Session Weekly April 8, 2005, Volume 22, Number 14
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INSIDE: ACCESSING THE POLLS, HOME FOR GOLDEN GOPHERS, THE GEOGRAPHICAL GAP, MORE This Week’s Bill Introductions HF2269-HF2380 ESSION S Weekly Session Weekly is a nonpartisan publication of the Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services offi ce. During the 2005-2006 Legis- lative Session, each issue reports daily House action between Thursdays of each week, lists bill introductions, and provides other information. No fee. ONTENT To subscribe, contact: C S Minnesota House of Representatives Public Information Services 175 State Offi ce Building HIGHLIGHTS 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. St. Paul, MN 55155-1298 Agriculture • 5 Energy • 10 Local Government • 13 (651) 296-2146 or Business • 5 Environment • 10 Metro Affairs • 13 1-800-657-3550 Consumers • 6 Government • 11 Military • 14 TTY (651) 296-9896 http://www.house.mn/hinfo/subscribesw.asp Crime • 7 Health • 11 Recreation • 14 Development • 8 Higher Education • 12 Safety • 14 Education • 8 Human Services • 12 Taxes • 14 Director Barry LaGrave Elections • 9 Insurance • 13 Transportation • 14 Employment • 9 Law • 13 Editor/Assistant Director Lee Ann Schutz BILL INTRODUCTIONS (HF2269-HF2380) • 20-22 Assistant Editor Mike Cook Art & Production Coordinator Paul Battaglia FEATURES Writers Ruth Dunn, Patty Janovec, FIRST READING: Rural, urban, suburban — miles apart on some issues • 3 Brett Martin, Matt Wetzel, CAPITOL CENTENNIAL: Minnesota fl ower in Corinthian design • 4 Nicole Wood Chief Photographer AT ISSUE: Bonding bill now awaits governor’s signature • 16 Tom Olmscheid AT ISSUE: Plan would move Gophers back to campus • 18 Photographers Andrew VonBank, Sarah Stacke AT ISSUE: Accessibility is major component to elections changes • 19 Staff Assistants Christy Novak, Laura Noe DEPARTMENTS/RESOURCES Session Weekly (ISSN 1049-8176) is pub- lished weekly during the legislative session by Minnesota House of Representatives Public Constitutional Offi cers • 22 For more information • 24 Information Services offi ce, 175 State Offi ce Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Federal Representation • 23 St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Periodicals postage Minnesota Index: Motorized Recreation & paid at Minneapolis, Minn. Trails • 24 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Session Weekly, Public Information Services offi ce, Minnesota House of Representatives, 175 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155-1298. Printed on recycled paper which is 50% recycled, On the cover: Louis Blazek of Roseville walks through a shaft of sunlight streaming in from a window 30% post-consumer content. on the second fl oor of the Capitol April 5. Spring is in the air as temperatures exceeded 70 degrees on Monday and Tuesday. —Photo by: Tom Olmscheid 2 April 8, 2005 IRST READING F★ ★ ★ second round of population growth that’s more diverse than the fi rst round in the 1950s Miles apart on some issues and 1960s. The core cities of Minneapolis and Can the geographic gap be bridged? St. Paul are, so far, retaining their populations. The rural areas, especially along the western and southern borders of the state, are losing population and thus legislators. BY RUTH DUNN Ring around the city It’s no longer a seven-county Twin ot only is the current House nearly When State Demographer Tom Gillaspy Cities metropolitan area, said Gillaspy. It’s a evenly split between Republicans and looks at state population maps, he sees an 13-county metro area that includes the Min- N DFLers; it’s also nearly balanced be- expanding “donut,” a growth collar that nesota counties of Hennepin, Ramsey, Carver, tween rural, suburban and urban members. surrounds the core cities of Minneapolis and Sherburne, Dakota, Wright, Anoka, Washing- When he fi rst arrived at the House in 1991, St. Paul. ton, Scott, Chisago and Isanti, along with two Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul) was given The growth collar took off in the 1990s counties in western Wisconsin. advice from a long-time member who told when the population of the outer suburbs There’s also signifi cant growth along the him it isn’t just about party politics. There’s grew by 36 percent compared to 4.6 percent Interstate 94 corridor toward North Dakota also an urban and rural split that might be in the core cites, 3.5 percent in the older fi rst and in regional centers like Rochester. even greater. People will cross party lines for and second ring suburbs and 6.8 percent in Demographers consider anyone living in a geographic reasons, he was told. the rest of the state. city with a minimum 2,500 population to be Minnesota is now nearly one-third rural, urban. By that defi nition, 71 percent of Min- A tale of three Minnesotas one-third suburban and one-third core nesotans are now urban dwellers compared Every House district has just over 36,500 city, said Gillaspy. He predicts that balance to 34 percent in 1900, said Gillaspy. residents, but that’s where the similarities will crumble after the next census in 2010 Rep. Bud Heidgerken (R-Freeport), an un- end. because the outer suburbs are expanding so abashed rural supporter who will fi ght Repub- For example, Canada is just across the water rapidly. Older, inner ring suburbs are having a licans and DFLers to protect “Lake Wobegon,” from the Bear Island home understands what the popula- of Rep. David Dill (DFL- tion numbers mean. “Even Crane Lake). His rural dis- if all rural legislators voted trict is the most sparsely together, the seven-county populated with six people metro area would have the per square mile. It’s also the most votes. It’s not a fair fi ght,” largest geographically with he said. 6,485 square miles. “Hybrid” is how Rep. Strength in numbers Karen Klinzing (R-Wood- Both rural and suburban bury) describes her outer- legislators have formed bipar- ring suburban district, one tisan caucuses that meet on a of the fastest growing in the regular basis. The intent is to state. Rural meets urban in leave their political party af- her district, which still has fi liations at the door and focus agriculture land along with on shared concerns. spreading housing develop- The bipartisan suburban ments. caucus began meeting recently, With 15,428 residents partly because a rural caucus per square mile, the urban was meeting on a regular basis, district of Rep. Karen Clark according to Rep. Ron Erhardt (DFL-Mpls) is the most (R-Edina) who co-chairs the densely populated in the caucus with Rep. Ron Latz state and one of the small- (DFL-St. Louis Park). But also est, just two square miles. because Erhardt remembered It may also be one of the when united suburban legisla- PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY TOM OLMSCHEID most diverse with a blend tors had an impact on property At one time, the majority of Minnesota’s population was considered rural. Now, due of languages and cultures to population shifts, there is an almost three-way divide between urban, suburban from all over the world. and rural. When vying for state dollars, the legislative split causes some to cross over First Reading continued party lines and think geographically. on page 4 April 8, 2005 Session Weekly 3 The growth collar grew rapidly in the ‘90s while growth was modest elsewhere Missouri legislators take a tour of the state together to gain a better understanding of the 40 36.3% Minneapolis & St. Paul big picture and that could be a good thing for 35 Minnesota, he said. Older developed suburbs 30 “People think a suburb is a suburb. But Growth collar they’re not the same,” said Klinzing. “Even 25 within our own caucus, there are divisions 20 Rest of the state within (suburban) rings.” 15 Clark knows many rural residents never venture off the freeways that cut through the 10 4.6% 6.8% core cities. She remembers a time when rural 5 3.5% legislators were paired with urban families to Percent Change 1990 - 2000 Percent spend an evening together and participants 0 found out they were more alike than different. Source: State Demographer’s Offi ce First Reading continued from page 3 Common ground Education funding is the issue that can now tax reform about fi ve years ago, a critical issue together on some bills and develop a strategy unite rural, suburban and urban Minnesota, at that time. to frame the debate. said Rep. Maria Ruud (DFL-Minnetonka). “We’ve got to have our own suburban cau- “So many issues and differences are more “There’s a perception that suburbs have a lot of cus, not to beat up on rural Minnesota but to metro/rural than Democrat/Republican,” money. We’ve been blessed, but our schools are make sure we get our fair share of what’s being Marquart said. still hurting just like everyone else,” she said. parceled out,” said Erhardt. “Our needs may Mariani sees common concerns between be different, but we do have needs.” Geographic diff erences rural and urban Minnesota in meeting chal- Transportation and K-12 education topped “Sometimes city folks just don’t get it,” said lenges like poverty and spurring economic the list of topics for the group’s fi rst meeting. Rep. Larry Howes (R-Walker), who explained development. First and second ring suburbs Bipartisan support is vitally important for ru- that urban legislators don’t understand the also have more in common with the core cities ral Minnesota and crucial for its future quality full impact of the mandates they pass. He than they used to. Some Greater Minnesota of life, said Rep. Paul Marquart (DFL-Dilworth), appreciates it when metro legislators take the regional centers like Rochester may now have who co-chairs the bipartisan rural caucus with time to ask him how legislation would affect more in common with Edina than with Albert Rep.