: (651) 296-0674 Attorney General Open Appointments: (651) 297-5845 Lieutenant Governor MIKE HATCH (DFL) Business Information & CAROL MOLNAU (R) 102 State Capitol Uniform Commercial Code: 130 State Capitol St. Paul 55155 (651) 296-2803 St. Paul 55155 (651) 296-6196 (651) 296-3391 Consumer Division: (651) 296-3353 1-800-657-3787

16 March 14, 2003 T ISSUE: EMPLOYMENT A ★ ★ ★

vocational training programs or business schools. Seeing their need The budget cuts, including those enacted Committee members urged to minimize the impact of and those proposed, have generated intense criticism of State Services for the Blind. proposed cuts to State Services for the Blind Elsey, who has been the director since Feb- ruary 2000, has been accused by the National Federation of the Blind’s Minnesota chapter BY MIRANDA BRYANT and Blind Inc. of directing budget cuts to ev- nowledge is power and never more so erything but the agency’s administration, of than in this age of information. But for not placing enough blind people on her staff, Kthe state’s blind and visually impaired and of forcing blind clients into private sector population, access to that information is of- jobs without sufficient training. ten dependent on alternative devices. “Blindness is quickly becoming a very mi- Money spent offering those alternatives de- nor part of the agency,” said Jennifer Dunnam, vices — such as dial-in news, talking books and vice president of the National Federation of Braille materials — would be reduced under Gov. the Blind’s Minnesota chapter. She said the Tim Pawlenty’s 2004-05 proposed budget. state agency has reduced direct services, but His budget calls for a $1.3 million reduction not cut administration. over the next two years to State Services for the Shawn Mayo, assistant director for marketing Blind, according to House fiscal analysts. The cuts and outreach of Blind Inc., asked that legislators come on the heels of a 45.5 percent budget cut insist that nonprofit groups contracting with in 2002 and a 47 percent budget cut in 2003, State Services for the Blind do not bear the brunt which together equalled $505,000. of its budget cuts. She also asked that the cuts be State Services for the Blind is the main state reduced and more evenly distributed among agency serving the estimated 87,500 blind and other state agencies and departments. visually impaired children and adults in Minne- Blind Inc. is one of three entities the agency sota. Its focus is training blind and visually im- contracts with to provide adjustment-to- paired adults for work, and finding jobs for them. blindness training for clients. Thirteen positions have been eliminated due But six people representing various advo- to budget reductions, said Bonnie Elsey, State cacy programs told the House Jobs and Eco- Services for the Blind director. Five additional PHOTO BY TOM OLMSCHEID Shelli Nelson of Eden Prairie and her guide dog, nomic Development Finance Committee since vacant positions will remain open. March 6 that Elsey deserves praise for innova- Blind vendors who contract to serve vend- Glenda, appear before the House Jobs and Eco- nomic Development Finance Committee March tive and fresh approaches. ing machines at state highway rest areas would 12 to testify about the importance of the State “State Services for the Blind has made some be affected by Minnesota Department of Services for the Blind, slated for cuts in 2004-05. significant steps in the past two to three years,” Transportation budget cuts. As part of its re- said Steve Fischer, executive director of Vision said. About half the employees are assigned to duction plan the department may close many Loss Resources, which also provides adjust- the agency’s primary purpose of workforce de- rest areas in the state. ment-to-blindness training under contract for velopment and are located in 10 state Since most of the State Services for the the state agency. workforce centers through the state that serve Blind’s money comes from the federal govern- Elsey said she had added a few employees to anyone interested in finding work. ment, proposed state budget cuts will likely fall the administration division. But they were hired State Services for the Blind’s workforce de- to divisions largely supported by state funds: with money appropriated for a specific task that velopment unit set a record last year by find- services for seniors and communications. was no longer available at the task’s completion. ing jobs for 179 of its 1,595 clients, Elsey said. The communications division is a special li- Elsewhere, the agency is beginning a study of the The average wage earned was $12.28 an hour, brary and transcription service center that pro- three agencies that it contracts with for adjust- and the jobs were as varied as are those gained duces Braille and taped transcriptions, radio ment-to-blindness training; such an examina- by people without visual barriers. programming, and dial-in news programming. tion has never been done. The study will ensure Elsey said her agency spends more than It also distributes special equipment for the Li- that clients can determine which agency will best $1 million annually on adjustment-to-blind- brary of Congress. The division employs 29 meet their training needs. ness training, such as white cane use and people and engages 620 volunteers, Elsey said. Elsey acknowledged that some individuals Braille, and $500,000 on assisted technology The self-sufficiency unit served 2,399 indi- would like her to resign. But not everyone systems for alternative communication. viduals in fiscal year 2002. Of those, 1,348 ac- agrees. Outcomes in all of her agency’s divi- In fiscal year 2002, 93 State Services for the complished their self-care goals, a 32 percent sions are better than ever, particularly in the Blind customers attended college or junior col- increase from the year prior, Elsey said. workforce division unit, she added. “They are leges classes. An additional 18 clients attended The agency employs about 100 people, she real people and they’re in real jobs.” Session Weekly 17 T ISSUE: GAME & FISH A ★ ★ ★

Select constitutional and Enforcing laws statutory provisions related to conservation officer searches Conservation officers’ authority to search questioned before The right of the people to be secure in the Minnesota Supreme Court their persons, houses, papers, and ef- fects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and BY NICOLE WOOD there was no evidence of wrongdoing and their no warrants shall issue, but upon prob- ne of the struggles in a democratic catch was within legal limits. able cause, supported by oath or affir- society is balancing individual rights The Minnesota Court of Appeals over- mation, and particularly describing the Owiththe need for public order. While de- turned the conviction last summer, conclud- place to be searched, and the persons bate over Fourth Amendment protections of- ing that the officer did not have probable cause or things to be seized. ten revolves around the propriety of traffic to request an inspection of the boat. — Fourth Amendment, U.S. Constitution dragnets or wiretaps, the discussion in Min- If the Supreme Court upholds that decision, Hunting and fishing and the taking of nesota has recently been extended to regulated enforcement officers have said they will be left game and fish are a valued part of our recreational pursuits and taken all the way to wondering whether a person is hiding some- heritage that shall be forever preserved the State Supreme Court. thing by declining to open a cooler or just ex- for the people and shall be managed At issue is whether anglers should have a ercising his or her Fourth Amendment rights. by law and regulation for the public reasonable expectation of privacy under the With more than 15,000 lakes and less than good. [Adopted, November 3, 1998] Fourth Amendment or purchasing a fishing 150 conservation officers in Minnesota, estab- — Article XIII, Sec. 12, Minnesota Con- license and dropping a line in public waters lishing probable cause by staking out fishing stitution should imply prior consent to fish house, boat, parties or waiting for a tip would be a consid- When an enforcement officer has prob- or cooler searches. erable expenditure of time and effort, they say, able cause to believe that wild animals The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled last and violations of species quantity and size lim- taken or possessed in violation of the year that Department of Natural Resources its are easily hidden. game and fish laws are present, the of- (DNR) conservation officers must have “We acknowledge the difficulty a conserva- ficer may: (1) enter and inspect any tion officer faces in ac- place or vehicle; and (2) open and in- quiring probable cause spect any package or container. for fishing violations — Minnesota Statutes 97A.215 that are committed es- subd. 1(b)(1) sentially in private,” the appeals court decision reads. “And while we has already consented to a search. agree that the analysis of However, the state’s budget situation makes constitutional require- the former solution highly unlikely and, “I ments and the construc- haven’t heard of anyone talk about forward- tion of the statute ing legislation yet,” said Rep. Tony Cornish should not simply be (R-Good Thunder) of the latter. mechanistic, we are not Cornish spent 22 years as a conservation persuaded that public officer before he came to the Legislature. When policy concerns raised asked if he had ever met up with anyone who by the state can override declined a compliance check, he said there PHOTO BY ANDREW VON BANK otherwise applicable were “none that refused all the way,” although A conservation officer visits with a boat owner near a public access point. constitutional protec- some had to be talked into it. tions or statutory A typical enforcement scenario, Cornish permission, a warrant, or probable cause to limitations.” explained, would be an officer encountering a enter privately owned ice fishing shacks. “Further, we cannot conclude that the Leg- group of people sharing a large cooler on a In a parallel case, the court heard arguments islature has clearly expressed an intent to pre- pontoon boat. March 10 from John Mark Colosimo, a fer the enforcement of the fish laws to “It’s crucial to enforcement and regulation Virginia, Minn. attorney who was convicted individual privacy rights.” to be able to check a cooler when they come in St. Louis County for refusing to allow a con- Supporters of Colosimo’s case have said the off a lake,” he said. servation officer to search his boat at a land- DNR could hire more conservation officers or A ruling is expected by mid-summer, al- ing. Although Colosimo and friends told the the Legislature could pass a law declaring that though Cornish said he would like to see a officer they had been fishing, they maintained simply possessing a license means an angler decision by the fishing opener in May.

18 March 14, 2003 T ISSUE: HEALTH A ★ ★ ★

practice say, they become more likely to refer pa- tients there. Self-referral became increasingly Monitoring costs popular among health providers in all areas of medicine in the 1980s and 1990s. One organization says another exploits a federal loophole in Believing it amounted to legalized kickbacks cancer treatment regulations and could affect price people pay that clouded doctors’ judgments and resulted in higher medical costs, Congress wrote laws banning the practice for certain Medicare- BY JEFF JONES covered services, including radiation treat- hen someone has cancer, the relation- ments. ship with their doctor becomes a bond The laws included an exception for group W of trust and confidence. Patients work practices, however, so larger entities such as together with their oncologist (cancer special- Rochester’s Mayo Clinic would not be affected. ist) to make sensitive, life-altering decisions Using that exception, U.S. Oncology has about treatment, care, and lifestyle choices. partnered with groups such as Minnesota They listen carefully to their oncologists’ ad- Oncology to provide combined referral and vice and often follow it without regard to cost. treatment services to patients in 14 states. But one group of Minnesota cancer treatment Minneapolis Radiation’s Coyle told legislators specialists worries that sacred bond is being ex- that U.S. Oncology’s entrance into Minnesota ploited by physicians who may be putting profit represents a “deal with the devil” and will siphon before patients’ best interests. And with dramatic business from hospitals and other stand-alone changes in the state’s cancer care landscape and treatment providers who may be better suited to 21,000 new cancer diagnoses expected statewide a patient’s needs or closer to their location. this year, the issue takes on added importance. Minnesota Oncology’s Flynn disputed the Representatives of Minneapolis Radiation claim, noting 60 percent of its radiation treat- Oncology, a professional association special- ment referrals go to facilities unassociated with izing in radiation treatment for cancer pa- his organization. tients, told the House Health and Human Coyle also testified on a study of U.S. On- Services Policy Committee that a new partner- cology services in Texas that showed a much ship between two other care organizations higher rate of referral than the national aver- amounts to a lucrative kickback scheme not age, indicating, he said, the organization’s in the best interests of patients or the state. PHOTO BY ANDREW VON BANK oncologists were more likely to recommend In an informational hearing March 10, law- Mary O’Keefe, a cancer survivor and Minnesota On- unnecessary treatments, substantially raising yers for the association testified that a partner- cology Hematology Professional Association pa- health care costs for patients and taxpayers. tient, tells members of the House Health and Human Flynn said such practice would be a violation ship between one of the state’s largest medical Services Policy Committee March 10 that she is op- oncology groups, the Minnesota Oncology He- posed to any restrictions on cancer patients’ ability of medical ethics and his company’s own guide- matology Professional Association, and U.S. to choose their own treatment facility. lines. He testified the group practice exception Oncology, the nation’s largest for-profit cancer his association relies upon was “created specifi- care network, exploits a loophole in federal law U.S. Oncology, which serves 15 percent of the cally to preserve the recognized advantages such that allows doctors to refer patients to a treat- nation’s cancer patients, the group has further practice arrangements bring to patients.” ment facility in which they hold financial inter- expanded treatment options at the facility. A bill (HF611) sponsored by committee chair est. The natural conflict of interest, said Minnesota Oncology President Thomas Flynn Rep. Lynda Boudreau (R-Fairbault), which was Minneapolis oncology lawyer Peter Coyle, results said the model of care exemplified at the not considered at the hearing, would specify that in unnecessary treatment, higher costs, and an Maplewood facility provides a truly integrated medical oncologists in Minnesota could not re- anti-competitive environment. experience for patients who want care as easily fer patients to radiation therapy facilities in which The two groups only recently became com- and quickly as possible. Patients can consult with they have an investment interest. The restriction petitors in the increasingly lucrative market for their medical oncologist and, if they choose, re- would not apply to large multi-specialty provid- cancer treatment. For many years, Minnesota ceive treatment right down the hall, he said. His ers like hospitals or the Mayo Clinic, but would Oncology specialized in medical oncology — the association also offers support group services for apply to groups such as Minnesota Oncology. advising and referring of cancer patients for spe- patients and their families. Representatives of hospitals and physicians cialized treatment. Minneapolis Radiation spe- Minneapolis Radiation officials warned organizations said they opposed such regula- cialized in providing radiation treatments for against allowing “physician self-referral” — when tion because it would limit patients’ options. patients referred to it. But in 1998, Minnesota physicians invest in treatment facilities that are Mary Gilbert, representing HealthEast hospi- Oncology entered the treatment business when not their own, but to which they may refer pa- tals, said her organization would likely ben- it opened a radiation treatment center in tients. Since those physicians have a stake in the efit financially from such a law but opposes it Maplewood. Under the management of profits from that facility, opponents of the because it may “handicap” patients from us- ing nearby facilities. Session Weekly 19 T ISSUE: METRO AFFAIRS A ★ ★ ★

• Principal highways account for at least half of the vehicle miles commuters travel, due Are we there yet? in large part to the length of trips. House committee examines causes, potential solutions to • Twin Cities commuters spend an average of eight minutes longer on roads than cities traffic congestion in context of tight budget times of similar size. However, those cities’ com- muters are already spending an average 30 minutes longer as a result of congestion. BY MICHELLE KIBIGER • Households in the area increased by 26 per- Barb Thoman from Transit for Livable Com- n the 30 years that closed the 20th century, cent per decade with continued growth of munities, a group that advocates a balanced commuters in the Twin Cities metropolitan about 16 percent. transportation system achieved through both Iarea exhibited a series of “dramatic” changes, • A growing percentage of all metropolitan transit and transportation-related development, in the words of transportation officials. households are in developing cities just suggested that the numbers do more than ex- On the whole, as the population grew so did outside the Interstate 494/694 beltway. plain congestion. What it suggests is the need for trips per person and vehicle miles trav- a balanced solution to congestion and a eled. But freeway lane miles have not kept realistic view of the problem. pace, according to transportation mod- Testifying before the committee els. And projected growth predicts those March 12, she said that even though the gaps will only increase during the next Twin Cities metropolitan area experi- 20 years. ences significant congestion, it ranks low Analysis shows that from 1970 to 2000, in comparison to other cities of its size peak hour congestion on the metropoli- in a few areas. tan freeway system grew from 10 miles For example, she said, the Twin Cities to 183 miles. That equates to about are 14th nationally for peak-hour highway 12 percent of the freeway system being congestion and the metropolitan area also congested, according to state Depart- ranks 14th in size. In addition, the metro- ment of Transportation criteria, during politan area has the eighth highest ratio of peak travel periods. freeway lane miles per capita, she said, and And while lanes of freeway construc- cities with more lane miles actually have tion in the metropolitan area has slowed worse congestion problems. Successful cit- considerably since peak construction in ies have a transit system and other trans- the late 1950s and 1960s, officials sug- portation options that allow drivers to gest highway construction alone will not avoid congestion, she said. solve the problem, leaving lawmakers to Congestion is a reality for vital, vibrant grapple with what combination of fixes communities, she said. “Successful urban will alleviate metropolitan congestion areas have congestion.” without exacerbating sprawl to outlying The statistics Henkel presented communities. March 11 confirmed concerns delivered Highways are part of the answer, said by a number of transportation- and lo- Tim Henkel, transportation planning di- cal government-related groups who tes- rector for the state Department of Trans- tified March 5, calling on lawmakers to portation. “More highways are necessary do something this session to solve the and other transportation options are PHOTO BY TOM OLMSCHEID As is the case on many freeways in the Twin Cities metropoli- area’s congestion problems. necessary for us to fill those gaps.” Representatives from city economic Henkel testified before the House Trans- tan area, eastbound traffic on Interstate 94 begins to back-up during the evening drive time. development organizations, regional portation Policy Committee March 11. It transportation planning groups, truck- was the second of three hearings addressing con- • Employment in the area has grown three- ing companies, and officials of suburban com- gestion and potential solutions. times faster than population. munities all testified that the congestion He offered a number of statistics, based on • A growing number of jobs are located in first- problem affects more than commuters – it’s a analysis of population and job growth in the and second-tier suburban communities significant economic development issue. seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area than are in the central cities of Minneapo- Russ Thorfinnson, a city councilor from between 1970 and 2000. They showed the fol- lis and St. Paul. Eden Prairie, spoke on behalf of the I-494 lowing items: • Commuters make more trips per day per Corridor Commission, which represents six • Population in the area grew 14 percent per capita, and the average trip has grown from communities along I-494 in the southern met- decade and will continue to grow about 5.1 miles to 7.9 miles within the seven- 12 percent every 10 years. county area. Continued on page 31

20 March 14, 2003 EOPLE P★ ★ ★

good roads are necessary for safe transporta- tion of livestock, grain and fertilizer. “They Farmer friendly don’t need to necessarily be four-lane roads in those light population areas but they do need As one who lives off the land, Koenen looks to improve the to carry heavy traffic,” he said. livelihood for many rural Minnesotans Maintaining school funding is another im- portant issue in his district. Declining enroll- ments result in lost state dollars, he says. “Our BY JEFF JONES every farm. That would be ideal because then it school districts get clobbered. Every year they A string of Christmas lights lines the win- would be full-time work. In the wintertime you’d have budget issues to deal with.” dow ledge of Rep. Lyle Koenen’s have livestock to take care of.” Koenen has remained close to his roots. The (DFL-Maynard) new office. They are yellow Koenen owned livestock himself until earlier farm where he and his wife, Sandy, live with and green and in the this year when he sold his herd of beef cows. For their two children sits outside Maynard, where shape of John Deere him the decision wasn’t economic, but a neces- he went to high school. He has attended the tractors. Regarding sity of his work at the Legislature. “There’s no same church all his life, the Reformed Church them with an expert eye, way I can be here and take care of livestock so of Clara City. “The reformed church is socially Koenen says, “That’s a they had to go,” he said. “Otherwise I would have pretty conservative, so I tend to be that way model 4020. I’ve actually kept them, but I can’t do both.” myself,” Koenen said. “Being a Democrat, you got one of those.” Other rural DFL legislators elected Koenen wouldn’t think of being to the right on that A life-long farmer, to chair the House DFL Rural Caucus, which issue. I’m maybe not as far over as the church Koenen has spent years meets weekly to discuss rural issues. is, but it draws me to that side.” Rep. Lyle Koenen keeping an eye on legis- In that capacity, Koenen hopes to work with One thing he learned growing up was to al- lative policies that affect agricultural Minne- rural Republicans to deal with issues of com- ways be evenhanded in the decisions he makes. sota. Koenen started making trips to St. Paul mon interest. “There’s so many of the votes that “Fairness is the first thing,” he said. “Other than when he became active in farm organizations such as the Minnesota Farmer’s Union. “I “I came to the realization that it was impossible to outwork started coming down here to lobby legislators on proposed bills that were being written and poor policy decisions. That led to the next step — helping the trying to influence those decision-makers on candidates that I felt best represented the what they would do because of the direct ef- ideals that I was looking for.” fect it would have on farmers and working — Rep. Lyle Koenen people,” he said. That interaction with lawmakers led him towards political action. “I came to the real- really aren’t partisan. I would say way over half that, my own life experiences affect the way I ization that it was impossible to outwork poor aren’t partisan,” he said. look at things, and then I always, always, think policy decisions,” Koenen says. “That led to the Bills to improve veterinary facilities at the back to the district and what is best for the next step — helping the candidates that I felt University of Minnesota and to encourage ru- district or what the majority would like to see. best represented the ideals that I was looking ral economic development are among the is- And so you roll all that together and that’s for.” He would soon become a candidate him- sues receiving bipartisan support from rural where my positions come from.” self. After an unsuccessful run for the Senate lawmakers, he said. Koenen has signed on to a bill that would in 2000, Koenen won the House seat vacated DISTRICT 20B by now-Sen. Gary Kubly (DFL-Granite Falls). provide tax incentives for job creation and re- D 20B Like many Minnesota farmers, Koenen has tention in rural Minnesota. “We both repre- 2002 population: 36,953 been forced to take a second job to make up sent rural Minnesota and we have common Largest city: Montevideo for sagging crop prices. Over the years he has concerns,” says Rep. Dean Urdahl Counties: Chippewa, Renville, driven school busses and hauled milk from (R-Grove City), the bill’s sponsor. “Lyle brings Yellow Medicine dairy farms to processing plants to earn extra a sincerity and dedication to the job.” Location: west-central Minnesota money, but he hopes his newest job will give Koenen serves on both House agriculture Top concern: “When all budget consid- him the chance to make life a bit easier for his and both environment committees. erations are made, they’ll be done fellow farmers. Economic development is among the issues fairly.” “I would love to see that farmers could get their Koenen puts at the heart of his agenda. – Rep. Lyle Koenen entire income from the farm,” he said. “I’d like One obstacle to development, he said, is the to see livestock on every farm, too, or almost deterioration of roads in rural areas. He said

Session Weekly 21 EOPLE P★ ★ ★

education, resulting in tuition increases. “My guess is there’s not much chance to avoid a Right at home tuition hike,” Meslow added. Century College, a two-year community and technical college After years as a prosecutor, referee, and school board with 10,300 students, is in his district. member, Meslow’s career brings him to St. Paul Meslow has been a high school football ref- eree for 21 years, continuing a family tradi- tion of sports officiating that’s included his BY TOM LONERGAN he said. “Most were good people who did parents, brothers, and wife, Jenny. His dad, Bob One might say Rep. Doug Meslow (R-White something they shouldn’t have done. My role Meslow, is director of football officials for the Bear Lake) has a pretty close relationship with is not to condemn them.” Minnesota State High School League. rules. Former Rep. Harry Mares, who co-chaired “Apples don’t fall very far from the tree,” said As a high school foot- Meslow’s campaign, approached Meslow Bob, noting that his son became a high school ball referee, he enforces about running for the House after the four- official while he played football at St. Olaf them. As a prosecutor, term legislator decided not to seek re-election College. “Now he’s an umpire and gets right he attempts to prove last year. Meslow said he wasn’t actively look- behind those big hulks on the defensive line,” others have broken ing at getting involved in politics. “I was in- he added. “He’s learned how to step in and them. And as a freshman volved in my community. Politics found me.” bring peace to opposing factions.” legislator, he’s involved Meslow’s committee assignments include Rep. Meslow, who has been part of the offi- in making, changing, or the House Education Policy, Higher Education ciating team for several high school champi- repealing them. Finance, and Judiciary Policy and Finance onship games, said, “I like to be in the middle Rep. Doug Meslow One set of rules committees. of the action. I like the energy and excitement Meslow is quite familiar with is the state’s Examining the state’s complicated K-12 high school students have.” criminal statutes. “I don’t think we need to funding formula for public schools will be An avid runner, Meslow has a statue of his create more (definitions of) crimes,” he said. among his long-term legislative priorities, said political hero in his office. It’s Popeye, the However, he added, some laws already on the books can be improved. Meslow has sponsored a bill (HF499) that The state’s Profile of Learning academic standards “did not do the would increase the penalty (from misde- job they were created to do. Success or failure was defined by very meanor to a gross misdemeanor) for a person subjective, very vague standards. We need high standards.” who refuses to take a chemical test and is con- — Rep. Doug Meslow victed of driving while intoxicated. “The pen- alty for someone who cooperated shouldn’t be higher than for the person who refused,” Meslow, who served for seven years on his lo- cartoon sailor. “Popeye always said ‘I am what I Meslow said. A gross misdemeanor carries a cal school board, and has two teenage sons. am and that’s all that I am,’” Meslow said. “He’s possible 30-day jail sentence. “During the last 35 years, there have been so there to remind me that I’m here to be myself, He’s also co-sponsoring a bill to reduce the many extras added to the basic formula,” he not to let ego get in the way and be real.” state definition of driving while intoxicated said. “State funding no longer aligns with ba- from the current 0.10 percent blood-alcohol sic fundamental fairness. It’s so complicated, concentration to 0.08 percent, the standard in no one can understand who the winners and DISTRICT 53B 34 states. “Anything that reduces drinking and losers are and why.” driving is a plus,” Meslow said. There’s also a The state’s Profile of Learning academic 2002 population: 36,699 practical side to changing the law, he added. standards “did not do the job they were cre- Largest city: White Bear Lake “We need to do it to get more federal highway ated to do,” said Meslow, who voted for the County: Ramsey funding.” House bill to repeal the profile. “Success or Location: northeast Twin Cities metro- Federal highway safety grants to states un- failure was defined by very subjective, very politan area der the 1998 Transportation Equity Act are tied vague standards,” he said. “We need high stan- Top concern: “The deficit is so big, we’re to the 0.08 alcohol standard for drunken driv- dards.” Meslow said he “liked the idea that (the not going to reduce it just by being ing. If the level is not changed by Oct. 1, 2003 profile) was performance based.” more efficient. It’s a challenge to maxi- the state could lose federal transportation Meslow said taxes and the state budget are mize what the state does best and limit dollars. district residents’ top concerns. the amount of pain that will come from For 12 years, Meslow has prosecuted adults “Given the size of the budget deficit and the the cuts we have to make.” accused of non-felony crimes like drunken problems we have to tackle, we’re going to have – Rep. Doug Meslow driving, domestic assault, and theft. “Some to do things we don’t want to do,” Meslow said. were bad people and deserved to be locked up,” That could include state aid cuts to higher

22 March 14, 2003 EOPLE P★ ★ ★

for higher education opportunities, yet the area doesn’t have a comprehensive four-year A new perspective university. She said the community is one of the largest cities in the nation without a four- From parks and local development to education, Nelson year higher education institution. brings real life experience to the House of Representatives She says she is a strong advocate for local government. “If I look at bills or policies, I al- ways get the best results when those decisions BY PATTY JANOVEC supporters while “not offending them.” Said are made at the local level.” She says it’s like a Rep. Carla Nelson (R-Rochester) says gov- Keith, “She has a wonderful presence that’s lens she always views policy through. ernment is “all about who sits at the table.” hard to describe.” Those qualities will make That’s how she views the state’s budget Her first taste of politics was when she no- her a “very outstanding legislator” he said. situation. ticed a neighborhood One of four Republican representatives She says there are two key goals: The first being plotted without a from the Rochester area, Nelson serves resi- being the need to make tough choices now. park next to her home, dents “in the heart of Rochester” she said. Nelson said she was elected to lead and to which would be against That’s appropriate since the district houses the gather all the information to be able to make a city regulation about Mayo Clinic, one of the leading health care choices that are in the best interest for to take effect. She spear- providers in the world, she said. Minnesotans. headed a group to work Nelson brings her own set of skills in edu- The second goal is to “differentiate between with the planning and cation. She has a master’s degree in teacher the revenue producers and the revenue users.” zoning commission, and leadership from the University of Minnesota, Restructuring government is important so it Rep. Carla Nelson the city council to make and she has taught elementary and secondary is more efficient, effective, and programs are sure a park would be built. They won, and she education classes. “Children are tied into what not duplicated, she said. said of the experience, “It showed me the im- our future is,” she said. There are always several points of view to portance of normal average citizens being in- Education is one of the most important con- an issue, and “it’s very important that you look volved in their local government.” cerns she found on the campaign trail, she said. at those different perspectives,” she said. It’s She moved on to serve on the executive Before agreeing to run, she said, she one of her three goals she’s learned from board of her local Republican Party, was elected to state level positions, and has worked on a number of campaigns. After doing all of “If I look at bills or policies, I always get the best results those, she said, “I never really thought about when those decisions are made at the local level.” running myself.” — Rep. Carla Nelson That changed when former Rep. Dave Bishop retired, and state and community lead- specifically requested to be on House Higher working in local government. The other two ers urged her to run. “I enjoy working in the Education Finance and Education Policy com- are building coalitions, and looking for win- political arena. I know it’s important, so I mittees, which she is now, particularly because win situations. talked it over with my family,” Nelson said. She of her expertise in education. She’s also on the said her 21-year-old son told her, “You have to House Local Government and Metropolitan do that Mom. You’re full of integrity.” With a Affairs Committee. DISTRICT 30A laugh, she said she knew he’d been raised right Also, “Rochester has a real concern and need when he told her, “It’s the perfect job for you.” for more higher education opportunities,” she 2002 population: 36,890 Former Minnesota Supreme Court Chief said. She explained that the city has one of the Largest city: Rochester Justice A.M. “Sandy” Keith says he contributed premiere two-year institutions in the region, County: Olmsted to Nelson’s campaign because “this woman is Rochester Community and Technical College. Location: southeast Minnesota going to be great. I’m an old DFLer, and we Also private colleges, like the Twin Cities-based Top concern: “My personal expertise need em’ good.” Along with her “political pres- Augsburg College, have programs in the area, and energies are in the area of educa- ence” she has real life experiences and is a good and the Mayo Clinic offers academic pro- tion. Education is a real concern for all listener, Keith said. grams. The Minnesota State Colleges and Uni- Minnesotans.” He first met Nelson at the 2002 Minnesota versities system offers courses through Winona – Rep. Carla Nelson Republican convention, and he said he was State University. greatly impressed with how she dealt with Nelson said Rochester has a real unique situ- opposing views. Nelson is pro-life, and he ob- ation with many existing collaborative efforts served the way she spoke with pro-choice

Session Weekly 23 EOPLE P★ ★ ★

The latter is especially important, as 80 percent of the Chisago County’s workforce Keeping the tradition commutes to the Twin Cities metropolitan area, Nelson said. He said that county has been Nelson followed his father’s footsteps into business, and one of state’s three fastest growing counties in again as a member of the House of Representatives each of the last 10 years. The environment is also important to Nelson, who is sponsoring a bill (HF657) that BY MIKE COOK Yet, Nelson learned a lesson from George authorizes counties to require the dedication There is an old adage that the two things that he still believes in today: “The important of land for public parks from land or fees re- people never want to actually see being made thing that you should remember is sometimes ceived from developers. It awaits committee are sausages and laws. you need to change your mind.” action. Don’t tell that to He said that is especially true in the politi- During Nelson’s Lindstrom tenure, an or- Rep. Pete Nelson cal arena. “That’s one of the few — if not the dinance was enacted whereby developers are (R-Lindstrom). only — reason I did not sign the no new taxes told where a park would be created in their When not in St. Paul pledge because I want to make sure I have the development, instead of developers putting crafting laws, Nelson ability to change my mind if given new greenspace wherever it fit in their plans. owns and operates an information.” He talks of a city park refurbishment in award-winning meat Nelson admits he never had a real interest in Lindstrom where the city received some state shop, Community Mar- running for political office, yet he served for four grant money, used volunteer sweat equity, and ket & Deli, in his home- years on the Lindstrom City Council and four had some in-kind contributions of labor and Rep. Pete Nelson town. “I enjoy them years as mayor before winning an open seat in materials to create a facility that was recog- both,” he said. “I take great pride in the qual- the House created by redistricting. nized in two national trade publications. ity of sausage I make, and I take equal pride in “Opportunities come along in life and Nelson said he is happy just to be here after making quality legislation.” Nelson was en- shrined in the American Cured Meats Hall of Fame in 1994. “Opportunities come along in life and sometimes we accept He likes to tell the story about when Luciano that opportunity and sometimes we pass it up. Pavarotti performed for the first time at St. I had a lot of people that came to me and said ‘We need Paul’s Xcel Energy Center, “They flew in bread somebody down there that leads like you.” and wine from Italy, but they had this Dane who lives in ‘America’s Little Sweden’ make the — Rep. Pete Nelson Italian sausage genuine for that thing.” After leaving the Marine Corps in 1968, sometimes we accept that opportunity and fighting off a stage-four cancer in his neck. Nelson began to work at the shop his father, sometimes we pass it up,” Nelson said. “I had a “They say I am now cancer-free,” he said. Howard, started in 1936. A few years later, lot of people that came to me and said ‘We need “They took out 82 lymph nodes, a bunch of Nelson bought out his elder, who at age 90 still somebody down there that leads like you.’” neck and shoulder muscle, and beat me up helps out six days a week. Keith Carlson, a 20-year council member, with radiation, but I’m a lucky guy. God was But it wasn’t just the business that Pete replaced Nelson as Lindstrom’s mayor. “I’ve good to me.” Nelson followed his dad into. known Pete all my life,” Carlson said. “He’s a Howard Nelson was a House member from guy that’ll work hard for you. He’ll put in the 1958-60 and served in the Senate for two terms time and effort.” DISTRICT 17B beginning in 1963. “What people found with me was they could “He was a strong leader in the Senate,” come into the butcher shop and I would listen 2002 population: 36,732 Nelson said. “If it was an ag-related bill, he was to them, give my opinion if they wanted it, and Largest city: North Branch always on the conference committee, and both if they wanted a commitment from me to County: Chisago houses always deferred and pretty much let whatever degree, they knew they had it,” Location: east-central Minnesota him write how the legislation was. He wrote Nelson said. “I did not go around behind their Top concern: “With the growth in our the first meat inspection act that Minnesota back and undo what they were trying to do area, transportation is a big issue and had.” even if I disagreed with them. So even when taxes is a big issue to everybody.” His great uncle, George, served in the we disagreed they still respected me.” – Rep. Pete Nelson Wisconsin Assembly, ran for governor of Nelson sits on the House Taxes Committee Wisconsin, and ran for vice-president in the and both transportation committees. mid-1930s with the Socialist Workers Party.

24 March 14, 2003 ILL INTRODUCTIONS M ARCH 10 - 13, 2003 B ★ ★ ★ HOUSE FILES 774 - 905

Monday, March 10 HF784—Powell (R) HF794—Gunther (R) HF805—Severson (R) Judiciary Policy & Finance Education Finance Transportation Finance HF774—Abeler (R) Emergency communications interfer- Education telecommunications fund St. Cloud Regional Airport land acqui- ence prohibited. established, support provided to kin- sition funding provided, and money Health & Human Services Policy dergarten through grade 12 schools and appropriated. Human Services Department back- HF785—Buesgens (R) public library telecommunications net- ground studies act adopted. Local Government & works, access fee imposed, and money HF806—Kielkucki (R) appropriated. Civil Law HF775—Westrom (R) Metropolitan Affairs Metropolitan government provisions Liability limits provided for nonprofits Regulated Industries modified relating to reporting require- HF795—Hornstein (DFL) providing day training and habilita- Radioactive waste management facil- ments, Metropolitan Parks and Open Transportation Policy tion services for adults and children ity definition modified, dry cask stor- Space Commission abolished, and dis- Minneapolis to Lakeville I-35W bus with mental retardation and related age at Prairie Island facility authorized, chargers directly assessed wastewater rapid transit study required, study ad- conditions. and commission approval required for treatment user fees. visory committee created, and report additional storage capacity for spent required. HF807—Seifert (R) nuclear fuel. HF786—Holberg (R) Governmental Operations & HF796—Holberg (R) HF776—Davnie (DFL) Civil Law Veterans Affairs Policy One call excavation notice system li- Governmental Operations & Campaign materials prohibited from Governmental Operations & ability provided. Veterans Affairs Policy containing distorted photographs of Veterans Affairs Policy Essential employee definition ex- candidates. Minneapolis fire relief association survi- HF787—Entenza (DFL) panded to include employees operat- vor benefit eligibility requirements Commerce, Jobs & ing and maintaining the metropolitan HF808—Dill (DFL) waived for a specified individual. Economic Development Policy disposal system. Judiciary Policy & Finance Radio equipment capable of receiving HF777—Klinzing (R) Sprinkler system requirements pro- HF797—Wilkin (R) police emergency transmissions use Governmental Operations & vided for places of public assembly, fireworks displays prohibited, sur- Health & Human Services Policy and possession requirements clarified. Veterans Affairs Policy charges imposed, civil and criminal Planned closure rate adjustment pro- Voting equipment grant account dis- penalties provided, and money vided for certain nursing facilities. HF809—Abrams (R) tribution modified. appropriated. Taxes HF798—Anderson, J. (R) Direct mail delivery or distribution HF778—Holberg (R) HF788—Walker (DFL) Education Policy sales and use tax exemption provided. Civil Law Civil Law Teacher representative notification re- Marriage dissolution pension plan as- Children in need of protection or ser- quired prior to placement of a student HF810—Howes (R) set distribution provisions clarified. vices permanency review requirements with a history of violent behavior. Environment & Natural eliminated. Resources Policy HF779—Ozment (R) HF799—Otremba (DFL) State land acquisition provided, Mis- Environment & Natural HF789—Hoppe (R) Health & Human Services Policy sissippi whitewater trail modified, out- Resources Finance Environment & Natural Prescription drug rebate program es- door recreation system modified, Environment and natural resources Resources Policy tablished, and money appropriated. mineral coordinating committee es- funding provided, and money Game and migratory waterfowl refuge tablished, and surplus state land sale appropriated. provisions modified, suspension of li- HF800—Hackbarth (R) authorized in St. Louis and Beltrami cense and permit privileges provided, Commerce, Jobs & counties. HF780—Wardlow (R) turkey license provisions modified, and Economic Development Policy Education Finance walleye possession size limits provided. Fireworks regulation provided, fees au- HF811—Stang (R) School districts permitted to pay in- thorized, and local regulation limited. Taxes surance premiums for teachers on an HF790—Hoppe (R) Tax increment financing duration ex- extended leave of absence. Environment & Natural HF801—Wasiluk (DFL) tensions authorized to eliminate defi- Resources Policy Education Finance cits caused by 2001 property tax HF781—Seagren (R) Migratory game bird shooting hours Public library closing hearing required. changes. Education Finance modified. Kindergarten through grade 12 educa- HF802—Mullery (DFL) HF812—Clark (DFL) tion funding provided, child-care and HF791—Kielkucki (R) Local Government & Health & Human Services Policy early childhood programs provided, Governmental Operations & Metropolitan Affairs Apology requested of the governor by and money appropriated. Veterans Affairs Policy Hennepin County Housing and Rede- resolution on behalf of all persons with Election requirements and procedures velopment Authority clarified. mental illness or other disabilities who HF782—Seagren (R) modified. have been wrongfully committed to Education Finance HF803—Johnson, S. (DFL) state institutions. Department of Children, Families and HF792—Tingelstad (R) Environment & Natural Learning administrative amendment Civil Law HF813—Davnie (DFL) provided, and specified kindergarten Resources Policy Gestational surrogacy agreements au- Pollution control equipment required Education Finance through grade 12 education provisions Professional teaching standards pro- repealed. thorized relating to assisted in coal-fired power plants by 2010. reproduction. motion funding provided, and money appropriated. HF783—Magnus (R) HF804—Solberg (DFL) HF793—Gerlach (R) Environment & Natural Transportation Policy Governmental Operations & HF814—Davnie (DFL) Resources Finance Gross weight restrictions regulated on Veterans Affairs Policy vehicles and combinations hauling raw Commerce, Jobs & Floodplain management funding pro- Economic Development Policy vided for Area II, Minnesota River Ba- Public employee salary and wage rate or unfinished farm or forest products. freeze instituted. Non-renewals of homeowner’s insur- sin Projects Inc.; and money ance regulated, and insurance discrimi- appropriated. natory practices prohibited.

Session Weekly 25 HF815—Thissen (DFL) HF827—Severson (R) HF839—Nelson, M. (R) HF850—Brod (R) Taxes Governmental Operations & Governmental Operations & Environment & Natural Property tax payment compensation Veterans Affairs Policy Veterans Affairs Policy Resources Policy required for lost property tax base when Capitol Area Architectural and City managers allowed to revoke Rush River wayside unit of the real property is acquired by a govern- Planning Board enabling law revised elections to be excluded from Minnesota Valley state recreation area mental entity and becomes tax-exempt. to remove obsolete language. membership in the public employees local management agreement by retirement association. natural resources commissioner HF816—Thissen (DFL) HF828—Paymar (DFL) required. Local Government & Governmental Operations & HF840—Solberg (DFL) Metropolitan Affairs Veterans Affairs Policy Environment & Natural HF851—Stang (R) Airport impact zone established in cities St. Paul Port Authority employees Resources Policy Commerce, Jobs & surrounding the international airport, included in the general employees Timber sale on tax-forfeited land Economic Development Policy airport mitigation fund created, metro- retirement plan of the public employees provisions modified to allow county Motor vehicle sales and distribution politan area property tax levy authorized, retirement association, and prior boards to impose restrictions. regulated. and money appropriated. service credit purchase authorized. HF841—Fuller (R) HF852—Lipman (R) HF817—Mahoney (DFL) HF829—Urdahl (R) Governmental Operations & Veter- Commerce, Jobs & Civil Law Education Policy ans Affairs Policy Economic Development Policy Commissioner of health responsibili- Probationary teacher evaluation Bemidji City Council member Motor vehicle retail installment sales ties eliminated relating to occupational requirements provided. authorized to terminate public regulated. safety and health, and certain penalty employees retirement association limits increased. HF830—Kahn (DFL) general plan coverage. HF853—Magnus (R) Governmental Operations & Transportation Finance HF818—Tingelstad (R) Veterans Affairs Policy HF842—Zellers (R) Traffic control sign replacement grant Civil Law Sports wagering, pools, and Regulated Industries program bonds issued and money Artificial insemination parentage pro- bookmaking authorized under the state Maple Grove authorized to issue appropriated. visions modified. lottery; bookmaking tax imposed; and additional on-sale liquor licenses. Minnesota active recreation fund HF854—Rhodes (R) HF819—Bradley (R) established. HF843—Seifert (R) Commerce, Jobs & Higher Education Finance Higher Education Finance Economic Development Policy University Center Rochester capital HF831—Gunther (R) Higher education financial aid Mechanical contractors bond improvement funding provided, and Commerce, Jobs & requirements modified to include requirement established and filing fee money appropriated. Economic Development Policy service requirement for certain authorized. stipends. HF820—Buesgens (R) Unemployment insurance trust fund solvency provisions increased. HF855—Abeler (R) Education Policy HF844—Smith (R) Education Policy Area learning center assignments by HF832—Seifert (R) Governmental Operations & school districts authorized. Substitute teacher attainment of Commerce, Jobs & Veterans Affairs Policy continuing contract or tenure status HF821—Paulsen (R) Economic Development Policy Full actuarial value service credit allowed. Judiciary Policy & Finance Prevailing wage requirements repealed. purchase provisions made permanent Identity theft reporting procedures and in teachers retirement association, first HF856—Dempsey (R) venue provided. HF833—Hilty (DFL) class city teacher fund associations, Governmental Operations & Higher Education Finance MSRS, PERA, and various other plans. Veterans Affairs Policy HF822—Buesgens (R) Fond du Lac Tribal and Community Teacher retirement coverage election Education Policy College baccalaureate programs HF845—Abrams (R) deadline for Minnesota State Colleges Direct judicial review of district exclu- established in elementary education Local Government & and Universities system service sion and expulsion decisions allowed. and sustainable development. Metropolitan Affairs extended. Hennepin County Medical Center and HF823—Cornish (R) HF834—Slawik (DFL) health maintenance organization HF857—Koenen (DFL) Environment & Natural Transportation Policy exempted from contracting Jobs & Economic Resources Policy School zone speed limit of 25 miles per requirements. Development Finance Natural resources commissioner’s au- hour established. Olivia center for agriculture innovation thority modified relating to employ- HF846—Adolphson (R) bonds issued and money appropriated. ees, gifts, and grants; state parks HF835—Samuelson (R) Environment & Natural working capital fund modified; and Education Finance Resources Policy HF858—Howes (R) other natural resources administrative Independent School District No. 14, Wetlands replacement ratios for public Health & Human Services Policy provisions modified. Fridley, severance levy authorized. transportation projects modified. Hubbard County facility nursing home HF824—Peterson (DFL) bed moratorium exception provided. HF836—Slawik (DFL) HF847—Anderson, B. (R) Environment & Natural Transportation Finance Health & Human Services Policy HF859—Lindgren (R) Resources Finance Ramsey County I-94 at Century and Mental health care patients health Environment & Natural Prairie Farm Preservation Education and McKnight interchange project funding records access provided to family Exhibit Center funding provided, bonds Resources Policy provided, bonds issued, and money members. issued, and money appropriated. Timber sale provisions modified and appropriated. criminal penalties provided. HF825—Peterson (DFL) HF848—Lipman (R) Agriculture Policy HF837—Olson, M. (R) Transportation Finance HF860—Gunther (R) Ethanol plant sales restricted. Environment & Natural Trunk Highway 5 safety improvements Regulated Industries Resources Policy funding provided, bonds issued, and Conservation reporting requirements Thursday, March 13 Clearwater River Watershed District money appropriated. exemption provided for municipal authorized to charge facilities for utilities. disposing sewage, and other waste. HF849—Walz (R) HF826—Seifert (R) Jobs & Economic HF861—Otremba (DFL) Higher Education Finance HF838—Krinkie (R) Development Finance Agriculture Policy Higher education financial aid require- Transportation Policy Displaced homemaker program Livestock development provision ments modified to include a service Trunk highway maintenance county funding provided by increasing the eliminated. requirement for certain stipends. contracting provided. marriage license fee. 26 March 14, 2003 HF862—Seifert (R) HF874—Otremba (DFL) HF885—Seifert (R) HF896—Johnson, J. (R) Higher Education Finance Health & Human Services Policy Health & Human Services Policy Commerce, Jobs & State grant eligibility for students MinnesotaCare gross income Food establishments exempted from Economic Development Policy attending private, for-profit higher definition modified. equipment design or construction rules School conference and activity education institutions eliminated. under certain conditions. employment leave technical HF875—Pugh (DFL) clarifications provided. HF863—Peterson (DFL) Taxes HF886—Holberg (R) Taxes Levies exceeding charter limits as Local Government & HF897—Erickson (R) Re-refined motor oil and recycled paper property tax aids decrease allowed. Metropolitan Affairs Education Finance sales and use tax exemptions provided. Metropolitan Council agency long- Minnesota state library board HF876—Pugh (DFL) range policy plan regional established. HF864—Stang (R) Health & Human Services Policy improvement cost analysis required. Higher Education Finance MinnesotaCare provider taxes HF898—Thissen (DFL) Higher Education Services Office repealed, tobacco settlement funds HF887—Abeler (R) Civil Law modified. disposition provided, and purchaser Health & Human Services Policy Eminent domain; inverse condemna- savings pass-through required. Immunization and vaccination data tion by a business when a governmen- HF865—Powell (R) requirements provided for children tal entity occupies the market. Health & Human Services Policy HF877—Otremba (DFL) enrolling in schools or child-care Psychology board independent Health & Human Services Policy facilities. HF899—Dorman (R) examination of a practitioner required. Partial-birth abortion ban act of 2003 Commerce, Jobs & adopted. HF888—Hilstrom (DFL) Economic Development Policy HF866—Powell (R) Judiciary Policy & Finance Ethanol content of 10 percent required Health & Human Services Policy HF878—Knoblach (R) Adult court jurisdiction provided over in all gasoline sold in Minnesota. Psychologist emeritus registration Commerce, Jobs & traffic offenses committed by juveniles provided. Economic Development Policy age 16 and above. HF900—Howes (R) Tattooing of minors prohibited. Health & Human Services Policy HF867—Powell (R) HF889—Hilstrom (DFL) Nursing facility wage and benefit Health & Human Services Policy HF879—Knoblach (R) Local Government & distribution plans approval procedures Psychologist supervised practice Civil Law Metropolitan Affairs modified. provisions modified. Housing and real property benefit data Metropolitan Council project local classified. approval required for projects for which HF901—Thao (DFL) HF868—Powell (R) real property will be acquired by Health & Human Services Finance Health & Human Services Policy HF880—Kuisle (R) eminent domain. Medical Assistance reimbursement Psychology practice definition clarified. Education Finance rates for certain outpatient rehabilita- Independent School District No. 806, HF890—Smith (R) tion services increased. HF869—Brod (R) Elgin-Millville, handicapped access and Governmental Operations & Commerce, Jobs & fire safety improvements levy Veterans Affairs Policy HF902—DeLaForest (R) Economic Development Policy authorized. Minnesota State Retirement System Transportation Finance Rural challenge grant program and Public Employees Retirement Native grass seeds purchase prohibited modified, contamination cleanup grant HF881—Kielkucki (R) Association definitions modified, with dedicated highway funds. program administration funds Education Policy clarifications provided, and pension increased, world trade center duties Minnesota State High School League asset disposition provided after death HF903—Cornish (R) transferred, and report eliminated. directed to adopt a policy on corporate of certain employees. Environment & Natural sponsorship; and other league budget, Resources Finance HF870—Fuller (R) investment and review provisions HF891—Nelson, C. (R) Individual sewage treatment system Transportation Finance repealed. Agriculture Policy contractor license fee increased, sur- Sewage treatment system pumper Ethanol producer payments suspended charge imposed, report required, and vehicle seasonal weight limitation HF882—Cox (R) to producers after majority ownership individual sewage treatment system temporary exemption provided. Environment & Natural of a plant is transferred. program staffing increased. Resources Policy HF871—Smith (R) Electronic products with cathode ray HF892—Gunther (R) HF904—Bradley (R) Governmental Operations & tubes prohibited from mixed municipal Regulated Industries Health & Human Services Policy Veterans Affairs Policy solid waste, recycling and recovery Independent telephone companies Public assistance, health care, continu- Disability benefit certification by standards compliant products list deregulated. ing care, and children’s services provi- licensed psychologist provided. established, and anticompetitive sions modified; community services act conduct immunity provided for HF893—Howes (R) adopted; medical assistance estate re- HF872—Anderson, J. (R) participating manufacturers. Transportation Policy covery provisions and local public Higher Education Finance Utility vehicle gross weight provisions health grants modified, and money Higher education reciprocity HF883—Wilkin (R) sunset repealed. appropriated. agreements, state grants, fees, and Local Government & Minnesota College Savings Plan Metropolitan Affairs HF894—Pugh (DFL) HF905—Bradley (R) clarifying, conforming, and technical Metropolitan Airports Commission Commerce, Jobs & Health & Human Services Policy changes provided; revenue bond limit chair subjected to confirmation by the Economic Development Policy Child-care programs, Minnesota eco- increased, and learn and earn money Senate, and members’ terms of office Manufactured homes certificates of title nomic opportunity grants, and food usage clarified. clarified. provisions modified. shelves funding provided; and money appropriated. HF873—Dorman (R) HF884—Pelowski (DFL) HF895—Kuisle (R) Governmental Operations & Higher Education Finance Transportation Policy Veterans Affairs Policy Higher education financial aid Eminent domain; property owners County records examination by private provisions modified to include a service provided access to appraisal data, costs accountants authorized and state audit requirement for certain stipends. and attorney fees provided, and mandate by state auditor removed. appraisal and negotiation requirements established before eminent domain proceedings for transportation projects can proceed.

Session Weekly 27 OMMITTEE SCHEDULE M ARCH 17 - 21, 2003 C ★ ★ ★

MONDAY, March 17 Transportation Finance HF205 (Goodwin) A bill for an act relating to Room: 500S State Office Building education finance; creating an alternative to the 12:30 PM Chair: Rep. William Kuisle detachment and annexation process for Agenda: HF395 (Abeler) Driver’s license residential property parcels that are split among Health and Human Services Policy revocation reinstatement fees increased and school districts. Room: 10 State Office Building reallocated. HF365 (Johnson, J.) A bill for an act relating to Chair: Rep. Lynda Boudreau Presentations by Department of Natural education; eliminating unneeded mandates Agenda: HF373 (Nornes) Optometrist drug Resources, Pollution Control Agency, and Board affecting kindergarten through grade 12 public prescription limitations, prescription of of Water and Soil Resources. schools. controlled substances; standards provided. HF653 (Olsen, S.) Postadoption services rules Education Policy Environment and Natural Resources Policy modified to require release of non-identifying Room: Room 200 State Office Building Room: 5 State Office Building history of birth family. Chair: Rep. Barb Sykora Chair: Rep. Tom Hackbarth HF230 (Abeler) Establish a board of licensed *** Note: *** Change in Agenda Agenda: HF529 (Hackbarth) Mourning dove professional counseling. Bill(s) Added hunting season authorized, and stamps and Agenda: HF580 (Erickson) School district report required. Governmental Operations and Veterans curriculum and instruction required premised HF530 (Hackbarth) Mourning dove hunting Affairs Policy on abstinence until marriage. season authorized and report required. Room: Basement Hearing Room HF390 (Erickson) Elections conducted by mail; Chair: Rep. Jim Rhodes county auditor approval requirement Judiciary Policy and Finance Agenda: HF494 (Huntley) Independent School eliminated. Room: Basement Hearing Room District No. 709, Duluth, at-large school board HF 391 (Olsen, S.) School districts authorized to Chair: Rep. Steve Smith member reduction authorized. convert, by election, from election by district to Agenda: Department of Public Safety overview HF668 (Holberg) Woman’s right to know act election at large. of Office of Justice Programs Reorganization requiring informed consent of a female upon HF535 (Nelson) Independent School District Plan. whom an abortion is performed, and providing No. 535, Rochester, authorized to begin school Minnesota Center for Crime Victim Services civil remedies. year on any date set by school district. Grant Program. HF788 (Anderson, J.) Teacher representative 3:00 PM notification required prior to placement of a Taxes THE HOUSE MEETS IN SESSION. student with a history of violent behavior. Room: 200 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Ron Abrams 10:15 AM Agenda: Continue Hearing on HF 760 (Abrams) TUESDAY, March 18 Income, property, estate, sales and use, cigarette Education Finance and tobacco product, and other taxation policy Room: 10 State Office Building and administrative changes made, Internal 8:15 AM Chair: Rep. Alice Seagren Revenue Code conformity provided, civil and Agenda: HF517 (Demmer) A bill for an act Jobs and Economic Development Finance criminal penalties provided. relating to education; renaming the Department Room: Basement Hearing Room Presentation on Administration Supplemental of Children, Families and Learning to Chair: Rep. Bob Gunther Budget Proposal. Department of Education; making conforming Agenda: HF541 (Sertich) Family homeless changes to reflect the department name change. prevention and assistance program funding 12:30 PM HF782 (Seagren) A bill for an act relating to provided, and money appropriated. education; providing for the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development Children, Families and Learning administrative Finance Environment and Natural Resources amendment and repeal of certain statutory Room: 5 State Office Building Finance provisions relating to kindergarten through Chair: Rep. Elaine Harder Room: 5 State Office Building grade 12. Agenda: Renewable Fuels - A look at emerging Chair: Rep. Dennis Ozment HF781 (Seagren) A bill for an act relating to technologies: Dr. Robert Elde, Dean, College of Agenda: Minnesota Department of Natural education; families and early childhood Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota; Resources budget. education; kindergarten through grade 12; Greg Cuomo, Head, West Central Research and providing for child care programs, early Outreach Center, Morris, MN; David Gaffaney, Health and Human Services Policy childhood programs, prevention, self-sufficiency USDA Rural Development Business and Industry Room: 10 State Office Building and lifelong learning, general education, other Program Specialist; Bruce Stockman, Executive Chair: Rep. Lynda Boudreau general programs, nonpublic pupil programs, Director, MN Corn Growers Association; Al Agenda: Presentation by Rep. Bradley and charter schools, desegregation programs, Doering, Staff Member, Agricultural Utilization officials from the administration of the Pawlenty American Indian programs, accountability and Research Institute, Waseca, MN; Paul Kramer, Administration’s HHS Finance Bill and Child reform, programs for special populations, special Vice President of Malt Operations, Rahr Malting Care Finance Bill. programs, facilities and technology, nutrition Co. Shakopee, MN; Loren Forest, Project (Meeting may continue after 4:15 p.m. in programs, libraries, and state agencies; renaming Coordinator/Farmer, Generation II Ethanol, Room 5 of the SOB, if additional time is the department of Children, Families and LLC, Luverne, MN; Carl Nelson, Program required). Learning to Department of Education; Manager, The MN Project; Henry Fischer, appropriating money. Business Community Development Manager,

28 March 14, 2003 East Central Energy; Wayne Marzolf, Interim judgment awarding of attorney fees authorized Agenda: Minnesota Department of Natural Director, MDA Rural Finance Authority; Deputy in certain cases. Resources budget. Commissioner Edward Garvey, MN Dept. of HF744 (Erickson) State Building Code municipal Commerce; Mike Taylor, State Program reporting requirements modified. 10:15 AM Administrator, MN Dept. of Commerce. HF588 (Brod) Township authority granted to require natural gas utilities to obtain a franchise Education Finance Transportation Policy from the township. Room: 10 State Office Building Room: 200 State Office Building HF609 (Kelliher) Minneapolis authorized to Chair: Rep. Alice Seagren Chair: Rep. Ron Erhardt establish a community planning and economic Agenda: To be announced. Agenda: Presentation on long-range planning development department. for rural transportation. Judiciary Policy and Finance Health and Human Services Policy Room: Basement Hearing Room Commerce, Jobs and Economic Licensing Subcommittee Chair: Rep. Steve Smith Development Room: 300N State Office Building Agenda: To be announced. Room: 10 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Jim Abeler Chair: Rep. Greg Davids Agenda: HF346 (Abeler) Speech language Taxes Agenda: HF732 (Brod) Rural challenge grant pathology or audiology practice provisions. Room: 200 State Office Building program modified, contamination cleanup grant HF496 (Abeler) Nurse temporary licensure Chair: Rep. Ron Abrams program administrative funding limitations provisions modified. Agenda: Hearings on bills to be announced. increased, and obsolete references eliminated. To testify on these bills, please call Andy Gildea HF561 (Gerlach) Tobacco sales to minors at (651) 296-5065. 12:30 PM uniform mandatory penalties imposed, Higher Education Finance mitigating circumstances defined, and electronic Room: 300S State Office Building age verification required. WEDNESDAY, March 19 Chair: Rep. Doug Stang HF748 (Gunther) Economic development, Agenda: Mayo Medical School response to housing, jobs, and state government finance 8:15 AM governor’s FY04-05 budget funding provided, and money appropriated. Jobs and Economic Development Finance Witnesses: Dr. Tony Windebank, Dean, Mayo Medical School; Dr. Dave Agerter, Chair, Family 2:30 PM Room: Basement Hearing Room Chair: Rep. Bob Gunther Medicine Department. Civil Law Agenda: To be announced. University of Minnesota faculty presentation. Room: 5 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Mary Liz Holberg Transportation Finance Agriculture Policy Agenda: HF297 (Haas) Health commissioner Room: 200 State Office Building Room: 5 State Office Building directed not to adopt certain rules, and specified Chair: Rep. William Kuisle Chair: Rep. Howard Swenson data collection and research initiative provisions Agenda: HF316 (Hackbarth) Anoka County Agenda: HF 772 (Swenson) Minnesota repealed. park-and-ride lot funding provided, bonds Agriculture Education Leadership Council HF678 (DeLaForest) Civil commitment issued, and money appropriated. expiration date eliminated. technical correction provided. HF570 (Gerlach) Bloomington; Cedar avenue HFXXXX (Blaine) Enhancing markets for dairy bus transit way funding provided, bonds issued, and other nutritional products; regulating the Regulated Industries and money appropriated. availability and sale of certain beverages in public *** Note: *** Change in meeting room HF481 (Meslow) Rush Line corridor transitway schools; prohibiting certain provisions in Room: 10 State Office Building funding provided, bonds issued, and money contracts between beverage vendors and schools Chair: Rep. Torrey Westrom appropriated. or school districts. Agenda: HF 775 (Westrom) Radioactive waste HF511 (Hilstrom) Brooklyn Center transit management facility definition modified, dry center construction mandated through the Transportation Policy cask storage at Prairie Island facility authorized, Metropolitan Council. Room: 200 State Office Building and commission approval required for additional HF271 (Hausman) Central Corridor transit way Chair: Rep. Ron Erhardt storage capacity for spent nuclear fuel. between St. Paul and Minneapolis funding Agenda: Tour of the University of Minnesota’s provided, bonds issued, and money high tech lab and transportation research State Government Finance appropriated. initiatives sponsored by the University’s Center Room: 500N State Office Building for Transportation Studies. Chair: Rep. Bill Haas Health and Human Services Policy Agenda: HF578 (Brod) Arlington regional sludge Room: 10 State Office Building 2:30 PM management project grant contract extended. Chair: Rep. Lynda Boudreau Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs HF575 (Gerlach) Art expenditures in state- Agenda: Public comments on Administration’s Room: 200 State Office Building financed buildings limited. HHS Finance Bill and Child Care Finance Bill. Chair: Rep. Jerry Dempsey HF555 (Krinkie) Duplicating and printing To testify, please call Andy Gildea at (651) 296- Agenda: HF760 (Abrams) Income, property, service requirements relating to Administration 5065. estate, sales and use, cigarette and tobacco Department repealed, and outside service (Meeting may continue after 4:30 p.m. in Room product, and other taxation policy and contracts authorized. 10 of the SOB, if extra time is required). administrative changes made, Internal Revenue Code conformity provided, Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Environment and Natural Resources civil and criminal penalties provided. Addressing Room: 200 State Office Building Finance Article 3, Sec. 3, Subd. 1 Chair: Rep. Jerry Dempsey Room: 5 State Office Building HF756 (Rhodes) County levy authority modified Agenda: HF444 (Swenson) Municipal contract Chair: Rep. Dennis Ozment to fund statewide public safety radio system.

Session Weekly 29 HF756 (Severson) Municipal ordinance Agenda: Minnesota Department of Natural Judiciary Policy and Finance authority clarified relating to affordable housing. Resources budget. Room: Basement Hearing Room Chair: Rep. Steve Smith Civil Law Education Policy Agenda: To be announced. Room: 5 State Office Building Room: 200 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Mary Liz Holberg Chair: Rep. Barb Sykora 12:30 PM Agenda: HF778 (Holberg) Marriage dissolution Agenda: Presentation by Lisa Graham Keegan, pension plan asset distribution provisions Education Leaders Council, on No Child Left Agriculture and Rural Development clarified. Behind. Finance HF565 (Borrell) Government data practices Bills may be added. Room: 5 State Office Building complaints administrative remedies provided. Chair: Representative Elaine Harder HF447 (Blaine) Farm land ownership restrictions Health and Human Services Policy Agenda: Overview of the Dairy Development modified and penalties imposed. Room: 10 State Office Building and Profitability Enhancement Program. Chair: Rep. Lynda Boudreau State Government Finance Agenda: Public comments on Administration’s Commerce, Jobs and Economic Room: 500N State Office Building HHS finance bill and child-care finance bill. Development Chair: Rep. Bill Haas To testify, please call Andy Gildea at Room: 10 State Office Building Agenda: HF585 (Nornes) Certified public (651) 296-5065. Chair: Rep. Greg Davids accountants authorized to perform annual audits (Meeting may continue after 2:15 p.m. in Room Agenda: HF748 (Gunther) Economic for county nursing homes. 10 of the SOB, if extra time is required). development, housing, jobs, and state government HF472 (Olson, M) School district opt out finance funding provided, and money appropriated procedures provided regarding certain state 10:15 AM HF894 (Pugh) Manufactured housing bill. mandates. Environment and Natural Resources Policy Regulated Industries Room: 5 State Office Building FRIDAY, March 21 *** Note: *** Change in meeting room Chair: Rep. Tom Hackbarth Room: 10 State Office Building Agenda: HF 623 (Hackbarth) Vapor recovery 8:15 AM equipment required for gasoline deliveries in Chair: Rep. Torrey Westrom Health and Human Services Policy Agenda: To be announced. the metropolitan area. Other bills to be added. Room: 10 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Lynda Boudreau Agenda: Public comments on Administration’s THURSDAY, March 20 Taxes Room: 200 State Office Building HHS Finance Bill and Child Care Finance Bill. To testify, please call Andy Gildea at (651) 8:15 AM Chair: Rep. Ron Abrams Agenda: Hearings 296-5065. Jobs and Economic Development Finance HF3 (Magnus) Tax-free property zones Hearings will continue until testimony is Room: Basement Hearing Room established, exemptions provided for individuals concluded. Chair: Rep. Bob Gunther and businesses, state aid and repayment of tax Agenda: To be announced. benefits provided, and money appropriated. Other business that may appropriately come Environment and Natural Resources Finance before the committee. Room: 5 State Office Building Chair: Rep. Dennis Ozment

People in Hawaii will be paying more for Linda Lingle, who was elected governor last beverages in a couple of years, but they have November, opposed the legislation saying it the option of getting some change back. is another tax for Hawaiians. She also told the Beginning Jan. 1, 2005, Hawaii will charge a Honolulu Advertiser that the law does not nickel deposit for each aluminum beverage create a market for recyclable products and can and glass or plastic bottle sold in the state. “all you have is separated garbage.” Consumers will be refunded the deposit when Deposit 5¢ “On average, 75,000 beverage containers the container is redeemed at a recycling center, Hawaii is latest state to adopt are thrown in the trash every hour or reverse vending machine. statewide,” said Jeff Mikulina, director of the bottle-bill legislation A handling fee of up to 1.5 cents per Sierra Club’s Hawaii chapter. “States with container, designed to generate funds to bottle bills recycle over 80 percent of their cover the recycling and administrative costs, Critics argued that the law would be an beverage containers, while Hawaii currently will be nonrefundable. added burden on retailers and residents and recycles only about 20 percent.” The fees are exempt from the state sales tax. that some will refuse to pay the extra cost. In Minnesota, a similar bill (HF2266/ Former Gov. Ben Cayetano signed the Cayetano disagreed. SF2099) was introduced in 2001 by Rep Carl “bottle bill” into law June 25, 2002, making “I think if you were to sit down with an average Jacobson (R-Vadnais Heights) and Sen. Hawaii the 11th state to require that customers person on the street and ask that person if they Mady Reiter (R-Shoreview), but stalled in pay extra for beverage containers. It was the would be willing to pay a fraction more so that committee. first time in 16 years that a state adopted a new we can keep the environment clean, I’m (M. Cook) beverage deposit law, according to the confident that the overwhelming majority of Container Recycling Institute. Hawaii’s people will say yes.”

30 March 14, 2003 Continued from page 19 ropolitan area. He said that cities in the corridor represent a significant number of jobs. Improve- With much of the legislative session fo- From 1812 to about 1832, a popular ments to the freeway cusing on the state budget, money is a main monetary item was a paper currency called are slated for 2012, topic of conversation for many. “beaver money” issued by the American Fur but Thorfinnson Having income is so important that it Company. Beaver fur was an expensive item said the area needs controls every aspect of managing state gov- on the East Coast and in Europe, so the improvements to ernment and the lives of its residents. But American Fur “bankers” stockpiled pelts 494 and I-35W how did dollars or money become the driv- and issued loans in paper currency to be sooner. ing force for making or breaking a state, a repaid to them based on the worth of the “The I-494 corri- business, the stock market, or even indi- furs. dor will continue to vidual investors? A first quality beaver pelt or “plus” was lose business to Long before pictures of dead presidents the standard of value. A plus was worth one other less congested appeared on paper bear, one otter, one areas,” he said. currency, items were lynx, three martens, bought and sold, or and 15 muskrats. His thoughts were PHOTO BY TOM OLMSCHEID echoed by David Tim Henkel, transporta- business conducted Worthless paper Lindahl, economic tion planning director with a wide variety of currency printed in development director for the Department of tender used as cur- other states, cheap Transportation, testifies rency. Early colonists Wampum bank notes, and mer- for Eden Prairie. “This Photo courtesy of PBS Web site on traffic congestion and Native Americans chants seeing losses by is business’s problem, management during a too. They’re having a March 11 meeting of the learned to trade items each found to be of selling on credit, caused businesses to close hard time getting House Transportation value – furs, trinkets, tools, lumber, land, and and bank repositories to fail just before people to the work- Policy Committee. other goods. statehood. The first Legislature of 1858 place.” For example, in 1626, the Dutch sea mer- passed legislation for banks to issue their Representatives from the trucking industry chant, Peter Minuit, purchased New York’s own currency, which briefly solved the fi- also expressed concern about the area, saying lower Manhattan for the equivalent of $24 nancial crisis. congestion delays delivery, causing trucking com- in wampum — hand-made stringed beads Since Civil War days, the federal govern- panies to build delays into their pricing struc- made from clam shells — trinkets, and ment has regulated paper currency, while tures and causing the price of goods to increase. knives. worthless bank notes and scrip that was A number of testifiers also addressed transit, Wampum soon lost its value with the ad- subject to easy counterfeiting no longer ex- saying the system needs more flexibility in order vent of the steel drill and the activities of a ists. Yet with the use of present-day tech- to serve commuters who come north across the few entrepreneurs who began to mass pro- nology, “funny money” has escalated Minnesota River, but travel along the 494 corri- duce strings of factory made wampum. through massive counterfeiting of millions dor, rather than to either downtown. Milled gold and silver coins then became the of fake dollars. In order to try and halt its According to the Transportation Depart- high commodity for trade. As paper cur- increase, a U.S. $20 greenback will soon be ment, improvement projects throughout the rency became available, states and private the first to have its background changed to metropolitan area are planned, to help allevi- sources printed so much in the form of bank the color of blue, gold, or amber. ate congestion. Portions of Highways 12, 52, notes that it soon cost more to print the Maybe it would be easier to keep private 55, 94, 100, 494, and 610 are set for construc- money than what it was worth. Even so, printers of paper money out of the market tion by 2005. Congestion relief efforts along coins soon became scarce and lost their by using a beaver money or trade goods Interstates 35E, 35W, 94, 494, 694 and High- value. standard without the paper currency. Then ways 36, 41, 100, 169, 280, and 52 are planned As colonists, fur traders, and others a classified ad could read something like: through 2012. moved westward and into Minnesota Terri- “2003 vehicle for sale — three beavers, one The questions for lawmakers – how to fund tory in the early 1800s, the direct bartering otter, and 75 muskrat pelts. No scrip the projects and what volume of projects the of “trade goods” — blankets, flour, sugar, accepted.” department and construction industry can cloth, and tobacco — ruled the area’s — LECLAIR GRIER LAMBERT support each year. economy with fur trading as the dominant Based on revenue projections through 2025, resource. Henkel said the state can anticipate about $5.56 billion for transportation. However, needs analyzed in 2003 dollars will approach Minnesota’s U.S. Senators $15 billion by 2025. Senator Senator Members of the committee requested more Mark Dayton (DFL) Norm Coleman (R) detailed information about how the state could SR-346, Russell Senate Office Building B-3 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington, D.C. 20510 Washington, D.C. 20510 create additional revenue, such as what com- (202) 224-3244 (202) 224-5641 bination of bonding and gas tax increases Fax: (202) 228-2186 Fax: (202) 224-1152 would cover the needs.

Session Weekly 31 MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE 175 STATE OFFICE BUILDING ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA 55155-1298

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE: STEVE SVIGGUM MAJORITY LEADER: ERIK PAULSEN MINORITY LEADER: MATT ENTENZA INNESOTA M INDEX FOR MORE INFORMATION

Driving and crashing in Minnesota For general information, call: House Information Office Statewide seat belt usage rate in a summer 2002 study, as percent ...... 80.1 (651) 296-2146 or Percentage in 2001 ...... 74 1-800-657-3550 Percentage in 1986 ...... 33 Seat belt usage rate in Iowa during summer 2002 study, as percent ...... 81 To obtain a copy of a bill, call: In Wisconsin ...... 66.6 Chief Clerk’s Office (651) 296-2314 In North Dakota...... 57 Child restraints issued by the Department of Public Safety between To find out about bill introductions or 2000 and 2002 using fine money from child passenger safety and the status of a specific bill, call: seat belt violations ...... 7,940 House Index Office Fatalities and serious injuries from crashes in Minnesota in 2001 ...... 3,517 (651) 296-6646 In 1986 ...... 6,135 Crash fatalities in Minnesota in 2002 ...... 614 For an up-to-date recorded message In 2001 ...... 568 giving committee meeting times and Decrease in overall crash fatalities from 2000 to 2001, as percent ...... 9.1 agendas, call: Of 2001 fatalities, percentage in rural areas ...... 68 Committee Hotline (651) 296-9283 Percentage of Minnesota drivers involved in fatal crashes from 1995 to 2001 that failed to yield ...... 16 National average, as percent ...... 8 The House of Representatives can be Percentage of fatal crashes where inattentive driving was a reached on the World Wide Web at: contributing factor ...... 13 http://www.house.mn National average, as percent ...... 7 Economic impact to Minnesota of crashes in 2001, in billions ...... $1.6 Economic impact in 2000, in billions ...... $1.2 Teletypewriter for the hearing Number of state alcohol-related traffic deaths in 2001 ...... 211 impaired. In 2000 ...... 245 To ask questions or leave messages, Consistent percentage of all traffic deaths in past decade related to alcohol ...... 40 call: Driver’s license reinstatement fee for a drug or alcohol offense, as of TTY Line (651) 296-9896 or 1-800-657-3550 July 1, 2002 ...... $395 Before then ...... $290 Check your local listings to watch State’s current blood-alcohol concentration percentage that defines a House committee and floor sessions drunken driver ...... 0.10 on TV. What it must be by Oct. 1, else risk losing federal transportation dollars ...... 0.08 Estimated millions to be lost in federal fiscal year 2004 without the change ...... $6.64 Senate Information Anticipated federal money lost each year beginning in 2007, in millions...... $26.6 (651) 296-0504 Number of uniformed Minnesota State Patrol personnel ...... 536 1-888-234-1112 Approximate percentage of Minnesota drivers that also have a motorcycle license ...... 10 Percentage of all registered vehicles in 2000 that were motorcycles ...... 3.2 Senate Index Average number of motorcyclists killed annually in crashes in last 10 years ...... 35 (651) 296-5560 Percentage of those not wearing a helmet...... 77.1 This document can be made available in alternative Sources: Minnesota Department of Public Safety, Office of Traffic Safety; www.stateline.org; Min- formats to individuals with disabilities by calling nesota Motorcycle Safety Center; Minnesota Safety Council; National Highway Traffic Safety (651) 296-2146 voice, (651) 296-9896 TTY, or Administration (800) 657-3550 toll free voice and TTY.

32 March 14, 2003