A Nonpartisan Publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives ♦ January 15, 1999 ♦ Volume 16, Number 2 HF48-HF149 Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Office. During the 1999-2000 Legislative Minnesota House of Representatives • January 15, 1999 • Volume 16, Number 2 Session, each issue reports daily House action between Thursdays of each week, lists bill introductions and upcoming committee meeting schedules, and pro- Reflections vides other information. The publication A highly important official in state government is the speaker of the house, who is a service of the Minnesota House. presides over the largest legislative body. No fee. On Jan. 5 when Rep. Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon) was elected speaker of the house, he To subscribe, contact: became the 60th person to hold the office since Minnesota’s territorial government Minnesota House of Representatives began in 1849. The last Republican speaker (then called an Independent-Republican) Public Information Office was David Jennings (IR-Truman), who presided from 1985 to 1987. 175 State Office Building As Minnesota prepares to celebrate its 150th year since becoming a territory and 141st St. Paul, MN 55155-1298 year as a state, Speaker Sviggum joins a historically unique and politically diverse cadre (651) 296-2146 or of elected officials. This group — 58 men and one woman — helped to shape, lead, and 1-800-657-3550 direct the passage of laws that now govern the state and its residents. TTY (651) 296-9896 Speakers have come to the Capitol from many political parties and all parts of the state. They’ve come from northern, north-central, southwestern, northwestern, and Director west-central parts of the state, including the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and the LeClair G. Lambert metropolitan-area suburbs. In 1849, Joseph W. Furber (Cottage Grove) controlled the gavel as Minnesota’s first Acting Assistant Director/Editor speaker. He served in the House as a member of the Whig Party. Another Whig speaker, Nick Healy John Quincy Farmer of Spring Valley also served as a Republican. Unlike the political makeup of the 1999 Minnesota state government — there is a Acting Assistant Editor Republican-controlled House, a DFL-controlled Senate, and a Reform Party governor Sandy Donovan — many early speakers and Senate leaders were members of the same political party as the governor. One speaker, Ezra T. Champlin (Garden City) was a member of the lesser Art & Production Coordinator known Democratic Alliance Party. Others were the Conservative, Liberal, Conserva- Paul Battaglia tive/Republican, Independent, Liberal/Democrat, Farmer-Labor, Independent Repub- lican, and Democratic Farmer-Labor parties. Writers In 1913, when Henry Rines (Mora) was elected speaker, the Progressives controlled both Jonathan Fure, Sarah Hallonquist, houses. Speaker William I. Nolan (Minneapolis), a Conservative/Republican whose party Grant Martin, Paul Wahl gained control in 1919 from the Progressives, was elected with the endorsement of members of the Nonpartisan League and the Working People’s Nonpartisan Political League. Photographers Tom Olmscheid, Laura Phillips, Over the years, other rare activities took place. The speaker in 1859, Amos Coggswell Andrew Von Bank (Aurora), was in the Republican Constitutional Convention, then ran as the Democratic candidate for secretary of state in 1867. Lawrence M. Hall (St. Cloud) was elected to Office Manager serve as a Democrat in 1934, but he caucused with the Conservatives in 1939 to become Nicole Wood the youngest speaker. A very different election for speaker took place exactly 20 years ago in 1979 when the Staff Assistants House was evenly divided. Rod Searle (IR-Waseca) was elected as a compromise. When Ivan Weiss Jr., Jennifer Ridgeway changes in members necessitated elections that put the DFL in the majority by two members, and factions split the party, a coalition of 26 DFLers and 49 IRs elected Norton Session Weekly (ISSN 1049-8176) is pub- as speaker. lished weekly during the legislative session by Speaker Sviggum joins a unique group of officials who served their state in a most the Minnesota House of Representatives Pub- honorable manner. lic Information Office, 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Periodicals postage —LeClair G. Lambert paid at St. Paul, MN, and at additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Session Weekly, Public Information Office, INSIDE Minnesota House of Representatives, 175 State Highlights ........................................................................................................................5 Office Building, 100 Constitution Ave., House Minority Leader ............................................................................................ 13 St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Feature: Youth In Government ............................................................................. 16 Printed on recycled paper which is 50% recycled, Member name pronunciation guide .................................................................. 18 20% post-consumer content. Bill Introductions (HF48 - HF149) ..........................................................................19 Committee Schedule (Jan. 18-22)........................................................................ 22 t e d i n o r n P r On the cover: A photo illustration depicts the 134 Minnesotans who serve in the House e r c e y p of Representatives. c a l e d p —Photo illustration by Andrew Von Bank 2 SESSION WEEKLY / January 15, 1999 Giving it back . Tax rebate plans top the 1999 legislative agenda By Paul Wahl proposed rebate of much of the state’s budget sur- plus was a major topic of conversation in the House during the first full week of Athe 1999 session. But the tone of the conversation changed as the week progressed. Monday, hearings were an- nounced on a House bill that would provide a rebate based on income tax paid. But by week’s end, a plan that would provide a refund based on sales tax paid appeared to have the upper hand. In a televised appearance Jan. 11, Gov. Jesse Ventura said he favors the sales tax proposal because he sees it as simpler to implement and he be- lieves it has a better chance of being exempt from federal taxes. A formal Tax bills being debated in the House would send money back to Minnesotans. One plan would provide an income tax rebate, and another proposal would send money to farmers. Photo illustration by Tom Olmscheid rebate plan was expected from Ventura before the week’s end. Meanwhile, the farm rebate language aims he asked for a distributive analysis of the House Speaker Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon) to give “true farmers” a boost, said Rep. Tim potential rebates. said he was “all ears” to the idea. However, the Finseth (R-Angus), chair of the House Agri- Orfield said it appears to him that large bill (HF1) that contains the House Republi- culture Policy Committee and an architect of farmers would get the most aid, and he won- cans’ rebate plan was heard in the House the legislation. dered whether they would be considered the Taxes Committee Jan. 12 and is expected to “Currently, farmers are in great need of on- most needy. come up for a vote in that committee after the hand cash to help pay their upcoming prop- But Finseth said that help would be chan- Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday Jan. 19. erty taxes or [to buy] farm supplies for the neled to every farmer “who’s taking the risk The rebate plan, sponsored by Rep. Ron spring,” Finseth said. out there.” He said it was unfair to say that Abrams (R-Minnetonka), would refund about The proposal is separated into aid for live- because a farmer owns 2,500 acres he is more $1.1 billion. Most taxpayers would receive a stock and for cropland-intensive farmers. Live- prosperous than a farmer with only 500 acres. rebate of about 20 percent of their 1997 state stock farmers with 160 acres or less would He added that three or four members of a income taxes. receive half their property tax payment, not family may be making their living from the A separate bill (HF8) would provide a including taxes due for their house, garage, larger acreage. mechanism for returning $80 million to Min- and one acre of land for their home. Rep. Rod Skoe (DFL-Clearbrook) was con- nesota farmers. Language from that bill was Farmers with more than 160 certifiable acres cerned that farmers who grow minor crops adopted as an amendment to HF1 in the Taxes for the 1998 crop year would receive $4 per that don’t require certification, including wild Committee Jan. 12. acre to apply toward their property taxes. rice growers like himself, wouldn’t benefit Under provisions of HF1, all individuals or Farmers would have to complete a simple from the legislation. couples who paid up to $150 or less in state form and send it to the Department of Rev- Under the proposal, only acres growing income taxes for 1997 would get the entire enue to receive the rebate. Rebates would be crops that are part of a federal program are amount back. Those who paid more than $150 capped at $10,000 per farmer. eligible for the per-acre payment. would get back the $150 plus 20 percent of all Both plans faced scrutiny in hearings before “If you’re trying to benefit all the farmers of taxes paid over that amount. the Taxes Committee Jan. 12 and before a the state, then you should benefit all the farm- The maximum rebate would be $7,600 for joint meeting of the Taxes Committee and the ers of the state,” Skoe said. married couples and $3,800 for all other taxpay- House Agricultural & Rural Development Fi- Finseth said 90 percent or more of the state’s ers. Taxpayers would receive their rebate checks nance Committee Jan. 11. 19.6 million acres are planted in certifiable 60 to 90 days after final passage of the bill. Rep. Myron Orfield (DFL-Mpls) said there crops. The average taxpayer would receive a $575 is no way of knowing whether the farm pro- “The attempt was to include the largest check, according to statistics supplied by posals would benefit those most in need, and number [of farmers] possible,” he said, Minnesota Department of Revenue.