SESSION WEEKLY a Nonpartisan Publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives ♦ January 31, 1997 ♦ Volume 14, Number 4

SESSION WEEKLY A Nonpartisan Publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives ♦ January 31, 1997 ♦ Volume 14, Number 4

HF160-HF342 Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication of the Minnesota House of SESSION WEEKLY Representatives Public Information Office. During the 1997-98 Legislative Minnesota House of Representatives • January 31, 1997 • Volume 14, Number 4 Session, each issue reports daily House action between Thursdays of each week, lists bill introductions and upcoming committee meeting schedules, and provides other information. The publication Update is a service of the Minnesota House. The Legislature has only met in session for one month now, but the average No fee. population has increased dramatically throughout the Capitol and State Office Build- ings. Activists, constituents, and lobbyists have converged on the complex to share To subscribe, contact: information and try and help to play a role in legislative decision-making. Minnesota House of Representatives While such issues as a new stadium for the Minnesota Twins or more money for Public Information Office 175 State Office Building education are being brought to the table, some of the 134 House members have already St. Paul, MN 55155-1298 introduced 342 bills that received a first reading. All of these have been sent to House (612) 296-2146 or committees for hearings. Only four bills have been sent back to the body and passed. 1-800-657-3550 So far, no bills have failed to pass. About 1,500 bills will be introduced by the end of TTY (612) 296-9896 May, but only some 300 may go to the governor to be signed into law, and some of them may be vetoed. Director Musing on these findings at this point in the session, total numbers are relatively LeClair G. Lambert unimportant. But indirectly, they do relate to the reason for the sea of dark business suits seen during lunch hour in the cafeterias of the two buildings. Assistant Director/Editor Like their colleagues seen near the Capitol rotunda and talking on their cellular Peg Hamerston phones, the “business suiters,” for the most part, are the 450-plus lobbyists who fill the hallways, tunnels, hearing rooms, and members’ offices to discuss and advocate for Assistant Editors their favorite issues, be it health care, tobacco, cities, oil refining, or money for the arts. John T. Tschida What the members do with the information they get from the advocates is difficult K. Darcy Hanzlik to discern. While standing or sitting in some most unlikely places, members who are stopped outside a hearing room or in front of the chamber, listen to and question the Art & Production Coordinator many people who seek them out. One can only guess at the reason for seeing so many Paul Battaglia cellular phone types so early in session, and why “session statistics” are climbing so rapidly. Writers It is a fact that now, more than ever in the world of clean Minnesota politics, no Steve Compton, F. J. Gallagher, member or activist would dare be found guilty of ethics violations. Likewise, it is Nick Healy, Celeste Riley difficult to find any informational gatherings held at local eating establishments outside the complex. Photographers Tom Olmscheid, Laura Phillips, As the early statistics continue to change and become more meaningful, the issues Andrew Von Bank related to them will become more focused. For now, only observing the legislative players is a unique pastime as the legislative caucuses begin a compatible second month Office Manager of conducting the business of the people. Toinette L. B. Bettis -LeClair G. Lambert Staff Assistants Grant Martin, Nicole Thompson

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r e c e Highlights ...... 3 y p c a l e d p Lottery Dollars...... 10 Session Weekly (ISSN 1049-8176) is pub- Speakers Pro Tem ...... 12 lished weekly during the legislative session by Governor’s Residence...... 13 the Minnesota House of Representatives Pub- lic Information Office, 100 Constitution Ave., State’s Aging Workforce...... 15 St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Periodicals postage New Members: Kuisle, Chaudhary...... 16, 19 paid at St. Paul, MN, and at additional mailing Come to the Capitol...... 17 offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Session Weekly, Public Information Office, Bill Introductions (HF160 - HF342) ...... 20 Minnesota House of Committee Schedule (Feb.3 - 7) ...... 25 Representatives, 175 State Office Building, 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. On the cover: The Bug O Nay Ge Shig Dance Troop, Cass Lake, Minn., danced their way into the Capitol rotunda Jan. 29 as part of Creative Ticket Day, an event sponsored by several arts education Printed on recycled paper which is 50% recycled, organizations. 20% post-consumer content. — Photo by Tom Olmscheid

2 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Week in Review . . . Jan. 23 - 30, 1997 Highlights

Anti-smoking bill . . . Lawmakers work to block tobacco sales to minors The effort to crack down on the sale of tablishes a minimum level of regulation and checks,” said retail association spokeswoman tobacco products to minors, thought to be relies on a framework of local ordinances to Judy Cook, “and most often the clerk mis- extinguished in 1996, has flared up again meet, or exceed, the law. judges someone’s age rather than commits a with the introduction of a new anti-smoking Rest told committee members that the willful violation.” bill. legislation has the support of a broad coali- After hearing all public testimony, the On Jan. 30, members of the Commerce, tion of interests, including public health committee accepted five amendments. Tourism and Consumer Affairs Committee groups, law enforcement agencies, and Under an amendment offered by Rep. Jim voted 21-4 to send the bill to the House floor. children’s and family advocates. Moreover, Tunheim (DFL-Kennedy), a city, town or As originally written, HF117, sponsored she continued, “the general public supports township would have the option of regulat- by Rep. Ann H. Rest (DFL-New Hope) and this legislation by a huge margin.” ing tobacco sales and could enact regula- Kevin Goodno (R-Moorhead), would re- Rest called underage smoking the country’s tions stronger than those outlined in the bill. quire local governments to license and regu- “number one public health problem,” com- If the municipality chose not to regulate late the retail sale of tobacco and conduct at paring it to the ravages of AIDS, highway tobacco sales, that responsibility would fall least two compliance checks per year in ev- death, and murder. Indeed, two local offi- to the county, which would then be com- ery establishment that sells it. cials and two schoolchildren testified to that pelled to do so. The city, town, or county Amendments to the bill cut back the com- effect. One 11-year-old student illustrated would also be allowed to set the license fee at an amount sufficient to recover, or perhaps exceed, the cost of enforcement. An amendment offered by Rep. Peggy Leppik (R-Golden Valley), reduced the number of mandatory compliance checks from two per year to one. Many committee members felt that requiring municipalities to per- form two checks, which are usually “sting” operations, would impose an undue financial burden on local governments. Rep. Dan McElroy (R-Burnsville) proposed an amendment that would require a local government to give at least 30 days written notice to retailers before adopting any ordinance that would change the tobacco regulations. Rep. Bob Gunther (R-Fairmont) success- fully offered a pair of amendments. The first deleted a section that would have prohibited A bill on its way to the House floor would crack down on the sale of cigarettes and other tobacco products tobacco manufacturers or distributors from to minors. paying retailers to place tobacco products in pliance checks to one and give cities and the threat. He recounted the ease of strolling special eye-catching locations in a store. towns the option of regulating tobacco sales. into a restaurant and buying a pack of ciga- Many distributors routinely pay shopkeep- But, if they do not, counties would have no rettes from a vending machine. ers “slot” payments to ensure their products choice. They must. The bill, however, was not without oppo- receive the most prominent display space. Rest’s measure is similar to the amend- sition. Officials from the Minnesota Retail Gunther, who is a grocer, pointed out ment she offered to a tobacco bill in 1996. Grocer’s Association and the Minnesota that, contrary to media reports, the profit But that bill, sponsored by Rep. Loren Retailer’s Association testified in opposition margin on cigarettes is not great. In fact, he Jennings (DFL-Harris), would have set state- to the legislation. The law, they said, would said, many small store owners have come to wide penalties for selling tobacco to minors. impose a difficult burden on merchants who rely on the slot payments. Jenning’s modeled his bill after the so-called operate stores in several different cities and Gunther’s second amendment reduced the “pre-emption laws” already on the books in towns, each of which could impose a differ- amount of fines levied against the store own- more than two dozen states that trump local ent level of regulation. ers for violating the law. Originally, the bill ordinances. HF117, on the other hand, es- “Most retailers do their own compliance imposed a minimum $100 fine for a first

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 3 has been troubled. Farmers have seen a sig- cases — of children in the Twin Cities metro nificant drop in the prices they get for their area. products. Consumers continue to pay retail Authorities believe the names on both prices among the highest in the nation. And lists were gathered from public sources, such Minnesota’s largest milk wholesalers face an as newspapers, and that the lists are between investigation into price fixing accusations. 4 and 10 years old. Frank Grimm, a Sibley County dairy “We’ll probably never know all the sources farmer, told members of the joint panel that with respect to where the names came from,” changes must be made to ensure the future said Dennis Benson, deputy commissioner of dairy farming in Minnesota. of the Department of Corrections, during Grimm’s family has been in the dairy busi- testimony before the House Judiciary Com- ness in Minnesota since the 1800s, but his mittee Jan. 29. operation is “losing ground” because of low Benson concedes that compiling such a prices paid by processors and rising prices list is not illegal, which has made it difficult for feed and supplies to formulate a departmental response. Longtime farmers are being forced out by “It’s certainly disturbing, but not illegal,” low prices, and young, start-up farmers just Benson said. “The individual’s history, how- can’t make a go of it, according to Grimm, ever, heightens our level of concern.” who spoke on behalf of the Minnesota Farm- Roger Wheeler, a special agent with the ers Union. corrections department, said the incident Shawn Rowley, a sixth grader at Mississippi Heights “For people to start in this business, we will generate a criminal investigation, then a Middle School in Sauk Rapids, Minn., testified before the Commerce, Tourism and Consumer need to have profit,” he said. “The way to possible grand jury indictment. Affairs Committee Jan. 30 in favor of a bill that have profit is to have fair pricing.” “We continue to review our internal poli- would provide for mandatory penalties when Wenzel said he plans to pursue reforms cies,” Benson said. “We will work with the tobacco is illegally sold to minors. this session to help dairy farmers. Legislature on any bill you might produce.” Specifically, he expressed support for a The prisoner had computer access through offense and at least $250 for a second offense. proposal to repeal the Dairy Unfair Trade Insight, Inc., a prison telemarketing pro- The amounts changed to $50 and $150, re- Practices Law, which prohibits the retail sale gram. He also had access to the Internet and spectively. of milk at prices below wholesale. a modem. An investigator told members Rest’s bill retained its $50 fine for store Allowing stores to freely set milk prices that while there is no evidence the list was clerks who sell tobacco to a minor. could drive up consumer demand, and as a distributed, there is no way to prove it was “The net effect of this bill is that we get a result, force an increase in the price paid to not. Information detailing who received e- statewide standard . . . and still allow local dairy farmers, according to Wenzel. mail from prisoners is not available. governments to be more strict,” in their “Minnesota dairy farmers could hardly do Investigators believe that none of the chil- regulation of tobacco, Rest said. “This ap- worse under a free market system,” he said. dren on the list have been contacted by the proach to restricting tobacco . . . will be a “Government intervention has put thou- prisoner or by others. very important public policy decision for sands of farmers out of business, and in the David Crist, acting commissioner of cor- Minnesota.” process, gouged consumers.” rections, said that prisoners no longer have Wenzel also said he would support an access to the Internet or other computers —F.J. Gallagher effort to create a compact with neighboring through a modem. They continue, however, states to guarantee dairy farmers a fair mini- to operate the telemarketing company and mum price. other computer programs, all on “stand AGRICULTURE So far this session, neither proposal has alone” computers, he said. been introduced in the form of a bill, but Several legislators had concerns about in- Exorbitant milk prices several legislative proposals related to dairy mates’ continued access to computerized pricing are expected to be debated before information and questioned whether they State lawmakers are looking for answers lawmakers adjourn in May. should have any access to computers. to problems in the dairy industry that have At the time of the meeting, the corrections Minnesota consumers paying exceptionally department had sent letters to 700 families high milk prices while the state’s dairy farm- CRIME of children whose names appeared on the ers struggle to make a living. list. They intended to send letters to remain- “I believe there is a crisis in the dairy ing families by Jan. 31 and also have estab- industry today,” said Rep. Steve Wenzel The children’s list lished an information line for concerned (DFL-Little Falls), who chairs the House Last November, authorities at Lino Lakes parents at (612) 603-0026. Agriculture Committee. “The crisis is not “This is a yellow caution light in terms of the being addressed by those who are profiting prison discovered a computerized list of the names of 3,000 children from outstate Min- computer age, the Internet, and technology,” from it.” Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. Paul) said. “We Wenzel’s committee and the Senate Agri- nesota. The prisoner suspected of compiling the list is a repeat child molester who is have to be careful regarding the ease with culture and Rural Development Committee which information is available to any one indi- met jointly Jan. 24 to discuss the plight of scheduled for release in January 2002. Recently, a second list was found with vidual.” Possible legislation stemming from Minnesota’s dairy farmers. the incidents may affect computer access by The recent history of the dairy business about 2,600 names — and addresses in many

4 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 prisoners and parolees, data privacy laws, or Fred Corrigan, vice president of the Min- Passage of the bill was never really in doubt school and other lists with information about nesota Transportation Alliance, told the com- on the House floor. There was strong bipar- children, Dawkins said. mittee that his group is sympathetic to the tisan support for the measure among House problems experienced in Minneapolis and is members. However, some controversy was supportive of state assistance, but also con- stirred by an amendment offered on the Pay up for troopers cerned about the use of highway trust fund House floor by Rep. Ron Abrams (R- dollars for non-highway purposes. “State Minnetonka). State troopers were called to Minneapolis law is very specific about the use of trust fund The goal of the amendment was to hold last August along with other law enforce- dollars and trunk highway dollars in stating the line on property taxes in those districts ment assistance. Many arrests were made, these dollars shall be used solely for highway with excess levy referendums or high prop- guns were taken off the street, and the city’s purposes,” Corrigan said. erty taxes in place as a result of the caps. murder rate did not reach the record level of The committee voted to support HF19. It Abrams offered the same amendment last 1995. Now the $226,000 bill for those extra will be included in the division’s omnibus week in the House Taxes Committee, only to law officers has come to the Legislature. funding bill. see it defeated. At the time, committee mem- The cost of deploying 25 state troopers, bers agreed with the principle of the amend- three to five Bureau of Criminal Apprehen- ment but most expressed a desire to deliver sion agents and a state patrol helicopter was SCHOOL a “clean bill” that could move quickly through paid for out of the state’s trunk highway EDUCATION the legislative process. fund. Legislation (HF19) sponsored by Rep. On the House floor, the merits of the Bernie Lieder (DFL-Crookston) authorizes More education dollars amendment were hardly disputed. the commissioner of finance to transfer Johnson acknowledged the amendment A bill that would avert a $337 million cut $226,000 from the general fund to reim- addressed a “legitimate issue,” but she said it in funding for public schools passed the burse the trunk highway fund before the is not an issue “to be considered at this House on Jan. 30. The vote was 133-0. current fiscal year ends on June 30, 1997. time.” She suggested it would be better to try The bill (HF1), sponsored by Rep. Alice The bill was discussed Jan. 28 by the House to get the amendment included in the omni- Johnson (DFL-Spring Lake Park), would Transportation and Transit Finance Divi- bus K-12 education or tax bills that will be repeal spending caps that became law as part sion, which Lieder chairs. assembled later in the session. of a 1995 education spending package. Don Davis, state commissioner of public Ultimately, the amendment failed on a The caps, effective with the start of the safety, recounted for the committee the 94-37 vote. 1998-99 biennium, would force a reduction events leading up to the trooper deploy- HF1 now goes to the Senate. ment. In late August 1996, Minneapolis ap- in the per-pupil amount each school district peared to be careening toward another record receives from the state and would alter the homicide level, Davis said. The New York formula used by the state to calculate fund- Statewide testing Times had carried a story labeling ing levels for secondary students. Minnesota’s largest city “Murderapolis,” and “I believe this bill is an example of good Lawmakers are considering whether Min- Gov. Arne Carlson and Lt. Gov. Joanne government at work,” Johnson said. “I say nesota students should be subject to stan- Benson had both just returned from over- that because we listened to the people of dardized, statewide testing to measure pupil seas trips concerned about the image Min- Minnesota. They asked us to pass a bill that and school performance. neapolis was acquiring. On Aug. 25, there would restore the funding cuts.” Several statewide testing proposals are were three more murders while Mayor Sharon Sayles Belton and Police Chief Rob- ert Olson were out of town. Two days later, Carlson summoned Davis to his office and wanted to know what the state could do to immediately address the crime problem in Minneapolis. After discussing the matter with city council and police officials, it was decided to send in 15 state troopers and three to five BCA agents to assist Minneapolis police for a 60-day period. A state patrol helicopter and pilot were also assigned to the city. The results were dramatic, according to Davis. The state troopers made 1,089 arrests and assisted in responding to 505 emergency 911 calls. Among the arrests were 66 weapons-related, 196 for outstanding warrants, 86 for other felonies, and 154 for driving while intoxicated or without a license. Chief Rep. Henry Kalis, foreground, and the rest of the Capital Investment Committee, took a tour of the Olson has reported that after the troopers Lino Lakes Correctional Facility Jan. 30. Warden Bert Mohs, far right, showed committee members left, crime rates in the fourth and fifth pre- recent renovations that gave access to people with disabilities. cincts have stayed down, Davis said.

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 5 expected to be considered this year, but Gov. tive effect on students, causing unnecessary HF84, sponsored by Rep. Lyndon Carlson Arne Carlson’s plan is the first to be taken up anxiety and driving up dropout rates. (DFL-Crystal), would allow school districts by a House committee. “A statewide test just pits school district to begin classes before Labor Day in 1998 The governor’s proposal (HF235) is spon- against school district,” said Rep. Jim and 1999. The bill was approved by the House sored by Rep. LeRoy Koppendrayer (R- Tunheim (DFL-Kennedy). Education Committee on Jan. 28. Princeton), who argued such testing would Koppendrayer, who described the bill as a The reason for the bill is simple enough. help to assure the quality of Minnesota’s work in progress, said it likely will be altered Labor Day falls relatively late in September schools. to include the recommendations of a re- for the next two years (Sept. 7 and Sept. 6, “Minnesota prides itself on leading the cently released University of Minnesota re- respectively) and that can foul up the sched- way in public education,” Koppendrayer said port on statewide testing. ule for the entire academic year, Carlson Jan. 30 before the House Education That report, required under a 1995 educa- said. Committee’s Subcommittee on Quality Ini- tion funding law, maps out a comprehensive The bill even has the support of one major tiatives. “Minnesota led the way on school approach for implementation of statewide tourism industry group. But any discussion choice and in many other areas.” testing. of the current state law mandating that school The subcommittee took no action on Major recommendations in the report call begin after Labor Day is bound to attract HF235. for statewide testing of students at four grade some controversy. The bill would require that students in levels and suggest that the new testing be Tourism groups are usually the most vo- grades three, five, and eight take a single linked to the graduation standards required cal defenders of the law because those busi- nationally recognized test each spring, and under current law. nesses benefit from the later school start. It the bill would provide $5 million to finance keeps available the teenagers they rely upon the testing in 1998 and 1999. Pre-Labor Day school to fill seasonal jobs, and it stretches the sea- Statewide testing would provide a “com- son for summertime family vacations. Students accustomed to savoring the La- prehensive statewide assessment” of how stu- The law’s detractors include those who bor Day weekend as the last hours of sum- dents, schools, and districts are doing, believe the academic calendar should be set mer freedom may be in for a surprise under Koppendrayer said. Testing each student at by local school boards and those advocating a bill headed for the House floor. various points throughout his or her aca- alternative school schedules. demic career would measure progress and Bob Meeks, a lobbyist for the Minnesota identify areas of concern. School Boards Association, said HF84 is the “The earlier we start, the less threatening result of negotiations between his organiza- it is and the more useful it is,” Koppendrayer tion and the Minnesota Restaurant, Hotel & said, explaining the need to initiate testing at Resort Associations, a trade group that lob- the third grade level. “It is something we can bies for the hospitality and tourism busi- use as a tool to build a child’s education.” nesses. Rep. Tony Kinkel (DFL-Park Rapids) con- “They gave up quite a bit,” Meeks said. tradicted those remarks, describing state- “They were willing to compromise. . . . Ob- wide testing as “a tool of punishment” that viously, they understand the need for educa- offers nothing to help disadvantaged stu- tion, and we understand their need to make dents. a living.” Identifying struggling students in third Another tourism industry organization grade is too late, according to Kinkel. — The Minnesota Association of Innkeep- “I promise you the state would get a much ers — registered its opposition to the bill in better return if you took that $5 million and a memo to committee members. put it into early childhood development,” he The bill stirred little controversy in the said. committee, but the reaction of some mem- Current state law prohibits the use of a bers hinted at a larger debate that may lie single, statewide test in public schools. (State- ahead this session. developed tests are the most common means Rep. Betty Folliard (DFL-Hopkins) said of determining whether students meet the lawmakers need to discuss expanding the basic skills requirements of Minnesota’s time for learning by extending hours in a graduation rule, but school districts also have school day and adding days to the school the authority to choose from more than a year. dozen approved alternative exams.) “I believe this bill is a Band Aid,” Folliard Proponents of statewide testing argue that said. it would make schools more accountable by providing an objective measurement of student performance and a reliable foundation To merge or not to merge for comparing schools across both districts Eric Hanson, Stillwater, a senior and student A plan to merge two Twin Cities and states. body vice president at the University of Minnesota, expressed his support for a bill Jan. postsecondary schools was presented to the Opponents claim statewide testing would 24 that would appropriate $45 million to reduce Education Committee’s Higher Education provide no information about student per- the cost of tuition for students attending state Finance Committee Jan. 27. formance that their teachers don’t already educational institutions. Under the plan, developed by the know and that the testing could have a nega-

6 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Cities area and a permanent site for MSU’s reach out. We have to be experimental.” (MnSCU) at the direction of the Legislature, campus. (The school currently rents.) “The In last year’s state primary election, only Metropolitan State University (MSU) and plan must consider short- and long-term 13.2 percent of qualified voters cast ballots. Minneapolis Community and Technical demographic and enrollment projections In the general election, 64.8 percent voted. College (MCTC), both in Minneapolis, . . . and coordination and duplication of Since 1950, general election turnout has would merge. The combined school would program offerings.” ranged from a high of 83.9 percent in 1956 to function much like a four-year educational The second law said MnSCU’s board of a low of 47 percent in 1986. institution, according to MnSCU Chancel- trustees should “determine how best to im- Members were quick to distinguish ab- lor Judith Eaton. prove the delivery of comprehensive, quality sentee balloting from mail balloting, which Eaton said the plan is meant to increase educational programs,” and consider merg- is now permitted in 161 precincts in cities the ability of inner city students to obtain ing MSU with other campuses. and townships with fewer than 400 regis- college degrees. Rep. Gene Pelowski, (DFL-Winona), com- tered voters. “There’s an enormous need for additional mittee chair, said that future hearings on the Also, there are numerous special elections higher education opportunities, especially issue will be held. in counties, municipalities, and school dis- in the future,” Eaton told the committee. “It tricts that allow ballot questions to be voted has become more and more important to on by mail, according to Joe Mansky of the look at plans that cut across existing institu- ELECTIONS Office of the Secretary of State. tions and remove barriers. Minneapolis and The primary difference between the two Minnesota have an opportunity that is left in types of voting is that voters must request an few urban centers.” Vote from home absentee ballot; mail-in ballots are mailed to Eaton said the plan is, in part, a response A House panel is taking another look at all registered voters. In 1996, Gov. Arne to the changing demographics of the Twin easing the process of voting by absentee bal- Carlson vetoed a measure to extend mail Cities. (See related story, page 15.) The state’s lot. An attempt to do so last year got tangled balloting to cities with fewer than 1,000 reg- minority population grew 75 percent be- with other election issues and never made it istered voters, calling it “a creeping spread of tween 1980 and 1990, according to the re- to the House floor, according to Secretary of an unwise policy.” port compiled by MnSCU, which also says State Joan Growe. To prevent fraud and abuse, HF74 has that 87 percent of that population resides in The sponsors of HF74 would like to make tight controls addressing who can handle the the Twin Cities seven-county metro area. voting by absentee ballot available to any- ballots and how ballots must be requested. Many are poor and undereducated, accord- one. Under current law, voters must have Lawmakers plan to vote on HF74 after ing to the report. one of several reasons to vote outside an ensuring that certain provisions conform The merger plan, Eaton said, would ad- official polling place: expected absence from with the state’s Data Practices Act. dress the growing need to reach out to and the precinct; illness; disability; religion; or educate that increasing population. Based service as an election judge in another pre- on her experiences in other major cities, it’s cinct. FAMILY a critical issue. “The erosion of which I’m HF74 would remove the reasons for which speaking is not as bad as it’s going to get,” she a voter may vote by absentee ballot, and state told the committee. “The answer is to ex- “Any eligible voter may vote by absentee Parental visitation pand educational opportunities in Minne- ballot. . . .” In November 1995, the Minnesota Su- apolis before it’s too late.” “This proposal would result in more people preme Court asked a task force to examine Under the plan, which was one of five participating in the process,” Growe said visitation issues among families who have options MnSCU examined, the two schools during testimony before the House General undergone divorce and recommend ways to would form one at the existing campus of Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections address related problems. MCTC. MSU now rents space on Hennepin Committee Jan. 27. Among the questions explored by the Avenue, just a few blocks from MCTC, which “Voter participation is in decline,” Growe panel: Should a non-custodial parent be al- is itself the product of a recent merger. “While continued. “The last [primary] election had lowed to withhold support payments if a a major investment in facilities would be the second lowest voter turnout ever.” custodial parent interferes with court-or- necessary, the costs would be much less than Growe said the new legislation would rem- dered visitation rights? building a new campus,” the report states. edy some of the causes that keep people from The task force answered with a resound- The plan was met with mixed reactions voting. Many voters cannot take the time to ing “no,” and recommended against linking from committee members. Rep. Lyndon stand in line at polling places. Others, espe- visitation and child support. Doing so, ac- Carlson (DFL-Crystal) expressed concern cially the elderly, are uncomfortable ventur- cording to the report, “may encourage about the site-selection process, but said he ing onto often-hazardous roads during No- adversarial behavior . . . and negatively im- would wait until further hearings to exam- vember in Minnesota, she said. pact the emotional and financial well-being ine the issue more closely. “The magnitude “Lifestyle changes within the voting popu- of the children involved.” and complexity of the decision on site selec- lation are factors that cannot be underesti- The report was presented to the House tion is so great that it needs more in-depth mated,” Growe said. “This bill addresses the Judiciary Committee’s Civil and Family Law discussion,” Carlson said. concerns of these voters. It permits people to Division Jan. 29 by task force members Peter The 1996 Legislature, in two pieces of vote at the time and place of their choosing.” Parilla of the Sociology Department at the legislation, directed MnSCU to plan for Rep. Tom Osthoff (DFL-St. Paul), the bill’s University of St. Thomas, and Julie Brunner, MSU’s future. sponsor, said, “In this day and age, we have county administrator in St. Louis County. One called for a master plan for the Twin to try to maximize voter turnout. We have to “What came through is that there’s a need

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 7 for visitation enforcement to catch up with The wing housed the children’s school ness.” support enforcement — but not to link and was named the Michael Dowling Me- The lessons learned helped with her them,” said Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. morial Hall, in honor of a state legislator Hmong and Hispanic students, Wolden said, Paul), committee chair. “That equals a who lost his hands and feet to frostbite at age adding that the “world is coming to Minne- double-whammy for kids: They don’t get the 14. He became an advocate for people with sota” and it is programs such as the Teacher visitation and they don’t get the support.” disabilities. Institute that help prepare teachers. The panel also examined: how often par- Public and private dollars renovated the JeriAnn Angelo, a reading specialist from ents interfere with visitation rights; the fre- structure for $2.6 million. Minneapolis, spoke of the successes of quency with which non-custodial parents Members of the House Economic Devel- MOTHEREAD/FATHEREAD. fail to exercise their visitation rights; and the opment Finance Division listened to testi- “Many kids come into school not able to impact a lack of access to the courts has on mony about commission programs such as read or even listen to a story.” The reading compliance with visitation issues. MOTHEREAD/FATHEREAD, which pro- program helps train parents and caregivers Included in the task force’s recommenda- motes family reading; the Teacher Institute, how to read to their children and apply the tions are: which provides energizing, week-long, resi- messages of culturally diverse literature to • parent education and other family-sup- dential seminars for teachers; and grants for daily life, Angelo said. port programs should be increased con- public community humanities projects. Currently about 300 sites around the state siderably and, in some cases, participa- The MHC receives $586,000 per year in are trained in MOTHEREAD/FATHEREAD, tion should be mandated; state dollars and is requesting the same and there is a waiting list. • court officers should be better educated on amount during the 1998-1999 budgeting Theodore Schaum, a retired college pro- matters related to divorce; period. fessor, spoke of his MHC grant that allows • compensatory visitation rights should be The humanities consist of history, litera- him to run a discussion series out of the more regularly awarded to parents who ture, philosophy, archaeology, modern and Detroit Lakes Library. have been wrongfully denied visitation, classical languages, ethics, jurisprudence, Several times a month 35-65 people in the and sanctions imposed against parents comparative religion, linguistics, cultural area come to discuss topics such as “Can who deny them; anthropology, and history and criticism of poetry matter?” “Can the heart be filled any- • custody arrangements should be modified the arts. where on Earth?” and “Is racism stronger if a pattern of persistent denial of visita- “People need a strong humanities back- than ever? — II.” tion occurs over a three-month period or ground to become productive adults,” said Schaum said the discussion series, known longer — if doing so is in the best interest Cheryl Dickson, the commission’s executive as Great Minds Appreciation Discussion of the child; and director. Circle, “brings intellectual stimulation” to a • visitation expediters (neutral parties quali- Jan Wolden, a junior high teacher from community void of a college or university. fied to moderate visitation disputes) Owatonna, Minn., shared her experience as All communities need a cultural life, he should be used more frequently. part of the Teacher Institute. In 1994, she said, adding that the MHC helps give Min- Those attending the hearing, though on attended a week-long seminar on the “Cross- nesota a “good intellectual climate.” various sides of the issue, seemed to approve cultural Understanding of Health and Ill- of the task force report. Testifying before the committee were representatives from the Father’s Resource Center, R-Kids, Aces (a group that works for compliance with support orders), Catholic Charities, and media- tors and attorneys. Dawkins said the next step is for legislators to come forward with bills in support of the recommendations.

HUMANITIES

Strengthening the humanities The staff of the Minnesota Humanities Commission (MHC) hosted a tour for several Minnesota lawmakers Jan. 27 to show off their renovated building and encourage continued funding of their programs. The Humanities Education Center, near St. Paul’s Phalen Park, was originally the Jessica Roth, right, classmate Kayla Karnes, left, and the rest of the eagles waited to play their parts west wing of the Gillette State Children’s during the Prairie Woods Elementary School’s performance of “Ronald Raven Saves Wetland Hollow” in the Capitol rotunda Jan. 29. The students from the New London-Spicer area performed Hospital, a state-funded hospital established as part of Creative Ticket Day, an event sponsored by several arts education organizations. in 1897 that provided free care for children with disabilities.

8 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 future distributions of WCRA surpluses, ing to what the MSAC has called a crisis in LABOR Benanav said. snowmobile trail funding, including: “Our board of directors intends to follow • a 41 percent increase in the number of Workers’ comp refund the law as it was amended in 1993. This will registered snowmobile users in the past result in distributions of approximately $140 10 years for a total of 255,000 in 1996; The board of the Workers Compensation million to Minnesota employers and $260 • ridership averaging 1,400 miles per year, Reinsurance Association (WCRA) will be million to insurance companies.” per machine, up from 500 miles in the late authorizing a $440 million refund of surplus 1980s; and funds, WCRA president Jay Benanav told • aging trail maintenance equipment in need the House Labor-Management Relations of replacement. Committee Jan. 27. The amount of the dis- SPORTS In addition, Asmussen told the commit- tribution must be approved by the state com- Trail funding crisis tee that the MSAC recommends adding 3,322 missioner of labor and industry and the com- miles of trail. “Most of these trail proposals missioner of commerce. Minnesota’s snowmobile trail fund has an are based on historic use patterns and needs The WCRA provides reinsurance to pri- operating deficit of $2.5 million for the 1997 that have gone unanswered,” Asmussen said. vate insurance companies and to self-in- fiscal year, according to a report from the “The proposed trails would complete trail sured businesses for large claims such as Minnesota Snowmobile Advisory Commit- systems, create linkages and spread use out those involving brain, spinal cord, or back tee (MSAC). The report was included in from heavily used existing trails.” injuries. The nonprofit insurance associa- testimony delivered to the House Environ- The report estimates the cost of building tion was established by the Minnesota Legis- ment and Natural Resources Finance Com- the additional miles of trails at $4.2 million. lature in 1979 in response to concerns about mittee Jan. 27 in a plea for increased snow- Another $2.5 million is needed to to mod- the availability and cost of workers’ com- mobile trail funding. ernize the existing system. The report esti- pensation reinsurance. The WCRA is the Dennis Asmussen, director of Trails and mates the annual cost of operating and main- state’s exclusive provider of excess workers’ Waterways for the Minnesota Department taining a new enlarged trail system at $9.5 compensation reinsurance. of Natural Resources, told the committee million. The agency is able to keep the cost of that the state’s Snowmobile Trail Enforce- “Minnesota’s snowmobile trails are the reinsurance premiums down through suc- ment Account is not adequate to operate and state’s single largest economic development cessful investment and management of its maintain the existing 18,047 mile trail sys- project and it is borne on the backs of volun- reserves, Benanav said. It is the success of tem. The fiscal year 1997 appropriation is teers,” Jeff Mausolf, president of Minnesota these investments, along with fewer claims $6.1 million, though approximately $8.6 United Snowmobile Association said of the filed than anticipated, that has led to the million is actually needed. current state trail maintenance system. He WCRA’s surplus. The report cites a number of factors lead- expressed concern that many volunteers are The 1997 refund will be the fourth in feeling overwhelmed and may not continue. recent years. In 1992 and 1993, the WCRA “In 1993-94, our people logged 194,000 hours refunded $100 million and $302 million, in trail maintenance and grooming.” respectively. After the 1997 refund, the Mausolf said his group supports an in- WCRA will have given back nearly every crease in the annual snowmobile registra- dollar it has ever collected in premiums. tion fee from $10 to $15 and an increase in Also, since July 1996, the WCRA has applied the gasoline tax to pay for the trail expan- $42.5 million in excess reserves to lower sions and improvements. He noted that the premiums paid by insurance companies and extra expenditures would be a good invest- self-insured employers. The refunds will not ment since “Winter recreationists who come impair the agency’s ability to pay future to snowmobile will spend more than any claims, Benanav told the committee. other winter visitors to the state.” Following the 1993 surplus declaration, the Legislature enacted a law requiring the WCRA to pass on the 1992 and 1993 excess surplus refunds to employer policyholders NOTES rather than to the insurance company mem- When the commissioner of Minnesota’s bers. Litigation initiated by insurance com- Department of Veteran’s Affairs presented panies resulted in a federal judge’s ruling in the House Governmental Operations 1994 that the Legislature could not retroac- Committee’s State Government Finance tively require the surpluses built up before Division with his agency’s performance re- the law passed to be refunded directly to port Jan. 29, he pointed out that customers policyholders. Therefore, insurance com- often confuse the state’s veteran’s affairs of- pany members were allowed to keep the fice with the similarly named federal depart- $402 million surplus which had already been ment. Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia), declared by the WCRA board. The ruling did Jeff Mausolf, president of the Minnesota United the division’s chair, offered some sound po- not affect refunds directly to self-insured Snowmobile Association, told the Environment litical advice: “Remind them that you’re from and Natural Resources Committee Jan. 27 that his employers. association would support a $5 increase in license Minnesota when they like you and just don’t The judge did not rule on the constitu- fees if more money was spent on the construction say anything when they don’t. We politi- tionality of the 1993 law as it applied to of more snowmobile trails. cians do that all the time.”

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 9 Saving the trust fund . . . Bill may extend lottery’s environment dollars to 2050

A closer look . . . Lotteries have long been the LCMR projects that the trust fund will Citizens Advisory Committee on the Trust ding g used to raise money for reach $1 billion in assets by the 2016. Fund. She testified in favor of HF113 along r A bill for an act ng vil acti underfunded causes, from To date, the trust fund has contributed with a dozen other environmental activists or sanctions E ating to civil actions; modifying and expan rovisions for sanctionsStatutes in civil actions; 1994, ammendin se innesota Statutes 1994, sections 336.2A-108; M 66.25; 570.041, subdivision 3; 571.932, subdivision Michelangelo’s painting on approximately $60.5 million to 87 environ- at the Jan. 29 hearing. “We do know that 5 6; and 609.5314,70.041, subdivision subdivisio3; proposing coding foIO new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 549; repeali Minnesota Statutes 1994, sectionARTICLE 549.21. 1 09.5314,THE STATE OFsubdivisi MINNESOTA :ON BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATUR the Sistine Chapel ceiling to mental projects. Forty more projects are pro- spending dollars on environmental preser- w in MinnesotaStatutes 199Sta SANCTIONS INACTIONS] CIVIL ACT [549.211] [ SANCTI 1 the American Revolution- posed for 1998-99, which would increase vation is a lot cheaper than paying for recov- ary War. In Minnesota, the lottery has been total trust fund expenditures to about $81 ery,” she added. wed to funding for environmental causes. million. (An additional $22 million has been Gabe Horner of the Nature Conservancy “It is an unholy alliance,” quipped Rep. leveraged from the private sector with an- presented data to the committee from a sur- Willard Munger (DFL-Duluth) in recount- other $4 million promised by 1999.) vey her organization conducted to gauge the ing the history of the state’s Environment “Environmental enhancement is not a opinions of Minnesotans on environmental and Natural Resources Trust Fund. The short-term fix,” said Nancy Gibson of the issues and the Environment and Natural match came about in 1988 when Munger, Resource Trust Fund. The survey included long-time chair of the House Environment 400 registered voters from throughout the and Natural Resources Committee, was state who were polled Nov. 21-22, 1996. pushing a bill to set up the state’s Environ- (The results have a margin error of plus or ment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. At minus 4 percent.) the same time, Rep. Tom Osthoff (DFL-St. According to the survey, 86 percent of Paul) was also trying to jump start legislation Minnesotans continue to support dedicat- for a state-run lottery. When the two bills ing lottery proceeds to the environment. met in the House Rules and Legislative Ad- Ninety-seven percent of those surveyed ministration Committee, it was not long agreed with the statement: “Natural areas before they were united, Munger said. and lakes are an important part of our heri- In the fall of 1988, Minnesotans voted by tage and should be preserved for future gen- a margin of more than three-to-one to au- erations.” Some 87 percent agreed that thorize a state-run lottery with a portion of “Minnesota’s lakes, farm lands, and other the proceeds going to support environmen- open spaces will soon be lost forever if we do tal causes. In 1990, voters supported dedi- not protect them now.” When asked about cating 40 percent of the lottery’s net rev- the distribution of lottery profits, 69 percent enues to the Environment and Natural Re- said they would favor increasing the amount sources Trust Fund until Dec. 31, 2000. The dedicated to the Environment and Natural remaining 60 percent of net lottery proceeds Resources Trust Fund. are now allocated to the state’s general fund. Ron Nargang, deputy commissioner for When the lottery legislation originally passed, the Department of Natural Resources, told 35 percent of lottery profits funded capital the committee that Gov. Arne Carlson will improvements for educational facilities and support the bill but would have preferred to environmental projects. The remaining 25 deal with the issue in 1998. percent was marked for the now defunct Rep. Tom Osthoff (DFL-St. Paul) said Greater Minnesota Corporation, a joint pub- that he would like to see the dedication of lic-private venture which encouraged eco- lottery funds extended even longer than 2050. nomic development and job growth in Osthoff has introduced a similar bill (HF111) Greater Minnesota. which would make the marriage between the This session the Legislature is considering environment and lottery “perpetual and in- a bill (HF113) sponsored by Rep. Munger violate forever.” which would extend the trust fund’s ties to HF113 now moves to the Environment the lottery until 2050. It won approval Jan. and Natural Resources Finance Committee. 29 from the Environment and Natural Re- — Steve Compton sources Committee. Gabe Horner, right, of the Nature Conservancy, According to a report from the Legislative testified before the Environment and Natural Commission on Minnesota Resources Resources Committee Jan. 29 in support of an (LCMR), the lottery has contributed $149 amendment to the Minnesota Constitution million to the trust fund since it began in extending lottery proceeds to the Environment and 1991. About seven cents of every dollar spent Natural Resources Trust Fund until the year 2050. Former state senator Gene Merriam, head of the by lottery players goes to the fund, which is Environmental Trust Fund Coalition, left, also currently worth about $140 million. Most of testified in favor of the amendment. At right is a the funds are invested in an equal mix of state map showing projects that have been funded stocks and bonds. Given stable lottery sales, by the trust fund.

10 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Trust fund accomplishments Committee deadlines The Environment and Natural Resources assessment of rare and endangered spe- Each year the House and Senate set Trust Fund’s major accomplishments cies. Project accomplishments include: deadlines by which most bills must be between 1991 and 1997 include: • 5,900 acres acquired; heard in a committee and forwarded • 9,000 acres improved; and Recreation: Twenty-two appropriations through the process. The deadlines • 13 miles of streams and rivers acquired serve to weed out some of the several totaling $22 million for acquisition of and/or improved. land for parks, trails, and water entry thousand bills introduced each year. points to help meet increasing demands Water Resources: Seventeen appropria- The first committee deadline is on state and regional recreation facili- tions totaling $7.8 million for projects in Wednesday, March 26. That means ties. Americans with Disabilities Act com- pollution prevention, research, and/or all bills must be passed out of all policy pliance is incorporated into all develop- restoration which have impacted all 39 committees in their house of origin to ments. Project accomplishments include: of Minnesota’s major watersheds. receive further consideration this ses- • 261 miles of trails acquired, developed, sion. If a House bill hasn’t been ap- Education: Twelve appropriations to- or improved for a variety of uses; proved by House policy committees taling $3.9 million for environmental • 5,806 acres of recreational park land by the deadline, but its Senate com- education programs directly impacting acquired; panion has, the bill has met the com- more than 250,000 students and teachers. • 7 public water accesses acquired and mittee deadline. developed, including fishing piers; and By the second committee deadline Agriculture: Three appropriations to- — Wednesday, April 9 — all bills • 58 projects in park facilities for restora- taling $1.75 million for biological con- tion, development or improvement. other than those containing appro- trol of pest and 1,244 acres of RIM re- priations, must be passed out of all serve land acquired. Fish and Wildlife Habitat: Twenty-four policy committees in both the House appropriations totaling $14.9 million for Land use and Natural Resource Infor- and the Senate. The deadline does not wildlife and fisheries habitat acquisition mation: Nine appropriations totaling apply to the finance divisions of the and improvement, biological control ac- $5.5 million for projects including state- committees or the Rules and Legisla- tivities including Eurasian water milfoil wide and regional mapping of resources, tive Administration Committee, the and purple loosestrife, acceleration of activities to improve the health of forest Taxes Committee, and the Ways and the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) ecosystems, blufflands protection, and Means Committee. projects, wetland restoration, restoration assessment of Minnesota’s environmen- By Friday, April 18, all appropria- of native species, collection of data and tal health. tions bills must clear their policy and finance committees and move to ei- Source: Minnesota Commission on Minnesota Resources ther the Taxes Committee or Ways and Means Committee. Of course, there are exceptions to the deadlines. Any lawmaker may try to convince the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee, which includes leaders from both party caucuses, to hear a bill after the deadlines.

Feedback

The House of Representatives Public Information Office has established an e-mail address and invites readers to comment on the Session Weekly and its contents. Send messages to: [email protected] Reps. Betty Folliard and Satveer Chaudhary, along with other members of the Higher Education We thank you for your input. Finance Division, used laptop computers available to Northwest Technical College students during a committee hearing Jan. 24. The lawmakers simulated a lab procedure that would The editors normally cost $100,000 by creating circuit boards, and then running tests on those boards. Gary Ellingson, a faculty member from the Moorhead campus, left at witness table, led them through the procedure.

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 11 Speakers Pro Tem . . . Opatz, Wejcman take speaker’s gavel when needed Presiding over hours and hours of some- Before the 1980s, temporary speakers body is here because they really want to do times contentious debate on the floor of the could not serve for more than one day. And the right thing.” Minnesota House of Representatives can be instead of being appointed by the speaker, In addition to standing in for the speaker, too much for one person. they were chosen by a majority of the House Wejcman and Opatz will work with the ma- Even if the speaker’s hectic schedule doesn’t or by the House Rules and Legislative Ad- jority leader and assistant majority leaders as demand he be elsewhere, simple exhaustion ministration Committee. part of the caucus’ leadership team. may require him to call in some relief. Carruthers began his new job as speaker Wejcman is beginning her fourth term This session, two lawmakers will share with a vow to foster bipartisan cooperation representing what she describes as a “won- duties as backup to Speaker Phil Carruthers in the lower chamber. The speakers pro tem derfully diverse” district in south Minne- (DFL-Brooklyn Park). say they aim to support the speaker’s efforts. apolis. Rep. Joe Opatz (DFL-St. Cloud) and Rep. “I think I tend to be a fairly nonpartisan, Neighborhoods in the district include a Linda Wejcman (DFL-Mpls) have been objective person,” Opatz said. “I see myself mix of people from varied ethnic groups and named speakers pro tempore, as the position behaving in a way very consistent with the economic classes, according to Wejcman. is officially known (or pro tem for short). way [Carruthers] would like the floor to And she has focused her legislative work on As the title makes clear, the speaker pro operate. It should be businesslike, and it universally important issues: child care, hous- tem assumes the role of the speaker on a should be civil.” ing, employment, and safety. temporary basis whenever Wejcman sponsored a 1996 law necessary. that will require all new police “Later in the session, we are on officers hired after Aug. 1, 1997, the floor for very, very long periods to have completed a course in of time,” Opatz said. “It’s just physi- community policing. cally difficult for a person to stand Opatz is in his third term rep- up there for a dozen hours in a row. resenting a portion of St. Cloud “Just as importantly, the speaker and surrounding areas. Perhaps is going to have to be meeting with his most publicized legislative other members, conference com- work was a 1996 law he spon- mittees, the governor, [Senate Ma- sored requiring insurance com- jority Leader] Roger Moe, the mi- panies to allow mothers and their nority leadership. [Carruthers] will newborn babies to stay in the have other responsibilities that take hospital for at least 48 hours. him away from the floor, and that’s “There is no other legislation where our role comes in.” that I have ever carried that has While their time in the speaker’s gotten such a positive response in chair may be limited, Opatz and terms of its personal impact on Wejcman likely will be required to people’s lives,” he said. “. . .That’s make quick decisions on important, been very gratifying.” controversial issues. Opatz also has worked heavily Seemingly mundane procedural on land-use planning issues, with rulings, such as deciding whether an eye toward controlling urban an amendment is germane to a bill, sprawl. And he has been active can have a significant effect on the on issues related to education, ultimate fate of the legislation. which is something close to his “Determining if an amendment heart. When not tied up at the is germane can be a major issue, Capitol, he works as an adminis- especially as we get to the end of trator at St. Cloud State Univer- session,” Wejcman said. “There will sity. have to be a lot of trust on the part The speakers pro tem both say Reps. Joe Opatz and Linda Wejcman have been named speakers pro of other legislators that I will be fair tempore and will step up to the podium to give the speaker a break. they are pleased to be part of and I will make the right decisions.” Carruthers’ vision for the House. Wejcman and Opatz have been selected to The Legislature can meet the public’s call “It’s really an honor to have fill a position that is relatively new in the for less partisanship, according to Wejcman. that faith put in you, to be trusted,” Wejcman history of the House. “Everybody elected to the House is here said. House rules have long allowed for tempo- with the intention of doing what their dis- rary speakers, but the practice of selecting a trict wants and what they think is best for — Nick Healy stand-in has varied. Designating a speaker Minnesota,” she said. “We might differ a pro tem is a practice less than two decades little bit from district to district, but every- old.

12 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Historic mansion . . . Governor’s Residence a treasure for all Minnesotans Which capital city abode has sheltered Social clubs, the State Capitol, and even the couragement to the citizens of Minnesota to world leaders, Olympic athletes, lumber bar- state fairgrounds had also served as host sites give appropriate gifts to the house.” By Janu- ons and even a pair of goats? The Governor’s to prestigious visitors. ary 1966, more than 400 yards of carpeting Residence, of course, built on tony Summit Lawmakers quickly authorized the deal had been laid and the kitchen, bathrooms, Avenue in 1910. and marked $100,000 to renovate and oper- basement, and third floor were remodeled. St. Paul lumberman Horace Hills Irvine ate the building. Minnesota became the 41st Fine art lined the walls and halls of the resi- paid $7,000 for a good-sized plot of land state to provide its governor with an official dence, including a Rodin bust on loan from along the prestigious roadway, which at the residence. the Minneapolis Institute of Art. time was an isolated retreat for the city’s The St. Paul Dispatch approved of the Construction continued during the leading citizens. With the automobile age move, noting that in an effort to woo poten- LeVander administration with the help of still in its infancy, most St. Paulites needed to tial businesses “it probably is a help if a continued private donations and another hop an electric trolley to make it “up the hill” governor has some spot where he can hold $230,000 from the Legislature. Iantha from the lower town. private conferences and gatherings, enter- LeVander, wife of Gov. Harold LeVander, After Minneapolis architect William tain and “sell” his state to corporate execu- was instrumental in decorating the residence. Channing Whitney completed his designs, tives and planners.” She wanted a “simple but elegant working, Irvine secured a building permit, specifying State Sen. Gordon Rosenmeier said it living house,” according to Minnesota Times an estimated cost of $50,000 for a “two-and- would be a place where the governor could and Tastes, published in 1993 by the 1006 one-half story brick and stone dwelling.” have a little “dignity, pomp if you will.” Summit Avenue Society as a project of When completed, the 20-room English And also a place near the Capitol for the current First Lady Susan Carlson. LeVander Tudor country manor house would sport governor to sleep. But when Gov. Karl wanted the residence to “look like a nine bedrooms, an equal number of fire- Rolvaag, the first to occupy the Governor’s governor’s house.” places, and eight baths. It was equipped with Residence, showed up with his family on After all, when not the site of official meet- both gas and electrical outlets, (since elec- moving day, beds were nowhere to be found. ings and formal teas, the mansion is a private tricity was still a novelty at the time, and its Not only the cupboards but the floors were home. Both its size and special attributes future was uncertain). A complex call box bare as well — of carpet and furniture. The have kept 15 children busy exploring its and bell system covered most of the house, Rolvaag’s short-term solution was to bring nooks and crannies. an ancestor of today’s intercom. Perhaps the furnishings from their Arden Hills home. Gov. Al Quie’s son, Ben, played miniature mansion’s most interesting gadget was a cen- Efforts were soon under way to dress up golf in the attic. Gov. Wendell Anderson’s tral vacuum cleaner “with outlets through- the residence, and the Fine Arts Committee daughter, Beth, recalls games of hide and out the house, and its mechanism in the was established to “provide long-term en- seek with the chefs and security staff. There’s basement . . . intended to ease the task of cleaning and free the staff for other house- hold matters,” according to The Governor’s Table: a Treasury of History and Hospitality at the Minnesota Governor’s Residence. The book project was spearheaded by Gretchen Quie, wife of Al Quie, Minnesota’s 35th governor. Here, Irvine and his wife, Clotilde, raised four children and entertained elite friends such as the Pillsburys, Kelloggs, Bells, and Ordways. More than 50 years later, the house would become the official Minnesota Governor’s Residence. In 1965, a year after the death of Clotilde Hills Irvine, (Horace had died in 1947), the surviving Irvine daughters gave the home at 1006 Summit Avenue to the state of Minne- sota. The Legislature debated whether an aging home in disrepair was a wise investment of taxpayer dollars. Florence Rolvaag, wife of sitting Gov. Karl Rolvaag, told reporters, “One of the problems of being governor in Minnesota is that we’ve never had an official place for dignitaries to stay. We’ve had to accommodate The Governor’s Residence has hosted many dignitaries over the years including former Soviet Union them . . . and do our entertaining in hotels.” head Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 during Gov. Rudy Perpich’s third term.

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 13 even a tunnel from the basement of the commodation for the present and the fu- mansion to the adjacent carriage house, ture,” wrote the editors of The Governor’s Facts about the where the Irvine children are said to have Table. Governor’s Residence played. (The same carriage house would Since the Irvine’s gave their family home • In the basement are the paw prints of Gov. Karl Rolvaag’s beagle, Leo. Workmen pour- house a Vietnamese refugee family during to the state of Minnesota, seven governors ing a new slab of concrete left the prints and the Quie administration.) A secret panel is and their families have juggled public and an identifying tag, preserved under varnish, said to exist in the ornate walnut wood of the private lives in the stately Summit Avenue in Leo’s honor. dining room, according to The Governor’s mansion. What Gretchen Quie called • Mixed in the poured concrete that makes up Table. “Minnesota’s house” continues to host more the sidewalk fronting the Governor’s Resi- dence are several campaign buttons of Gov. And to many, a home just wouldn’t be a than 200 annual events and frequent public Harold LeVander, placed there by his wife, home without a pet. Many governors, in- tours. Countless events throughout the years Iantha. cluding Gov. Arne Carlson, have owned dogs, have been held there to honor Minnesotans • In 1971, Dyan LeVander, daughter of outgo- but Gov. Wendell Anderson is believed to be for their service or achievements. Susan ing Gov. Harold LeVander, tacked a horse- the only chief executive to be the proud Carlson has said living in the Governor’s shoe to her bedroom wall as a symbol of owner of a pair of goats, which were stored Residence is a privilege, and she recognizes good luck for the incoming Wendell Ander- son family. The horseshoe remains today. and bottle-fed in the third floor storage area. its place as a valued state resource. “The state • In 1974, the Governor’s Residence was added Doubling as both public building and pri- is fortunate to have such a place where Min- to the National Register of Historic Places. vate home, the Governor’s Residence “is at nesotans can feel special.” • In 1977, regularly scheduled public tours were the same time dignified and friendly, vast started at the behest of Lola Perpich . and intimate, formal and informal, a cel- — John Tschida ebration of the past and a magnificent ac-

Media Day on the Hill For the folks who work in Greater Minne- of each reporter and a question-and-answer The reporters also heard from staff mem- sota newsrooms, the Capitol can seem a session with House leadership, Speaker Phil bers from both caucus media offices and the million miles away. Each year, the House Carruthers (DFL-Brooklyn Center), Major- House Public Information Office, who de- hosts an event designed to bridge that gap. ity Leader Ted Winter (DFL-Fulda), and tailed the resources available to assist in cov- More than 30 newspaper, radio, and tele- Minority Leader Steve Sviggum (R-Kenyon). erage of Capitol events. And Chief Clerk Ed vision reporters from around the state con- “Government works best when everybody Burdick led a refresher course on the legisla- verged on the Capitol tive process. Jan. 30 for “Media To conclude the Day on the Hill.” event, reporters The agenda in- headed to the House cluded a full day of floor to cover debate events designed to on one of the most help members of the talked about bills to media gather infor- come up for a vote so mation about major far this year. (The bill issues at hand and [HF1] would repeal make valuable con- caps on education tacts to assist in cov- spending that require erage throughout the a $337 million cut session. over the next two Chief Clerk of the House Ed Burdick outlined the legislative process to out-state Minnesota news “It’s not often that reporters as part of Media Day on the Hill Jan. 30. years. See related reporters from story, page 5.) Greater Minnesota can make it to the Capi- is in the loop,” Winter told the reporters. “It is harder for those of us in outstate tol,” said Brian McClung, a reporter for Sviggum said that this legislative session areas to report on the Capitol without a KCCO-TV in Alexandria, Minn. “This is a will be different from others in recent history. hands-on chance to work with these people,” nice chance to spend some time here and to “We are not going to bring personalities McClung said. “This helps to make up for get to know more about what is happening into question and into the debate,” he said. that.” in St. Paul.” “We are going to get the people’s business Highlights of the day included lunch meet- done.” ings with lawmakers from the home district

14 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Capitol Forum series . . . State’s aging workforce presents new challenges ustomers at some Twin across the counter to hungry customers, huge of 65. If current spending habits continue, Cities fast-food burger numbers of them — in mid-career and mid- Reinhart said, both Social Security and Medi- C joints get more than just life — will need to be retrained in skills they care will go broke, leaving hundreds of thou- a side of fries with their or- could never have imagined when they first sands of the newly retired without a financial der; they also get a vision of entered the work force. safety net. the forces transforming the “That’s one of our biggest challenges, and The key to avoiding catastrophe, Reinhart face of Minnesota’s it must be done by the public sector,” said, is to invest in both technology and the workforce. Reinhart said. “It’s a very major challenge — education — primary, secondary and Increasingly, said Hazel and one that we don’t have much experience postsecondary — necessary to put the tech- H. Reinhart, the worker who with.” nology to the most productive use. takes your order isn’t a teenager but some- In addition to a burgeoning cohort of Upon completing her remarks, Reinhart one whose acne problems ended a long time older workers, Reinhart said, Minnesota is opened the floor to questions and comments. ago — perhaps even a new retiree. More- also experiencing an increase in the number Many legislators probed the implications of over, she continued, the burger itself could of minorities entering the labor force, many the demographic changes Reinhart had out- well have been assembled by machine, un- of whom are quite young. These young lined. Questions ranged from the effect an touched by human hands. people, she said, will be the ones replacing older society would have on pension poli- “It’s pretty clear to me that we’re [soon] the baby boomers as they retire. Minnesota’s cies, the housing market, and Minnesota’s going to have a pretty substantial part of our primary and secondary education system infrastructure to the increased potential for labor force over the age of 45,” Reinhart, the must be able to school them in the ways of age discrimination. president of Reinhart Consulting Services, the on-line world of work. After Reinhart’s lecture, several legislators told an audience of legislators and staffers. Of course, Reinhart said, as soon as you said her remarks had given them new per- “More of them will be better educated, but think you’ve got one problem solved, a big- spective on the problems facing policymakers the bulk of the labor force will not have ger one rears its head. In this case, she ex- on the edge of a new millennium. college degrees.” plained, it is the inevitable aging of America. “When we’re over at the Capitol, we’re deal- Reinhart’s Minneapolis-based firm pro- By the year 2010, fully one-fifth of ing with bills, we’re dealing with specifics,” said vides strategic marketing advice to business, Minnesota’s population will be over the age Senate Minority Leader Dean Johnson (R- education, and community orga- Willmar). “This gives you more nizations. She also has served as background. . . . You can make state demographer in both Min- Minnesota's labor force growth slows better policy. . . . It points out nesota and Wisconsin. She spoke 600,000 the big picture and broader in the Minnesota History Center’s themes.” 3M Auditorium on Jan. 28 at the Senate Majority Leader first in a five-part Capitol Forum Roger Moe (DFL-Erskine) 500,000 lecture series, “Discussing agreed with Johnson, and said Minnesota’s Future,” produced by that Reinhart’s insight had Minnesota Technology Inc. and provided lawmakers with a the McKnight Foundation. 400,000 wake-up call of sorts. The touchless-burger scenario, “Demographics drive Reinhart said, illustrates what may public policy, and what’s be the most overwhelming set of more predictable than demo- 300,000 social circumstances to confront graphics?” Moe asked. “Why policymakers since the Great De- are we always reacting?” pression: rapidly expanding tech- The series’ second lecture nology combined with an aging 200,000 will feature cultural anthro- workforce ill-equipped — and pologist and author Jennifer perhaps ill-suited — to adapt to James, who will offer new, high-tech means of produc- thoughts on technology and 100,000 tion. And while many workers dis- human interaction. 10970--80 10980-910990-020000-12010-2 placed by technology and corpo- Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census, Minnesota State Demographer rate downsizing may not find — F.J. Gallagher themselves handing robo-burgers Hazel H. Reinhart, owner of a Minneapolis-based consulting firm, told legislators that Minnesota’s labor force will grow much more slowly through 2020 — just one of several demographic trends that will radically alter the labor market in years to come.

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 15 New members . . . Kuisle weighs issues from urban, rural perspective Rep. William Kuisle (R-High Forest Town- To get to the House, Kuisle had to get past He wants to see steps taken to prevent crime ship) sees his Rochester-area district as a a senior legislator from his own party. That and to provide relief for overburdened local cross section of the Minnesota political person was Rep. Don Frerichs (R-Roches- police and courts. landscape. ter), a 16-year veteran and a minority caucus Where welfare reform is concerned, Kuisle District 31A includes leader. sees an opportunity for the state to make real a slice of Rochester’s Kuisle stunned Frerichs in the August 1996 changes in the wake of federal reforms that urban center, a portion primary election, and then held off a Frerichs will end many federal programs and send that can best be de- write-in campaign in November. (No DFL money to the states in the form of block scribed as suburban candidate sought the seat.) grants. Rochester, and rural Pundits were quick to attribute Kuisle’s “Anytime you talk welfare reform, you townships in Olmsted primary win to his opposition to legalized have to talk about moving people from wel- and Dodge counties. abortion and support of Minnesota Citizens fare to work,” he said. Rep. William Kuisle Accordingly, Kuisle Concerned for Life, a political group that Kuisle considers the split between urban (pronounced KWEEZ-lee) says he must con- opposes abortion. and rural interests in the Legislature to be sider issues from a broad perspective. He Kuisle said there was more to it than that. comparable to partisan divisions. must consider the effects legislation will have “My district is very unique,” he said. “Only As he begins his legislative career, Kuisle is on constituents with diverse lifestyles, such about 30 percent of the district is inside aiming to find solutions that best suit con- as rural family farmers, medical profession- Rochester city limits. A lot of people thought stituents who live in the country, the city, als living on newly developed cul-de-sacs, [Frerichs] represented Rochester and over- and everywhere in between. and hourly wage workers renting apartments looked the rest of it.” “You’ve got to be willing to look at every- in the city. Kuisle’s candidacy also created some con- thing that comes up as to how it affects the “You have to make sure you’re talking troversy because of his switch in party affili- whole district — and the whole state — not about issues that affect the whole district,” ation shortly before his run for the House. just part of it,” he said. “You have to try not Kuisle said. “Up here [at the Capitol], you Kuisle explains his jump to Republicanism to be anti-urban or anti-rural. You have to see the split between rural and urban. I’m with candor. find a balance.” talking about what’s best for both sides. I “I was on the wrong side, so I switched — Nick Healy have to come up with something that can parties,” he said with a laugh. work for my district as a whole.” More seriously, Kuisle explains that his Kuisle, 39, is a dairy farmer who works the political values have not changed and that he District 31A farm his family has owned since the 1930s. found a more comfortable fit within the 1996 population: 34,162 He got his start in politics at the local level Republican Party. Largest city: Rochester when he was elected to the High Forest Town- “I’ve always been fiscally conservative,” Counties: Dodge, Olmsted ship Board in 1987. he said. “I treat the taxpayers’ money as I Location: southeastern Minnesota Top concern: “Trying to deal with the crime in There, he served until elected to the treat my own money. I want to make sure it’s our district is going to be a top priority for the Olmsted County Board in 1990. Kuisle re- spent wisely.” community in coming years. Right now, the signed as a commissioner just days before Kuisle’s agenda centers on his support for county attorney’s office is swamped with cases, the courts are getting swamped, the probation being sworn in as a member of the House. welfare reform, his desire to protect family officers are swamped, the jail is overflowing. With all that experience in local govern- farmers, and his wish to crack down on crime. We’re experiencing, like a lot of other communities in the state, a rise in crime and the after- ment, Kuisle’s decision to seek higher office A jump in crime overall and an increase in shocks of dealing with it.” may seem to be simply a natural progression. violence among juveniles have many people —Rep. William Kuisle His story, however, is anything but typical. in the Rochester area concerned, Kuisle said.

Before an overhaul of Minnesota’s li- It's a fact! early in the 1900s or shortly after the quor laws in the mid-1980s, it was illegal to repeal of Prohibition. sell liquor to a “spendthrift, habitual drunk- liquor to spendthrifts and habitual Despite the urging of the public safety ard or improvident person.” drunkards within one year of notice by department, the 1977 Legislature left That and other “obsolete and unenforce- police, the person’s parents or employ- the archaic liquor laws on the books. able” provisions of state liquor law were ers, or anyone “annoyed or injured by The provision forbidding sales to the subject of a 1977 Department of Public the intoxication” of such a person. spendthrifts remained intact until it was Safety report recommending the repeal of A similar measure also prohibited to repealed by the 1984 Legislature. In 1985, several outdated prohibitions, according sale of liquor to anyone identified as a lawmakers completed a thorough over- to a March 24, 1977, report in the Minne- “public prostitute.” haul of state liquor laws. The 1985 legis- apolis Star. The 1977 report amounted to a plea lation wiped out archaic portions of the Specifically, state law made it illegal for to the Legislature to update the existing liquor law and increased the legal drink- anyone except a licensed pharmacist to sell liquor laws, most of which were written ing age from 19 to 21.

16 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Visiting the Minnesota State Capitol complex can be a rewarding and educational experience for everyone. There are buildings to explore and tours to take almost any time you choose to visit. And, when the Come Legislature is in session during the first part of every year, there are floor to the sessions to observe, committee meetings to attend, and legislators to meet. Capitol Remember that this is your state Capitol, and you are always welcome. Parking There are two handicapped entrances to Public metered parking is available in Lot the Capitol. One is on the north side of the Q, north of the Capitol at Cedar Street and building, just off Lot N; the other is a drop-off How to get here Sherburne Avenue; Lot D, next to the State entrance under the south portico at the front Location Office Building off Rice Street on Aurora of the building. The Capitol complex is north of I-94, just Avenue; Lot K, across from the Armory on Since parking is limited during legislative minutes from downtown St. Paul. It is acces- Cedar Street (enter from 12th Street); and on sessions, busing may be easier. Freeway ex- sible from the east and west on I-94, and from the orange level of the Centennial Office press bus service also is available. Bus num- the north and south on I-35E. Building Ramp at Cedar Street and Constitu- ber 94B takes you to the Capitol and the State I-94 eastbound: Exit at Marion Street. tion Avenue. All-day parking is available in Office Building. Call the Transit Information Turn left. Go to Aurora Avenue and turn Lot Q and in the Centennial Office Building Center at (612) 349-7000 for other schedule right. Go one block, cross Rice Street, and Ramp. Capitol Security personnel will issue and route information. enter Parking Lot D. tickets for expired parking. I-94 westbound: Exit at Marion Street. Outdoor handicapped parking is available What to do Turn right. Go to Aurora Avenue and turn in Lot N, which is directly behind the Capitol; right. Go one block, cross Rice Street, and in Lot D, which is off Rice Street on Aurora Tours enter Parking Lot D. Avenue; and in Lot F, which is directly be- Tours of the Capitol are offered through I-35E northbound: Exit at Kellogg Boule- hind the Transportation Building. the Capitol Historic Site Program of the vard. Turn left. Go to John Ireland Boulevard Indoor handicapped parking is available Minnesota Historical Society. and turn right. Metered parking spaces line on the lower level of the State Office Building Tour guides lead the 45-minute tours on both sides of the boulevard. Ramp (use the call box at the ramp entrance the hour Mondays through Fridays between I-35E southbound: Exit at University Av- to gain entry); on the blue level of the Centen- 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. (last tour leaves at 4 p.m.); enue. Turn right. Go to Rice Street and turn nial Office Building Ramp; and on the entry Saturdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (last left. Go one block and turn left to enter level of the Administration Building Ramp tour leaves at 3 p.m.); and Sundays between Parking Lot D. (two stalls). 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. (last tour leaves at 3 p.m.). The tours are free of charge and begin at the Capitol’s information desk at the end of the corridor to the right of the main entrance. Valley St. Brochures in about 15 foreign languages also Lot V are available there. Charles Ave. Capitol Heights Rd. Tour participants may request customized tours that emphasize either the building’s art Lot Q N and architecture or state government. Also, Sherburne Ave. Capitol Blvd. tours can be customized for senior citizens or grade school students. Admin. LEGEND Ford Bldg. The society offers “Voice of the People: Bldg. = public Cedar St. Rice St. University Ave. Ramp parking Your Role in Minnesota Government,” a half- Marion St. ➞ Lot N day educational session for students in grades

Capitol Judicial 7-12. Lot D Ctr. Historical society officials ask that groups Aurora Ave. Aurora Ave.

State Constitution Ave. of 10 or more call at least two weeks in Ramp Office advance to reserve a tour time. Fuller Ave.➞ Bldg. Cedar St. For a recorded message regarding tours Cons Ave. Cent. Lot F titution CentennialRamp and events, call (612) 297-3521.

Bldg. For more information about the tours or Transportation Veterans Service Bldg. Lot K to reserve a time, call the Capitol Historic Site Program, (612) 296-2881. John Ireland Blvd. 12th Street Legislators Representatives and senators are busy but I-94 look forward to meeting with their constitu-

Center MN. History

➞ ents. You should contact your legislator’s Marion St. Concordia office to set up an appointment. exit Ave. Kellogg Blvd.

House Public Information Office • 175 State Office Building • 100 Constitution Ave. • St. Paul, MN 55155 • (612) 296-2146 Legislative sessions and are available to the audience on a first- Members of the House of Representatives come, first-served basis. and the Senate debate bills when the Legisla- Major proposals on issues often have sev- Where to find ture is in session. eral public hearings so committee members information At the beginning of a legislative session, the may listen to all arguments for and against a pace of floor sessions is generally slow as new bill. House Public Information Office bills are assigned to committees and non- Each committee has a chair, vice chair, 175 State Office Building controversial items are discussed. At about administrator, and legislative assistant. A list (612) 296-2146 or 1-800-657-3550 the session’s midpoint, however, the legisla- of committees and members is available in This nonpartisan office provides: committee meeting schedules, legislator infor- tive pace quickens. the House Public Information Office in Room mation; and publications, including the The House meets at 2:30 p.m. Mondays 175 of the State Office Building or the Senate Session Weekly newsmagazine, educational and Thursdays, and the Senate meets at 10 Information Office in Room 231 of the State brochures for all ages, and member direc- a.m. Mondays and at 8 a.m. Thursdays dur- Capitol. tories. All information is available at no ing the first few weeks. House floor sessions Groups and individuals wishing to testify charge. are scheduled for the afternoon because com- before a committee should call the appropri- Most of what this office publishes can be mittees meet in the morning and early after- ate committee’s legislative assistant well in viewed on the Legislature’s World Wide noon. As the session nears the end, however, advance of the meeting and ask to be placed Web page. To connect, point your web both bodies may meet several times a day, on the agenda. Committees prefer requests browser at: http://www.leg.state.mn.us often into the night. one week in advance but will accept later House Television Services All House and Senate floor sessions are notification when unexpected issues appear 216C State Capitol (612) 297-1338 open to the public. Visitors interested in ob- on the committee schedule. A brochure con- This office is responsible for live cover- serving these sessions may call the House taining tips on testifying at legislative com- age of House floor sessions and some com- Chief Clerk’s Office, (612) 296-2314, or Sen- mittee hearings is available from the House mittee hearings. Since 1996, such cover- ate Information, (612) 296-0504, with ques- Public Information Office. age has been aired in the Twin Cities area tions. Spectators may sit in the galleries of on KTCI-TV, Channel 17. Beginning in either chamber. Dining mid-March 1997, the House will broad- All buildings in the Capitol complex have cast via satellite statewide. Outstate resi- Committee meetings their own cafeterias. The Capitol and State dents should check with local cable opera- Visitors wanting to attend a committee Office Building cafeterias are in the base- tors for time and channel information or meeting may call the committee hotlines for ment. The Transportation and Centennial the office’s Web site at: http:// prerecorded messages with the meeting times buildings’ cafeterias are on the ground floor www.house.leg.state.mn.us/htv/htv.ssi and agendas for each day: House, (612) 296- of each building. The Veterans Service Build- All televised floor sessions and commit- 9283; Senate, (612) 296-8088. Printed agen- ing cafeteria is on the fifth floor, and the tee hearings are close-captioned for people with hearing impairments. das for the week also appear in each issue of Capitol Square Building’s dining area is on the Session Weekly and the Senate Briefly. the lower level. The Capitol also has a snack Chief Clerk’s Office Anyone with e-mail can receive both House bar on the second floor (where the House and 211 State Capitol (612) 296-2314 and Senate committee schedules. Senate chambers are located) during the ses- This office provides copies of bills at no To receive the House schedule, send a mes- sion. The Café Minnesota is on the first level charge, all agendas for House sessions, and sage to: of the Minnesota History Center. All cafete- the Journal of the House. [email protected] rias serve breakfast and lunch. House Index Department Leave the subject line blank, and in the body Group visits 211 State Capitol (612) 296-6646 of the message, enter: The House Index Department, a part of subscribe h-schedules Sometimes groups plan a “legislative day” at the Capitol to express a particular view- the Chief Clerk’s Office, has a computer- To receive the Senate schedule, send a mes- ized index available for public use. House point to legislators. sage to: Index lists bills by committee, topic, au- [email protected] Rooms for special conferences or speakers thor, file number, and other categories. Leave the subject line blank, and in the body can be reserved by calling Betty Langenberger, The office can also give you the current of the message, enter: (612) 296-5974, room scheduler for the State status of legislation. Office Building; or Marilyn Hall, (612) 296- subscribe sen-schedules Senate Information Office Committee meetings are open to the pub- 0866, room scheduler for the Capitol. If group members want to meet with their 231 State Capitol (612) 296-0504 lic. When a public hearing is scheduled the This office is responsible for all informa- committee may listen to comments from the individual legislators or testify before a committee (see “Committee meetings”), arrange- tion about the Senate, including the com- audience (when time permits) in addition to mittee schedule, bill status, legislator infor- ments should be made at least a week in the scheduled speakers. Committees have dif- mation, and the distribution of bill copies. ferent policies on hearing testimony, depend- advance. ing upon their size and workload. Some com- Often such groups have members wear a Senate Media Services mittees hear general testimony at the sub- distinctive name tag or badge to indicate B-44 State Capitol (612) 296-0264 This bipartisan office produces televi- committee level, while others allow general their concern about a particular issue. Groups planning a trip to the Capitol sion programs, multi-media production, testimony during meetings of the full com- scriptwriting, photography and graphics. mittee. Informational handouts that com- should remember that seating is fairly limited in some committee rooms — particu- It offers live coverage of the Senate floor mittee members receive during meetings or sessions and some committee hearings. hearings are considered public information larly when the topic is controversial.

18 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 New members . . . Chaudhary plows new ground in election to House Rep. Satveer Chaudhary (DFL-Fridley) and political savvy from her,” he said. “Both he was just two weeks out of law school. He displayed both a sense of history and a sense of my parents taught us to never forget how ran in a July 1995 special election primary of humor when commenting on his election we began.” for the District 52A legislative seat, a Minne- to the Minnesota Legislature. “When was Though only 27 years old, Chaudhary al- apolis suburban area that includes parts of the last time a tall, ready has a decade of political involvement Fridley and New Brighton and all of Colum- skinny, left-handed, under his belt. “I’ve been pretty much a bia Heights and Hilltop. Chaudhary lost that balding, Gemini was political animal since high school. My senior race, but came back to defeat the winner, elected in Minnesota?” government teacher at Columbia Heights Republican Skip Carlson, in 1996. he asked. The answer: [Jack Gause] got us involved. The first cam- “The district really needed a strong repre- “Hubert Humphrey.” paign I ever worked on was for Rep. Alice sentative for working families,” Chaudhary Satveer Chaudhary Johnson (DFL-Spring Lake Park) in 1986,” said. “On top of the district’s agenda are (pronounced SUT-veer Chaudhary said. “It was a great honor to co- education, crime, taxes, welfare reform, and Rep. CHAW-dree) has made sponsor [legislation] HF1 with her 10 years affordable health care. We’re an inner ring Satveer Chaudhary history in another way later.” suburban area and are facing a lot of pres- as well. He is the first Asian Indian elected to Chaudhary has been involved in DFL poli- sures.” public office in Minnesota, and only the tics ever since. As an undergraduate, he was Chaudhary is especially interested in edu- fourth person of Asian Indian heritage to in the student senate at St. Olaf College and cation and economic development. “With- hold public office nationwide. His election lobbied for the state student coalition. He out education you have higher crime and was covered by the U.S. Indian press and by also worked for Attorney General Skip without economic development you have a a prominent Indian news magazine. Humphrey’s office doing outreach. “After weak tax base,” he said. “It is a source of pride to the Asian com- college, I worked for Sen. (Ted) Kennedy in The other constituency Chaudhary ex- munity and I’m happy to be part of that,” Washington, D.C. for a few months,” pects to hear from is Minnesota’s Asian com- Chaudhary said. “It is especially good for the Chaudhary said. “That was a tremendous munity. “I’ve already had some contacts from children to see that they can be proud of their experience.” the Hmong community,” he said. “I hope heritage.” In 1992, Chaudhary took a year off from other Asian groups will bring me their con- Chaudhary’s parents immigrated from academics to work on the Tom Harkin presi- cerns as well.” India in 1966. His father, S.P.S. Chaudhary, dential campaign and Gerry Sikorski’s last is a retired inspector with the U.S. Depart- 6th District congressional race. Both candi- — Steve Compton ment of Agriculture. The story of how he got dates lost, but “that experience provided that job became a frequently told story in the some important political lessons,” Chaudhary family. “My dad was a Ph.D. Chaudhary said. student at the University of Minnesota and, “During law school, I became more in- District 52A being a new immigrant, was having a hard volved with my own community,” he said. “I 1996 population: 33,290 time finding a job,” Chaudhary said. “He started speaking to Columbia Heights [High Largest city: Fridley decided to utilize the American system and School] social studies classes about the im- Counties: Anoka, Ramsey write to his U.S. senator. Hubert Humphrey portance of being involved with government. Location: northwestern metro area Top concern: “On top of the district’s agenda are called him back and said that there was no I also joined the Columbia Heights Lions education, crime, taxes, welfare reform, and afford- reason why my dad, if he was a qualified Club and the Fridley Kiwanis, and became a able health care. We’re an inner ring suburban area veterinarian, shouldn’t work for the USDA.” member of the Fridley Human Resources and are facing a lot of pressures.” —Rep. Satveer Chaudhary Chaudhary’s mother, Raj, owns an im- Commission.” port firm. “I definitely get my business sense Chaudhary’s first run for office came when

arrests for violent and other serious crimes. 1995. Less serious crimes accounted for In the seven-county metropolitan area, 179,782 of the arrests and apprehensions NOTES that population, numbered at 470,760 in in 1995. 1995, is expected to grow to 552,210 by • While males accounted for 74 percent of Staff of the Criminal Justice Center at 2005, after which it will begin to decline. arrests and apprehensions for the most Minnesota Planning presented a host of 1995 In the other 80 counties, that population, serious crimes, females showed the great- statistics to the House Judiciary Committee numbered at 323,680 in 1995, will peak at est increase: 36 percent since 1985. Jan. 27: 489,040 in 2000, then begin to decline. • Nationwide, juvenile arrests for violent • Individuals aged 10 to 24 years old com- • The number of arrests and apprehensions crime increased 107 percent in the 10 prised 21 percent of the state’s popula- for all crimes — serious and minor — years leading to 1995; adult arrests rose by tion, but accounted for 69 percent of all rose from 144,211 in 1985 to 231,049 in 81 percent. Those numbers are similar to Minnesota’s.

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 19 In the Hopper . . . Jan. 24 - 30, 1997

HF160-HF342

Monday, Jan. 27 HF170—McCollum (DFL) HF182—Greiling (DFL) Governmental Operations Governmental Operations HF160—Winter (DFL) Independent School District No. 625, St. Paul, Legislative coordinating commission assigned Education retirement plan coverage exclusion election au- responsibility for review of legislative rules. Independent School District No. 175, Westbrook, thorized for certain trades personnel. HF183—McCollum (DFL) high school student entrepreneurship pilot pro- HF171—Bakk (DFL) Education gram established, and money appropriated. Environment & Natural Resources School site decision-making options and HF161—Jennings (DFL) Deer; youth resident deer hunting license estab- intradistrict enrollment options provided, and Health & Human Services lished. charter school provisions modified. Welfare reform; Minnesota Family Investment HF172—Paulsen (R) HF184—Bishop (R) Plan implemented. General Legislation, Veterans Affairs Judiciary HF162—Tunheim (DFL) & Elections Harassment victim civil cause of action provided. Agriculture Term limits imposed on legislative and executive HF185—Sykora (R) Seed potato inspection fund appropriated money. offices and constitutional amendment proposed. Health & Human Services HF163—Skoglund (DFL) HF173—Mahon (DFL) Child welfare and childrens’ mental health col- Judiciary Taxes laborative provisions modified, privatization of Criminal gang council and strike force estab- Aspirin substitute sales and use tax exemption adoption services for children under state guard- lished, grants authorized, and money appropri- provided. ianship provided, pilot projects established, and ated. money appropriated. HF174—Jaros (DFL) HF164—Bakk (DFL) Governmental Operations HF186—Paulsen (R) Environment & Natural Resources Finance Duluth teachers retirement fund association Judiciary Snowmobile trail grants-in-aid provided, and members provided interim military service credit Plea bargaining prohibited when defendant is money appropriated. purchase. charged with committing a dangerous felony with a firearm, and defendant testimony provisions HF165—Rest (DFL) HF175—Finseth (R) modified. Taxes Environment & Natural Resources HF187—Swenson, D. (R) Property tax market value limitation formula Erosion control and water management cost- Judiciary modified and program duration extended. sharing contract approved practices modified related to windbreaks and shelterbelts. Sentencing guidelines commission mitigating HF166—Hasskamp (DFL) sentencing departure restrictions provided. Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs HF176—Vickerman (R) Judiciary HF188—Long (DFL) Tobacco retail license establishment required by Governmental Operations local units of government, vendor compliance Distressed food donor injury liability limited. checks provided, and mandatory penalties pro- Coya Knutson memorials designed and HF177—Tunheim (DFL) vided for sales to minors. constructed, and money appropriated. General Legislation, Veterans Affairs HF167—Bakk (DFL) & Elections HF189—Pugh (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Multiple party voting allowed in state primary Judiciary Deer hunting license surcharge established to elections. DWI; repeat DWI offenders provided felony pen- fund emergency deer feeding activities, and money alties, prior offense definition provisions modi- HF178—Finseth (R) appropriated. fied, and sentencing guidelines commission crimi- Environment & Natural Resources nal history point weighting provisions modified. HF168—Tunheim (DFL) RIM; Reinvest in Minnesota resources act wind- General Legislation, Veterans Affairs break definition modified. HF190—Hasskamp (DFL) & Elections Environment & Natural Resources HF179—Bishop (R) Mail balloting in certain elections expanded to Crow Wing county tax-forfeited land sale Transportation & Transit include additional cities and towns. authorized. Health care directive designation provided on HF169—Mulder (R) drivers’ licenses and identification cards. HF191—Pugh (DFL) Judiciary Judiciary HF180—Goodno (R) DWI; maximum allowable blood alcohol level DWI; criminal penalties enhanced for repeat DWI Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs lowered for operation of motor vehicles, snow- offenses involving commercial vehicles, commer- mobiles, all-terrain vehicles, off-highway motor- Moorhead liquor license issuance authorized. cial vehicle definition modified, and technical cycles, motorboats, and while hunting or han- corrections provided. HF181—Greiling (DFL) dling explosives. General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & Elections Mail balloting requirement provided for certain elections.

20 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 HF192—Sviggum (R) HF204—Knoblach (R) HF217—Opatz (DFL) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs Health & Human Services Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs & Elections Abortion informed consent required and civil Land use mandatory comprehensive planning Legislator resignation required upon filing for or cause of action provided. provided, capital improvement program estab- appointment to another office, and constitutional lished, and money appropriated. amendment proposed. HF205—Paymar (DFL) Judiciary HF218—Mullery (DFL) HF193—Murphy (DFL) Pistol illegal possession criminal penalties Judiciary Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs increased. Vendor or consenting owner mechanic lien ser- Municipal off-sale intoxicating liquor sale time vice notice effect clarification provided. of day restrictions modified. HF206—Paymar (DFL) Judiciary HF219—Hasskamp (DFL) HF194—Bishop (R) Firearm unlawful possession mandatory mini- Labor-Management Relations Judiciary mum sentence increased. Civil air patrol members provided unpaid leaves Adult corrections facility occupancy standards of absence from employers. altered. HF207—Paymar (DFL) Judiciary HF220—Mullery (DFL) HF195—Bishop (R) Explosive materials required to contain identifi- Judiciary Judiciary cation and detection taggants, and criminal pen- Religious corporation property conveyances vali- Crime victim impact statement defendant rebut- alty imposed. dated, real property disposition notices required tal provisions clarified, crime victim and witness pending marriage dissolution, and uniform pro- advisory council duration extended, victims pro- HF208—Swenson, D. (R) bate code property distribution regulation provided notification of defendant appeal, and money Judiciary vided. appropriated. Vehicle license plate impoundment criteria expanded. HF221—Rhodes (R) HF196—Bishop (R) Transportation & Transit Judiciary HF209—Vickerman (R) Seat belt use required for all persons between ages Crime victim reparation provisions expanded, Health & Human Services three and 15, and primary offense designation and peace officer records of children release Human services child placement heritage or back- provided for failure to use seat belts. authorized. ground provisions modified. HF222—Milbert (DFL) HF197—Leppik (R) HF210—Daggett (R) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs Governmental Operations Taxes & Elections Administrative procedure act rulemaking proce- Long-term health care insurance premium in- Lobbyist registration requirements, conflicts of dures modified. come tax credit provided. interest, and campaign finance provisions clarified, and invalid provisions eliminated. HF198—Hasskamp (DFL) HF211—Sviggum (R) Education Education HF223—Mulder (R) K-12 education appropriation caps repealed, Telephone extended area service installation au- Judiciary school district revenue formula modified, and thorized within combined school districts. Marriage dissolution decrees to include debt and money appropriated. real property transfer notices. HF212—McCollum (DFL) HF199—McCollum (DFL) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs HF224—Commers (R) Education & Elections Judiciary K-12 education appropriation caps repealed, Ramsey county soil and water conservation dis- Peace officers authorized to stop vehicles bearing school district revenue formula modified, and trict supervisor election requirements modified. special series license plates. money appropriated. HF213—Greiling (DFL) HF225—Broecker (R) HF200—Wenzel (DFL) Rules & Legislative Administration Judiciary Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Legislator per diem payments eliminated and Peace officers authorized to arrest persons within Emergency snow removal funding provided, and salary recommendations required. four hours of a violation for failure to yield to an money appropriated. emergency vehicle. HF214—Paulsen (R) HF201—Swenson, D. (R) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs HF226—Macklin (R) Judiciary & Elections Judiciary DWI; criminal penalty provided for operators of Initiative and referendum provided and consti- Vehicle theft notification responsibility snowmobiles, all-terrain vehicles, and motorboats tutional amendment proposed. transferred. who refuse an alcohol test. HF215—Swenson, D. (R) HF227—Goodno (R) HF202—Knoblach (R) Regulated Industries & Energy Judiciary Health & Human Services State lottery advertising practices restricted and Human rights department investigative data re- Partial-birth abortions prohibited and criminal gross revenue use for advertising reduced. classification provided. penalties provided. HF216—Mariani (DFL) HF228—Davids (R) HF203—Knoblach (R) Labor-Management Relations Transportation & Transit Health & Human Services Employment contract provisions modified. Laura Ingalls Wilder Historic Highway extended. Abortion; constitutional standard established re- lating to abortion, and constitutional amendment proposed.

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 21 HF229—Weaver (R) HF241—Mullery (DFL) HF252—Skoglund (DFL) Judiciary Transportation & Transit Judiciary DWI; repeat DWI offender violations provided Motor carrier audits conducted jointly by public Juvenile court open hearings and records pro- enhanced gross misdemeanor penalty. safety and transportation departments, commer- vided in certain cases. cial vehicle traffic accident information provi- HF230—Erhardt (R) sions modified, and federal motor carrier safety HF253—Skoglund (DFL) Taxes regulation conformity provided. Judiciary Senior citizens’ property tax deferral program Juvenile court open hearings and records pro- adopted, and money appropriated. HF242—Juhnke (DFL) vided in certain cases involving children in need Transportation & Transit of protection and delinquency. HF231—Swenson, D. (R) Recreational equipment registration and taxa- Judiciary tion provisions modified related to slip in pickup HF254—Skoglund (DFL) DWI; maximum allowable blood alcohol level truck campers, and vehicle registration informa- Judiciary lowered for operation of motor vehicles, criminal tion access restricted, vehicle dealer purchase Juvenile court open hearings and records pro- vehicular homicide crime scope expanded, prior receipt requirements modified. vided in certain cases involving children in need DWI offense definition modified, and technical of protection. corrections provided. HF243—Juhnke (DFL) Transportation & Transit HF255—Johnson, R. (DFL) HF232—Finseth (R) Truck tractor wheel flaps required, unsafe fire- Environment & Natural Resources Environment & Natural Resources wood hauling citation issuance authorized, ve- Environmental Quality Board membership Soil and water conservation district supervisors hicle axle weight restrictions regulated, truck modified. provided four-year terms of office. weight enforcement provisions modified, and technical changes provided. HF256—Slawik (DFL) HF233—Mulder (R) Governmental Operations Health & Human Services HF244—Bishop (R) State department earnings report submission, Partial-birth abortions prohibited, and criminal Environment & Natural Resources cash flow resources advancement, and litigation penalties provided. Individual sewage system requirements modi- and settlement money use provisions modified, fied, and Pollution Control Agency rule compli- and rulemaking exemptions renewed. HF234—Macklin (R) ance authority granted. Judiciary HF257—Dorn (DFL) Local jail booking fees and collection procedures HF245—Dawkins (DFL) Health & Human Services established. Economic Development & International Trade Ambulance service licensing requirements estab- Community rehabilitation program nonprofit lished, emergency medical services statutory pro- HF235—Koppendrayer (R) organization participation allowed, and money visions relocated, and money appropriated. Education appropriated. Standard statewide education testing provided, HF258—Kubly (DFL) and money appropriated. HF246—Dawkins (DFL) Taxes Judiciary Used farm machinery sales tax exemption ex- HF236—Pawlenty (R) Public nuisance definition expanded, and nui- tended permanently. Judiciary sance civil action participation and cost recovery Tear gas compounds and electronic incapacita- provisions modified. HF259—Slawik (DFL) tion devices categorized as dangerous weapons. Health & Human Services HF247—Daggett (R) Community and statewide immunization regis- HF237—Sviggum (R) Health & Human Services try creation authorized and penalties provided. Environment & Natural Resources Assisted living facilities financing provided Hunter, trapper, and angler harassment prohibi- through bond issuance. HF260—Delmont (DFL) tion provisions modified. Health & Human Services HF248—Trimble (DFL) School immunization and health record provi- HF238—Leppik (R) Economic Development & International Trade sions modified. Taxes Refugee citizenship and employment training Third-party income tax bulk filer registration provided, and money appropriated. HF261—Farrell (DFL) required, and civil penalty provided. Judiciary HF249—Paulsen (R) Motor vehicle crime statutory elements and de- HF239—Tuma (R) Education fense provisions modified. Education Statewide uniform educational testing provided, Independent School District No. 721, New Prague, and money appropriated. HF262—Daggett (R) permitted to begin school year prior to Labor Judiciary Day. HF250—Entenza (DFL) Law enforcement agencies authorized to sell for- Judiciary feited firearms, ammunition, and accessories to Thursday, Jan. 30 DWI; maximum allowable blood alcohol level eligible persons. lowered to 0.08 for adults and 0.04 for minors for operation of motor vehicles, snowmobiles, all- HF263—Abrams (R) HF240—Hausman (DFL) terrain vehicles and while hunting. Education Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Independent School District No. 284, Wayzata, Metropolitan area transit and paratransit capital HF251—Seagren (R) permitted to begin school year prior to Labor expenditure financing provided, employer discount Regulated Industries & Energy Day. bus pass sale requirements modified, regional tran- State lottery advertising practices restricted and sit subsidy alternative demonstration program au- gross revenue use for advertising reduced. thorized, and obsolete language deleted.

22 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 HF264—Milbert (DFL) HF277—Mulder (R) modified, permanent child placement family fos- Environment & Natural Resources Health & Human Services ter care reimbursement provisions modified, and Personal watercraft operation requirements Welfare reform; public assistance residency re- family general assistance time limit removed. modified. quirements modified. HF290—Hausman (DFL) HF265—Molnau (R) HF278—Mulder (R) Environment & Natural Resources Agriculture Judiciary Environmental Quality Board review program Farm crisis assistance personnel employment sta- Three strikes; mandatory life sentence imposed for modified, and rulemaking authorized. tus clarified. persons convicted of a third violent felony offense. HF291—Greenfield (DFL) HF266—Munger (DFL) HF279—Delmont (DFL) Health & Human Services Environment & Natural Resources Health & Human Services Elderly housing with services requirements modi- Water and Soil Resources Board membership MinnesotaCare provider tax rate reduced. fied, and home care provider medical assistance provisions modified. reimbursement permitted. HF280—Johnson, R. (DFL) HF267—Greiling (DFL) Education HF292—Greenfield (DFL) Health & Human Services American sign language recognized as a fully Health & Human Services Health care administration simplification act rule developed natural language. Elderly housing with services and home care pro- expiration and operating procedure provisions vider requirements modified. modified. HF281—Jennings (DFL) Regulated Industries & Energy HF293—Johnson, A. (DFL) HF268—Murphy (DFL) Gas utility service provider performance regula- Taxes Judiciary tion plans provided. Income, sales, property and MinnesotaCare tax Close custody corrections facility construction technical corrections bill. appropriation and construction bid provisions HF282—Stanek (R) modified. Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs HF294—Folliard (DFL) Metropolitan transit police officer appointment, General Legislation, Veterans Affairs HF269—Bakk (DFL) discharge, and discipline procedures provided. & Elections Environment & Natural Resources Voter change of address system established. State owned iron-bearing material and stock- HF283—Stanek (R) piled metallic minerals material ownership pro- Judiciary HF295—Ozment (R) visions modified. Fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle crime Regulated Industries & Energy penalties increased. Public Utilities Commission public utility trans- HF270—Macklin (R) action approval criteria established. Judiciary HF284—Luther (DFL) Tax return data, information and inspection re- Health & Human Services HF296—Wejcman (DFL) quirements modified, and penalties provided. Medical assistance drug formulary, home care advi- Judiciary sory, traumatic brain injury advisory, preadmission Father registry created and adoption notice and HF271—Rukavina (DFL) screening, alternative care, and home-based ser- consent provisions modified. Labor-Management Relations vices advisory committees, and American Indian Employer wage reporting requirements modified child welfare council duration extended. HF297—Jennings (DFL) related to reemployment insurance. General Legislation, Veterans Affairs HF285—Delmont (DFL) & Elections HF272—Wejcman (DFL) Regulated Industries & Energy National guard member tuition and textbook Health & Human Services Gambling device manufacturer inspection cost- reimbursement grant program provisions modi- Human services program licensure requirements funding mechanism established. fied. modified, and civil penalties imposed and modified. HF286—Wejcman (DFL) HF298—Jennings (DFL) Health & Human Services Transportation & Transit HF273—Pelowski (DFL) Day training and habilitation service vendor pay- Railroad charges to utilities for right-of-way ac- Education ment rate increase authorized for the purposes of cess disputes heard and resolved by transporta- Virtual U Minnesota established to develop life- personnel salary increases. tion commissioner. long learning opportunities, and money appropriated. HF287—Bakk (DFL) HF299—Bakk (DFL) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs Environment & Natural Resources HF274—Pelowski (DFL) & Elections State park additions and name changes provided. Judiciary Hastings, Luverne, and Silver Bay veterans homes Probate code devisee rights provided for transfers improvements provided through the use of do- HF300—Kahn (DFL) made on behalf of incapacitated principals. nated funds. Governmental Operations Police state aid provisions modified, and money HF275—Pelowski (DFL) HF288—Jaros (DFL) appropriated. Education Taxes Information technology initiatives appropriations Duluth Lake Superior center authority construc- HF301—Jennings (DFL) provided to the University of Minnesota and tion material sales tax exemption provided. Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Accountant licensure requirements modified. HF289—Johnson, R. (DFL) HF302—Greiling (DFL) HF276—Pelowski (DFL) Health & Human Services Education Environment & Natural Resources Elderly housing with services provisions modi- Learning year program approval required by State Floating structure public waters work permit is- fied, nursing facility appeal process provisions Board of Education. suance restricted. January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 23 HF303—Johnson, A. (DFL) HF316—Huntley (DFL) HF330—Luther (DFL) Education Health & Human Services Transportation & Transit School disciplinary policy evaluation and imple- MinnesotaCare provider tax rate reduced. School bus safety provided through bus moni- mentation grant program established, and money tors, seat belts and video cameras. appropriated. HF317—Huntley (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources HF331—Anderson, I. (DFL) HF304—Opatz (DFL) Municipal wastewater infrastructure eminent Ways & Means Education domain action authorized, bonds issued, and State fiscal biennium to begin in even-numbered Higher education master plan commission estab- money appropriated. years, and legislative approval required for fed- lished, and money appropriated. eral fund expenditures. HF318—Jennings (DFL) HF305—Wagenius (DFL) Health & Human Services HF332—Rukavina (DFL) Governmental Operations MinnesotaCare provider tax rate reduced. Environment & Natural Resources Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Fund Associa- Taconite mining wetland replacement require- tion retirement coverage provided for former HF319—Pelowski (DFL) ment exemption provided. part-time nursing teachers. Education Higher education institution gift income tax credit HF333—Farrell (DFL) HF306—Olson, E. (DFL) allowed. Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Taxes Peace officers killed or injured in the line of duty Rental residential property tax class rate reduced. HF320—Paymar (DFL) provided continued health insurance coverage. Taxes HF307—Koppendrayer (R) Property tax increase disclosure and vote required. HF334—Jaros (DFL) Education Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Education funding reform provided. HF321—Folliard (DFL) Duluth special assessment provisions modified. General Legislation, Veterans Affairs HF308—Koppendrayer (R) & Elections HF335—Jennings (DFL) Education Lobbyist contribution and solicitation prohibi- Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Education income tax credit and deduction pro- tion provisions clarified. Building and construction contracts, payments vided, and money appropriated. and retainages, and mechanics liens regulated. HF322—Jennings (DFL) HF309—Koppendrayer (R) Regulated Industries & Energy HF336—Ozment (R) Education Municipalities authorized to control public rights- Governmental Operations School boards authorized to contract for instruc- of-way related to utility services. Building code division transferred from the tional and noninstructional services. Department of Administration to the HF323—Anderson, I. (DFL) Department of Public Safety. HF310—Koppendrayer (R) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs Education & Elections HF337—Marko (DFL) Teachers employment contract provisions modi- Precinct caucuses eliminated. Transportation & Transit fied. Motor vehicle sales and registration tax proceeds HF324—Bishop (R) dedicated to the Minnesota transportation fund, HF311—Luther (DFL) Taxes and constitutional amendment proposed. Environment & Natural Resources Dependent care tax credit requirements modified. Angling assistance provided to disabled residents HF338—Skoglund (DFL) permitted without a license. HF325—Johnson, A. (DFL) Judiciary Environment & Natural Resources Finance Inmates barred from computer on-line service HF312—Jefferson (DFL) Fridley; Locke Lake dam construction loan can- use, and the Department of Corrections rules Labor-Management Relations celed and forgiven. required. Reemployment insurance technical and administrative modifications provided. HF326—Holsten (R) HF339—Rest (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Taxes HF313—Milbert (DFL) Hunting and fishing rights affirmed and consti- Property tax fiscal disparities determination pro- Environment & Natural Resources tutional amendment proposed. visions modified. Fish habitat and propagation provisions modified, special hunting events established for youth, HF327—Van Dellen (R) HF340—Harder (R) airboats restricted, minnow taking provisions Health & Human Services Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs modified, and money appropriated. MinnesotaCare provider tax rate reduced. Cigarette and tobacco sales taxes recodified, criminal and civil penalties provided, and money ap- HF314—Seagren (R) HF328—Seagren (R) propriated. Education Health & Human Services Education site based financing and site merit pay Individual medical savings account income tax HF341—Daggett (R) provided, and money appropriated. deduction provided. Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Liquor taxes recodified, civil and criminal penal- HF315—Seagren (R) HF329—Leighton (DFL) ties provided, and money appropriated. Education Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Charter school law provisions modified, and Uniform partnership act adopted, and money HF342—Farrell (DFL) money appropriated. appropriated. Judiciary Impounded vehicle sales authorized 15 days after impoundment notification.

24 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Coming Up Next Week . . . Feb. 3 - 7, 1997

ENVIRONMENT & TRANSPORTATION & TRANSIT Schedule is subject to change. NATURAL RESOURCES 10 State Office Building For information updates, call 5 State Office Building Chr. Rep. Jean Wagenius House Calls at (612) 296-9283. Chr. Rep. Willard Munger Agenda: Budget overviews from the All meetings are open to the public. Agenda: Chemical contaminants: Pesticides Department of Public Safety and the and other contaminants, human health, and Metropolitan Council. Sign language interpreter services: the potential impact of genetically-engineered (612) 282-2331 v/tty crops, Vincent Garry, Environmental Medicine 2:30 p.m. To have the daily and weekly schedules & Pathology, University of Minnesota, and Donald Alstad, Department of Ecology, The House meets in session. delivered to your e-mail address, send a Evolution & Behavior, University of Minnesota. message to: 7:30 p.m. [email protected] Health & Human Services Finance Division/ Higher Education In the body of the message type: HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Finance Division/EDUCATION 10 State Office Building subscribe h-schedules Ballroom B, Kirby Student Center, Chr. Rep. Lee Greenfield University of Minnesota-Duluth Agenda: Presentation of the governor’s 1998- Chr. Rep. Gene Pelowski 1999 proposed budget for programs Agenda: Higher education issues and concerns: MONDAY, Feb. 3 administered by the Department of Human testimony from students, community Services members, faculty and staff. 8 a.m. JUDICIARY Basement Hearing Room TUESDAY, Feb. 4 Economic Development State Office Building Finance Division/ Chr. Rep. Wes Skoglund ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & Agenda: Overview of agencies within the 8 a.m. INTERNATIONAL TRADE oversight of the committee. Tour Higher Education Department of Economic Security State Government Finance Division/ Finance Division/EDUCATION 390 N. Robert Street, GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS Tour St. Paul, Minnesota 400S State Office Building Chr. Rep. Gene Pelowski Chr. Rep. Steve Trimble Chr. Rep. Tom Rukavina Agenda: Tours: University of Agenda: Tour and site briefing of the Agenda: Performance review and budget Minnesota, Duluth; Natural Resources Department of Economic Security. overview and review: Department of Finance. Research Institute; Lake Superior College, Duluth; and Fond du Lac Tribal and K-12 Education Finance Division/ 12:15 p.m. Community College, Cloquet. EDUCATION 5 State Office Building LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS Judiciary Finance Division/ Chr. Rep. Becky Kelso Tour JUDICIARY Agenda: Overview of Governor Carlson’s Chr. Rep. Richard Jefferson 500N State Office Building K-12 budget recommendations: General Agenda:Tour and site briefing of the Chr. Rep. Mary Murphy Education Program, Tom Melcher, Department of Economic Security. (Depart Agenda: How were past appropriations spent?: Department of Children, Families, and from south entrance of the State Office Juvenile bonding reports from each judicial Learning. Building.) district; correction officer positions allocated in 1994; Violence Prevention Education Grants; 8:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m. Auto Theft Prevention Board; African American Violence Prevention Program; DWI; ENVIRONMENT & Family & Early Childhood Education Finance Public Safety Aid to Minneapolis; Anti- NATURAL RESOURCES FINANCE Division/EDUCATION Violence Campaign; and School of Law Basement Hearing Room 5 State Office Building Enforcement. Brief Overviews of new initiatives State Office Building Chr. Rep. Tony Kinkel that need funding by the committee: Non- Chr. Rep. Tom Osthoff Agenda: Governor’s budget recommendations, committee legislators with bills or ideas: Rep. Agenda: Presentations from Minnesota/ the Department of Finance and the Department Matt Entenza, Rep. Richard Jefferson. Agencies: Wisconsin Boundary Area Commission; and of Children, Families, and Learning. Sentencing Guidelines Commission; Voyager National Park Citizens Council. Department of Human Rights; Uniform Laws GENERAL LEGISLATION, VETERANS Commission; Ombudsman for Corrections; 10 a.m. AFFAIRS & ELECTIONS Department of Corrections; and Public Defense 300N State Office Building Board. Other Agencies: Olmsted County, AGRICULTURE Chr. Rep. Bob Milbert Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault; 200 State Office Building Agenda: HF74 (Osthoff) Absentee ballot voting and Hennepin County Attorney’s Office. Chr. Rep. Stephen Wenzel provisions modified. Public. Agenda: Overview of the Department of HF294 (Folliard) Change of address voter Agriculture and its initiatives, Commissioner registration. Subcommittee on Quality Initiatives/ Gene Hugoson. Continuation of Jan. 27 agenda HF127 (Folliard) State election law modified EDUCATION (presentations and introductions of major and clarified related to voter requirements and 10 State Office Building Minnesota agricultural organizations and their election procedure. Chr. Rep. Matt Entenza representatives). Agenda: HF129 (Opatz) School accountability initiatives.

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 25 Continuation of Jan. 30 agenda, statewide LOCAL GOVERNMENT & K-12 Education Finance Division/ testing. Public testimony. METROPOLITAN AFFAIRS EDUCATION 10 State Office Building 5 State Office Building Transportation & Transit Chr. Rep. Ann H. Rest Chr. Rep. Becky Kelso Finance Division/ Agenda: To be announced. Agenda: “An Analysis of Changes in School TRANSPORTATION & TRANSIT Funding in Minnesota Over the Past 20 Years,” 500S State Office Building REGULATED INDUSTRIES & ENERGY John Myers, Augenblick & Myers, Inc. Chr. Rep. Bernie Lieder 5 State Office Building Agenda: Budget overview by the Department Chr. Rep. Loren Jennings Property Tax & Tax Increment Finance (TIF) of Public Safety, Kathy Burke Moore, Director Agenda: Overview, Vic Dobras, Sprint. Division/TAXES of Driver and Vehicle Services; and Colonel HFXXXX (Jennings) Utility right of way 200 State Office Building Mike Chabries, Chief of State Patrol. (discussion continued). Chr. Rep. Edgar Olson Presentations from Public Utilities Agenda: Overview of assessment process/sales 8:30 a.m. Commission, Burl Haar, Executive Director; ratio. City of Redwood Falls, Jeffrey Weldon, City ENVIRONMENT & Administrator; City of St. Paul, John Maczko; 8:30 a.m. NATURAL RESOURCES FINANCE Minnesota Telephone Association, Jerry Basement Hearing Room Knickerbocker, Director. ENVIRONMENT & State Office Building NATURAL RESOURCES FINANCE Chr. Rep. Tom Osthoff 1:45 p.m Basement Hearing Room Agenda: Presentations by Science Museum of State Office Building Minnesota and Minnesota Academy of Science. Joint Chr. Rep. Tom Osthoff COMMERCE, TOURISM & Agenda: Presentations from Board of Animal Sales and Income Tax Division/TAXES CONSUMER AFFAIRS/ Health and Agriculture Utilization Research 300S State Office Building Senate COMMERCE Institute. Chr. Rep. Alice Johnson Tour Agenda: Continuation of the discussion of the Chrs. Rep. Jim Tunheim, Sen. Sam Solon 10 a.m. Department of Revenue’s technical bill. Agenda: Tour and site briefing of Minneapolis Convention Center. (Buses leaving at 1:45 ENVIRONMENT & 10 a.m. p.m..) NATURAL RESOURCES 5 State Office Building GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS 4:15 p.m. Chr. Rep. Willard Munger Basement Hearing Room Agenda: Forestry Practices: Biodiversity and State Office Building ENVIRONMENT & landscape level coordination, Jim Erkel, The Chr. Rep. Phyllis Kahn NATURAL RESOURCES Nature Conservancy; David Tilman, Agenda: Continued presentation by the 5 State Office Building Department of Ecology, Evolution and Legislative Commission on Pensions and Chr. Rep. Willard Munger Behavior, University of Minnesota; and Kim Retirement. Agenda: HF167 (Bakk) Emergency deer Chapman, The Nature Conservancy. feeding. Joint FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS & HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES/ 7 p.m. INSURANCE Senate 200 State Office Building HEALTH & FAMILY SECURITY Family & Early Childhood Education Finance Chr. Rep. Irv Anderson 15 State Capitol Division/EDUCATION Agenda: To be announced. Chrs. Rep. John Dorn, Sen. John Hottinger Blaine City Hall Agenda: Welfare reform: focus on the disabled. Chr. Rep. Tony Kinkel Health & Human Services Public testimony. Agenda: Testimony from local citizens. (Bus Finance Division/ leaves from East side of State Office Building at HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Housing & Housing Finance Division/ 4:45 p.m.) 10 State Office Building ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & Chr. Rep. Lee Greenfield INTERNATIONAL TRADE Agenda: Continuation of Feb. 3 agenda. 500S State Office Building Chr. Rep. Karen Clark WEDNESDAY, Feb. 5 JUDICIARY Agenda: Metropolitan livable communities, Basement Hearing Room Metropolitan Council and Latimer Group. State Office Building 8 a.m. Chr. Rep. Wes Skoglund TAXES Agenda: Continuation of Feb. 3 agenda. 200 State Office Building Economic Development Chr. Rep. Dee Long Finance Division/ State Government Finance Division/ Agenda: Department of Revenue’s technical ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS bill. INTERNATIONAL TRADE 400S State Office Building 500S State Office Building Chr. Rep. Tom Rukavina 12:30 p.m. Chr. Rep. Steve Trimble Agenda: Department of Administration budget Agenda: To be announced. reviews: Minnesota Children’s Museum; State CAPITAL INVESTMENT Archeologist. 500S State Office Building Higher Education Chr. Rep. Henry Kalis Finance Division/EDUCATION 12:30 p.m. Agenda: Debt capacity forecast, Assistant Tour Commissioner Peter Sausen. Chr. Rep. Gene Pelowski Working Group on Agenda: Tours: Laurentian Community & Sliding Fee Day Care/ COMMERCE, TOURISM & Technical College, Virginia; Laurentian Family & Early Childhood Education Finance CONSUMER AFFAIRS Community & Technical College, Eveleth; Division/EDUCATION 200 State Office Building Hibbing Technical College; Hibbing 5 State Office Building Chr. Rep. Jim Tunheim Community College; and Itasca Community Chr. Rep. Tony Kinkel Agenda: Continuation of Jan. 30 agenda. College, Grand Rapids. Agenda: “De-welfarizing” daycare.

26 SESSION WEEKLY / January 31, 1997 Subcommittee on 8:30 a.m. Intergovernmental Relations Director. Transportation Operations/ TRANSPORTATION & TRANSIT EDUCATION 6 p.m. 10 State Office Building 200 State Office Building Chr. Rep. Sharon Marko Chr. Rep. Lyndon Carlson EDUCATION Agenda: Welfare reform and transportation. Agenda: HF121 (Jefferson) Youth initiative 10 State Office Building grants. Overview of University Regent election Chr. Rep. Lyndon Carlson 1 p.m. process. Agenda: HF33 (Koppendrayer) Omnibus K-12 policy and appropriations. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & ENVIRONMENT & Governor’s education initiatives. Public INTERNATIONAL TRADE NATURAL RESOURCES FINANCE testimony. 200 State Office Building Basement Hearing Room Chr. Rep. Mike Jaros State Office Building Agenda: The group “Strategies for Economic Chr. Rep. Tom Osthoff FRIDAY, Feb. 7 Growth” will present the findings of their study Agenda: HF113 (Munger) State lottery proceed which defines public policy goals for Minnesota, dedication to environment and natural Janna King and Kevin Walli. Presentation on resources trust fund duration extended, and 8 a.m. the economic status of women, Aviva Breen. constitutional amendment proposed. Tour of Minneapolis Convention Center Higher Education (transportation will be provided). 10 a.m. Finance Division/EDUCATION Tour 2:30 p.m. GOVERNMENTAL OPERATIONS Chr. Rep. Gene Pelowski Basement Hearing Room Agenda: Tour and site briefing of Metro State Subcommittee on Gaming/ State Office Building University, St. Paul Campus. REGULATED INDUSTRIES & ENERGY Chr. Rep. Phyllis Kahn 500S State Office Building Agenda: Overview of the Secretary of State’s Transportation & Transit Chr. Rep. Mike Delmont Office. Report of the Legislative Auditor on Finance Division/ Agenda: Report to the Legislature, George Statewide Systems Project. TRANSPORTATION & TRANSIT Anderson, Director, Minnesota State Lottery. 500S State Office Building HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES Chr. Rep. Bernie Lieder 3:30 p.m. 10 State Office Building Agenda: Budget of overview of Transit Chr. Rep. John Dorn Operations, Jim Solum, Executive Director, Joint Agenda: Welfare reform: focus on nonprofit Metropolitan Council; and Curt Johnson, Chair TRANSPORTATION & TRANSIT/ organizations. Public testimony. of Metropolitan Council. Senate TRANSPORTATION 112 State Capitol Housing & Housing Finance Division/ 8:30 a.m. Chrs. Rep. Jean Wagenius, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & Sen. Carol Flynn INTERNATIONAL TRADE JUDICIARY Agenda: Presentation by Walter Kulash, Traffic 500S State Office Building Tour Engineer, national expert on transit planning. Chr. Rep. Karen Clark Chr. Rep. Wes Skoglund Agenda: Governor’s budget and performance Agenda: Tour of Woodland Hills, First Witness report, Housing Finance Agency. Governor’s Child Abuse Center and other facilities and THURSDAY, Feb. 6 budget and executive order to move programs programs in Duluth. from the Department of Economic Security, Department of Children, Families, and 12 Noon 8 a.m. Learning. St. Paul House Delegation Economic Development TAXES 112 State Capitol Finance Division/ 200 State Office Building Chr. Alice Hausman ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT & Chr. Rep. Dee Long Agenda: Presentation by St. Paul Public INTERNATIONAL TRADE Agenda: Public subsidies, Art Rolnick. Schools. Wilder Schools proposal. Charter 500S State Office Building Schools in St. Paul. Chr. Rep. Steve Trimble 12:30 p.m. Agenda: To be announced. 1:30 p.m. COMMERCE, TOURISM & Judiciary Finance Division/ CONSUMER AFFAIRS Compensation Council/ JUDICIARY 200 State Office Building Legislative Coordinating Commission 500N State Office Building Chr. Rep. Jim Tunheim 5 State Office Building Chr. Rep. Mary Murphy Agenda: To be announced. Chr. Tom Swain Agenda: Continuation of Feb. 4 agenda. Agenda: Organizational matters: introduction HF100 (Wenzel) Emergency snow removal 2:30 p.m. of members; election of a chair. Review of funding provided, and money appropriated. council responsibilities. Agency head salary ranges. Salaries for constitutional officers, Sales and Income Tax Division/TAXES The House meets in session. judges and legislators. 5 State Office Building Chr. Rep. Alice Johnson Agenda: Technology presentations by Keith 3:30 p.m. or After Session. Carlson, Senate Staff; Larry Wilkie, Department of Revenue; Alan Johanningsmerir, St. Louis County Delegation Department of Revenue. 500N State Office Building Chr. Rep. Mary Murphy Agenda: Election of officers. Presentation of 1997 legislative agenda, Julie Brunner, County Administrator and John Ongaro,

January 31, 1997 / SESSION WEEKLY 27 MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE 175 STATE OFFICE BUILDING ST. PAUL, MN 55155-1298

Speaker of the House: Phil Carruthers Majority Leader: Ted Winter Minority Leader: Steven A. Sviggum

MINNESOTA For more information INDEX Minnesota State Lottery For general information, call: Cents of every lottery dollar spent that goes to the state’s general fund...... 11 House Information Office to the Environmental Trust Fund ...... 7 (612) 296-2146 or Other states dedicating a portion of lottery funds to environment and 1-800-657-3550 natural resource programs ...... 3 Total dollars appropriated from the Environmental Trust Fund To obtain a copy of a bill, call: Chief Clerk’s Office (including projects recommended for funding in 1989-1999), (612) 296-2314 in millions, 1991-1998 ...... $81.5 Instant game tickets sold on April 17, 1990, the debut of the Minnesota Lottery, To find out about bill introductions or per second ...... 62 the status of a specific bill, call: Other state’s with lotteries when Minnesota’s lottery began ...... 32 House Index Office States with lotteries, 1996 ...... 36 (612) 296-6646 Year that George Washington operated a lottery to finance road construction ...... 1768 For up-to-date recorded message Different lotteries operating in 1831 ...... 420 giving committee meeting times and Ratio of dollars raised by those lotteries compared to the 1831 federal budget ... 5:1 agendas, call: House Calls (612) 296-9283 Year the Federal Lottery Act was passed to ban these largely private lotteries... 1890 Percent of net lottery profits dedicated to the state’s general fund when the lottery was instituted in 1990 ...... 0 in 1997 ...... 60 Percent of net profits dedicated to capital improvements for state universities and colleges, 1990 ...... 28.3 The House of Representatives can be in 1997 ...... 0 reached on the World Wide Web at: Dedicated lottery fund beneficiaries originally called for in 1990 and not http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us protected by the Minnesota Constitution that are still receiving funds today ..... 0 Lottery dollars marked for compulsive gambling, fiscal year 1990 ...... $100,000 fiscal year 1995, in millions ...... $1.5 Minnesota State Lottery sales in fiscal year 1996, in millions, highest to date ... $379 Unclaimed prize money, in millions, fiscal year 1996 ...... $1.5 Teletypewriter for the hearing impaired. Cents of every lottery dollar that went to prizes, fiscal year 1996 ...... 60 To ask questions or leave messages, Lottery dollars spent on advertising, in millions, fiscal year 1996 ...... $8.7 call: Percent of gross lottery revenue that can be spent on advertising, according TTY Line (612) 296-9896 or to state law ...... 2.75 1-800-657-3550

Sources: Minnesota State Lottery, Annual Report, 1990; House Research Department; Legislative This document can be made available Commission on Minnesota Resources; Environmental Trust Fund Coalition in alternative formats.