New members . .. Paulsen applies market principles to government

Erik Paulsen was working as a marketing owned a small manufacturing company in bill is 68 votes; half of the 134-member analyst for a direct mail company when the Plymouth and he always talked about work­ House is 67). lure of politics became irresistible. He quit ers' compensation costs and other impedi­ Away from the Legislature and politiCS, his job in 1989 to be­ ments to doing business in ," Paulsen's "number one thing" is spending come an intern in theSt. Paulsen recalled. time at home with his wife and young daugh­ Pauloffice offormer U.S. Every year, South Dakota officials would ter. He also enjoys cross-country skiing, hik­ Sen. . visit Paulsen's grandfather to urge him to ing, camping, andlate nightbroomball games The Independent-Re­ "move orexpand" his business to the "Coyote with friends from St. Olaf. publican from Eden State." Serving on the House Labor-Manage­ The legislative session, so far, is going too Prairie later put to use ment Relations Committee will give Paulsen slowly for Paulsen's taste. Most committee his mathematical stud- a say on the direction ofworkers' compensa­ meetings are consumed with overviews of Rep. Erik Paulsen ies at St. Olaf College in tion reform legislation. state departments, agencies, and boards, so assisting U.S. Rep. Jim Concerning welfare reform, Paulsen said he's waiting for the real action to start. He Ramstad on the Small Business Committee in he would like to adapt "private marketplace contrasts the slow pace at the Legislature Washington, D.C. Paulsen returned to Min­ principles" to publicassistance programs. He with the new Congress, where lawmakers nesota in May 1992 to become district direc­ would like to offer some form ofbonuses for bolt out of the startingblocks "from day one." tor of the congressman's Bloomington office. caseworkers "who help welfare recipients get Paulsen knows that the pace will pick up, Whenformer Rep. Sidney Paulyannounced jobs." He thinks that such incentives will and he's encouraged by the commitment to her retirement last year, Paulsen saw a "great motivate caseworkers to get their clients off "real change" he finds, especially among the opportunity to have animpact onlocal issues the welfare rolls. first-term representatives - "both the Re­ - issues that would affect my family and the "I think competition and accountability publicans and the Democrats." area I grew up in." are real powerful incentives," he said. Paulsen says he sees "some real opportuni­ He ranashoeleathercampaign. "I knocked And like many ofhis Independent-Repub­ ties in the Legislature this year to get some on 12,364 doors, so I'm glad that's over," he lican colleagues, Paulsen said many of his things done. That's what people really want." admits. Paulsen says he "out-hustled" a pri­ constituents are burdened by high property - Mordecai Specktor mary challenger and then won a House seat taxes. last November at the tender age of 29. (He's "There's a myth" that people can pay high not the youngest House member, however. taxes just because they live in a "high prop­ Rep. Tim Commers, another St. Olaf alum­ erty tax value area," said Paulsen, who repre­ District 428 nus, is 28.) sents parts of Eden Prairie and Edina. He Population: 32,285 Paulsen thought at first that his "youth added that he wants to "link education fund­ Distribution: 100 percent urban might be a liability," but he said he realized ing reform with tax reform." County: Hennepin Largest city: Edina "more and more that it was an asset in the To hold the line on taxes, Paulsen said he Location: southwestern Metro campaign." He said that constituents appre­ would like to require a "super majority" - or Unemployment rate: 3.58 percent ciated his visits and were "excited" to see him 60 percent vote - before any tax increase Residents living below poverty level: 3.60 percent working hard to spread his message. measure in the Legislature could be adopted. 1992 presidential election results: Paulsen's legislative agenda will focus on And he would also like to see the "super Bush/Quayle 43.51 percent improving the state's business climate, a les­ majority" proposal adopted as a constitu­ Clinton/Gore 32.78 percent Perot/Stockdale 22.98 percent son he literally learned at his grandfather's tional amendment so legislators couldn't Other: 0.73 percent knee. change it from year to year. (Currently, all "When I was growing up my grandfather that is needed in the House to approve a tax

Bribery doesn't always involve money. An a bill before the House Environment and Natu­ apple will suffice. Just ask Rep. ral Resources Committee Feb. 15 to extend the (DFL-Fulda) Blufflands Trail System to include the towns of Before presenting a local bill for southwest­ bribery rang through the committee room as Minnesota City, Rollingstone, Altura, Lewiston, ern Minnesota to the House Local Government well as calls for a full investigation into the Utica, St. Charles, and Elba in southeastern and 1etropolitan Affairs Committee Feb. 14, scandal. Minnesota. Winter gave <;:hair Dee Long (DFL-Mpls) an "An apple a day makes the bills pass right As the measure sailed through the commit­ apple. away," Winterjoked as he rushed out the door. tee, Rep. Steve Trimble (DFL-St. Paul) offered After the committee recommended his bill to his conditionalsupport to the bill's sponsor: "I'll pass, Long thanked Winter for the apple (size, vote forit ifRep.Johnson promises to walk from type, and freshness unknown). Should legislators have to pass a physical Minnesota City to Elba." Knowledge of the apple sent some members fitness test before they propose a new or pro­ "That's asking alot from a fat old man, but I'll of the committee into a mock Lizzy, outwardly posed trail system7 try," Johnson replied. whining: "How come she got an apple7" Cries of Rep. VirgilJohnson OR-Caledonia) presented

14 SESSION WEEKLY / February 17, 1995