This document is made available electronically by the Minnesota Legislative Reference Library as part of an ongoing digital archiving project. http://www.leg.state.mn.us/lrl/lrl.asp tl iii r able of contents: 3 Committees define objectives Senate reorganizes committees in preparation for the 1983 legislative session. 5 Ulland charts IR course New minority leader envisions active minority. 6 Freshmen face new challenge Twenty-one new senators are eager to make their mark. 16 1983 Senate Directory The January 1983 issue of Perspec­ Assisting in the layout and production tives is designed to serve as an intro­ of this publication were Dawna duction to some of the people and Lichtscheidl and Cathy Cecil. issues that will be involved in the 73rd Session of the Minnesota Legislature. To that end, Perspectives offers brief The staff also covers legislative action profiles of the freshmen senators, the for its weekly news summary, Briefly, new minority leader and the 16 standing which is printed during session. The committees of the Senate. In addition, office's publications and informational the back cover lists the capitol address­ brochures are available free of charge On the cover: es and phone numbers of all 67 state to interested citizens. senators. Perspectives was prepared by Sister Michele McGurran, Chaplain the Senate Public Information Office For further information, call (612) 296­ of the Senate, leads the members in staff. 0504 or write to: prayer during the opening day Senate Public Information Office ceremony of the 73rd Legislative Writers: Karen L. Clark Room B-29 Session. Photo by Mark M. Nelson Steve Senyk State Capitol Building and Steve Senyk. Photographer: Mark M. Nelson St. Paul, MN 55155. 2 1983 Committee chairmen standing left to right: Senators Chmielewski, Dieterich, C.C. Peterson, Hughes, Nelson, Berglin, R.D. Moe, Willet, D.M. Moe, Schmitz, lessard, Solon and Spear. Seated left to right: Senators Pehler, Vega, Merriam and D.J. Johnson. Not picured, Senator Purfeerst Photo by Mark M. Nelson l1li i t fi J ti by Karen L. Clark Agriculture and Natural foreign trade proposals. Finally, there is a possibility committee members will With transition and change taking Resources discuss a proposal for entering into a place throughout state government, compact with other states on low-level the heart of the legislative process, the The Agriculture and Natural Resources radioactive waste. committee system, remains constant. Committee will remain under the The committee structure provides a stewardship of Chairman Gene stable framework for the careful Merriam for the next legislative Economic Development consideration and discussion of session. Of major importance, again and Commerce legislation before the Senate. Yet, even this year, will be consideration of the Senate committees must go legislation designed to provide a Sen. Sam Solon will take charge of the through a process of change and mechanism for dealing with hazardous new Economic Development and evolution. New committee chairmen waste clean-up procedures. In Commerce Committee for the and vice chairmen have been named, a addition, the committee will work on biennium. In addition to hearing issues number of committees have had a amendments to the 1980 Waste traditionally covered by past redefinition of jurisdiction and all Management Act and, possibly, Commerce Committees, such as standing committees have had new consider legislation setting an outstate banking, the panel will place an even members assigned. The following water management policy similar to greater emphasis on proposals represents a brief characterization of that established for the metro area last designed to speed Minnesota's what is in store for the 16 Senate year. In the area of agricultural economic recovery. The maintenance Committees during the 1983 legislative policies, committee members will of favorable business conditions, the session. devote hearings to the governor's spurring of economic development 3 through job creation and proposals for Finance policy committees, legislative small businesses are top priorities for proposals developed by the Health and the newly structured committee. The continued fiscal dilemma facing Human Services Committee will be the state will be the focal point of sharply circumscribed by the state's discussions conducted by Sen. Gerald financial situation. The committee will, Education Willet's Finance Committee. Members for instance, be working on changes to of the committee are charged with Rule 49, the nursing home The Education Committee will also developing the state's budget and will reimbursement procedure, with the have a new chairman. Sen. James therefore be keeping a close watch on possibility of a complete revision. In Pehler has been named to oversee the future revenue projections. With state addition, there will be continued maintenance of quality education funds in such short supply, budgets discussion of welfare eligibility throughout the state. Sen. Tom will be closely scrutinized during this standards and of the legislation Nelson's Education Aids Subcommittee budget setting legislative session. needed for compliance with federal will be responsible for drafting the standards. In the area of corrections, legislation setting the public education there will be more exploration of funding levels for the next biennium. solutions to the need for a new or Traditionally, the education aids bill is alternative women's correctional the largest component of the entire facility. Health cost containment state budget. proposals, suggestions from the Board on Aging and the question of whether home health agencies should be Elections and Ethics regulated are other items likely to The Elections and Ethics Committee come before the panel. will be chaired by Sen. Jerome Hughes, the new President of the Senate. The panel has no regularly scheduled Judiciary meeting time; instead it will meet on an "on-call" basis as bills are referred to For the first time in Senate history, the the committee. Possible proposals to Judiciary Committee will be headed by come before the committee range from achairman who is not an attorney-Sen. the reapportionment of the Metro Allan Spear. According to Spear, one Council districts to the discussion of of the most important items on the issues arising out of the most recent committee agenda for the session is election. the legislation necessary to implement the Intermediate Court of Appeals. Voters approved a constitutional amendment to establish the court, but Employment Sen. Don Moe the legislature must first enact the Workers' compensation and appropriate legislation. In addition, the unemployment compensation will be Governmental panel will devote some time to the the two main issues before the Senate juvenile code as well as a wide range Employment Committee. Sen. Florian Operations of other technical legal matters. Chmielewski will remain at the helm as The jurisdiction of the Governmental committee members wrestle with these Operations Committee has been two volatile subjects. The panel must altered to include the range of issues Local and Urban find a remedy for the $400 million relating to public employees' pay and unemployment compensation fund benefits, including public employee Government deficit and reconcile the workers' pension matters. In addition, the panel, compensation dilemma. The new chairman for the Local and directed by new chairman, Sen. Don Urban Government Committee is Sen. Moe, will continue to hear all bills Robert Schmitz. As in the past, the dealing with the operation and committee will hear issues bearing on Energy and Housing organization of state governmental local units of government including departments and agencies, such as the cities, urban towns, townships and The new chairman of the Energy and proposed reorganization of the Housing Committee, Sen. Conrad counties. Schmitz has been meeting Commerce Department. Moe also with representatives of the various Vega, foresees important indicated that confirmations of the developments in the areas of both local government associations in order various new gubernatorial energy and housing during the coming to develop an agenda for the 1983 appointments will occupy the biennium. He cites the need for session. committee's attention. committee members to thoroughly examine, and draft, legislation that will One possible topic of discussion is the be necessary to take advantage of mandates imposed on the local units of federal housing funds used to help Health and Human government at both the state and stimulate the economy. Vega also Services federal level. The committee will be indicated that the committee will be looking at possible modifications of looking at alternative energy sources Sen. Linda Berglin became the first those mandates in the future. such as peat and methane gas. The use woman to chair a Senate standing of surplus agricultural products as an committee when she assumed that energy source will be a priority with the position with the Health and Human panel. Services Committee. As with the other See Committees, page 15 4 Photos by Mark M. Nelson II rt I r Senate Minority Leader James Ulland by Karen L. Clark by naming four assistant minority On the broader question of the place of leaders and a minority whip. Senators the minority caucus in the legislative When members of the DFL and the IR Darrel Peterson, Nancy Brataas, James process, Ulland said, "There is a classic caucuses met after the November Ramstad and Glen Taylor