SESSION WEEKLY BUDGET BILLS MAKE FOR LONG HOURS CREATING A CIRCLE OF SUPPORT CHEERS! MINNESOTA BEERS AND BREWERIES PUTTING A STOP TO INVASIVES HF1298 - HF1350 A NONPARTISAN PUBLICATION MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES • PUBLIC INFORMATION SERVICES VOLUME 28, NUMBER 13 • APRIL 1, 2011 Flashback to 1991, 2001, 2006 Transitioning from welfare to work A measure that proponents say would promote employment for families on welfare was approved by the House Health and Human Services Committee. The Minnesota Family Investment Plan (HF719) is an experimental welfare program that would consolidate the Aid to Familes with Dependent Children, General Assistance for families and Food Stamps program. The plan would allow families to continue to receive benefits while earning up to 20 percent more money than is currently allowed under welfare regulations. The idea behind the measure, sponsored by Rep. Lee Greenfield (DFL-Mpls), is to ease the transition between welfare and full employment so that families can stay off of welfare. Session Weekly April 5, 1991 Wine sales in grocery stores Wine could be sold in grocery stores within the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area, under a bill approved by the Liquor Subcommittee of the House Commerce, Jobs and Economic PHOTO BY TOM OLMSCHEID Session Weekly April 7, 2006: Lee Herold, owner of Herold Development Policy Committee. Opponents argued the bill would Flags in Rochester, describes the Minnesota state flag to increase alcohol availability to youth and put additional costs on members of the House Governmental Operations and cities in order to have officers conduct required compliance checks. Veterans Affairs Committee. The committee rejected a proposal that would have created a task force to look into The sponsor of HF1205, Rep. Barb Sykora (R-Excelsior), said Minnesota designing a new state flag. would join 33 other states where wine is sold in grocery stores. Later in the week, Sykora withdrew her bill under “aggressive” lobbying efforts, effectively killing the legislation for the year. Session Weekly April 6, 2001 Contents SESSION WEEKLY Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication FIRST READING: Local option sales tax debate heats up as aid to cities decreases • 3-4 of Minnesota House of Representatives RESOURCES: A citizen’s guide to understanding the numbers • 6-8 Public Information Services. Produced AT ISSUE: Direct sales food retailers may need handler license in some instances • 9 during session, it covers the previous week’s AT ISSUE: Omnibus education bill moves through the House • 10-11 news from the House. No fee. AT ISSUE: House bill addresses wild rice, tree harvesting and closing state parks • 12 Session Weekly (ISSN 1049-8176) is published AT ISSUE: Collegiate concerns conveyed over higher ed bill • 13 weekly during the legislative session by AT ISSUE: Omnibus transportation bill tries to limit metro, rural transit cuts • 14-15 Minnesota House of Representatives Public AT ISSUE: Tax bill debate highlights each party’s priorities • 16 Information Services, 175 State Office Building, AT ISSUE: Decriminalizing youth exploited by prostitution • 17 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., AT ISSUE: A hand up in climb out of poverty • 18-19 St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Periodicals postage paid at St. Paul, Minn., and additional offices. AT ISSUE: Putting a stop to aquatic invasive species • 20 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to AT ISSUE: A two-for covers corrections, human rights and judiciary • 21 Session Weekly, House Public Information BILL INTRODUCTIONS: HF1298-HF1350 • 22-23 Services, 175 State Office Building, MINNESOTA INDEX: Cheers! • 24 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Printed on recycled paper which is 50% recycled, 50% post-consumer content. On the cover: House and Senate leadership, from left, Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch, Senate Deputy Majority Leader Geoff Michel, House Majority Leader Matt Dean, House Speaker Kurt Zellers huddle to confer as the House hears the omnibus higher education finance bill March 29. Most legislative action moved to the House and Senate chambers this week to pass out finance bills that would balance the budget for fiscal years 2012-2013. — Photo by Tom Olmscheid FIRST READING All things local Local option sales tax debate heats up as aid to cities decreases BY LEE ANN SCHUTZ Medford, to repay loans received from the anesboro’s population can easily double on summer Minnesota Public Facilities Authority; Hutchinson, to help pay off debt incurred weekends. The town of 780 in southeastern from improvements to a water treatment Minnesota is known for its scenic beauty, bike trails facility; and Rochester, to finance several L projects. and quaint downtown shopping area. However, there While the requests, in some form or can be too much of a good thing. As a regional tourist another, made it into HF42, the omnibus destination, the thousands of annual visitors create wear- tax bill, which the House passed March 28, the debate continues over the appropriateness and-tear on the city streets, public buildings and parks; of the local sales tax. Some say it is a local so much so that $3.5 million in capital project needs are decision and the Legislature should stay out of it. Others, however, think it increases beyond the reach of the locals’ pocketbook. disparities among communities and shouldn’t be allowed at all. So, Julie Kiehne, executive director of the The House Property and Local Tax Division Lanesboro Area Chamber of Commerce and met with the Senate Taxes Committee earlier How it began City Administrator Bobbie Vickerman came in session to hear sales tax requests from When the local government aid program before the Legislature asking to implement a several communities, including: Fergus Falls, was enacted in the early 1970s to equalize local option sales tax of 0.05 percent to help to pay for a new regional community ice arena; funding for services across the state, cities cover $800,000 of the projects’ costs. Marshall, for a training center for emergency They weren’t alone with a request. first responders and an amateur sports center; First Reading continued on page 4 Rep. Greg Davids and Rep. Tina Liebling went to the heart of the debate on the House floor over the use of local option sales taxes, during an exchange over Rochester’s request. Some say these taxes should be purely a local decision. Others, however, think it increases disparities among communities and the taxes shouldn’t be allowed at all. PHOTOS BY TOM OLMSCHEID “These projects were decided with citizen input “Here we have a situation where the city of and approval from the city council. This is about Rochester wants to raise $161 million, over half allowing our community to have its process paid for by people who don’t live there. … Yeah, respected, and allowing its citizens to vote on leave it to local control; they know best how to whether to extend the sales tax. … This is really get the money out of other communities.” about local control. April 1, 2011 Session Weekly 3 First Reading continued from page 3 was at 1 percent, a half percent above the now Killing the Rochester sales tax was a standard 0.5 percent. With no expiration promise that House Taxes Committee were restricted from levying local sales and date, the money can be used for any city Chairman Greg Davids (R-Preston) made income taxes, which previous to that were purpose approved by the city council. to his constituents, many of whom shop at an available but rarely used revenue stream. The granting of local option sales tax the regional hub. The only local sales taxes before 1971 were requests is not a given. For instance none Why so heavy-handed? The sponsor of the lodging and food and beverage taxes. proposed from 2000-2004 were authorized, omnibus tax bill said it goes to the argument of Despite the prohibition, a number of local but a number were granted in 2005 and many who think local sales taxes only benefit sales taxes were authorized over the years, 2006, according to the nonpartisan House communities with large commercial bases. and in 1997, a sales tax advisory council Research Department. “Here we have a situation where the city recommended that the Legislature adopt This year, Rochester’s request was only of Rochester wants to raise $161 million, model statutory partially met. This over half paid for by people who don’t live language for the As local government aid stagnates for some became the catalyst there. … Yeah, leave it to local control; they imposition and localities and completely disappears for for a heated debate know best how to get the money out of other administration of others, expect the debate on local option on the House floor communities,” he said. the local sales taxes. sales taxes to continue when the House and over local control. Rep. Paul Marquart (DFL-Dilworth) The goal was to Rochester’s 0.5 agrees. “It’s a fairness issue.” Those with create consistency Senate conference their different omnibus percent tax was good economic bases would benefit, while and ease compliance. tax bills. The Senate language (SF27) contains authorized in 1983. the majority of rural communities with little That year, the a provision that would allow cities, through a It was initially tax base would not, he said. Legislature enacted referendum, to impose local sales taxes up to enacted at 1 percent “Over time, you will see strong regional local sales tax rules. 0.5 percent for selected capital improvement to raise $16 million centers and all the other cities will be at a It added language for a civic center huge disadvantage,” he said. in 1998 and 1999 projects as an offset to local government aid.