Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 3, Issue 33 - 2/25/2008
The Transportation Bill At 90 Votes An Hour
With Senate Democrats holding a veto-proof 45-seat majority, all eyes are on the House today, where 90 votes are needed to override GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty's veto of the transportation funding bill. While the House voted 89-44 to pass the bill, that one-vote margin needed for override is misleading. Here's the universe of votes to watch, and how they voted on the original bill (which assumes that all Democrats who voted yes on the bill will stay yes on the vote to override):
Democrats who voted no, and what we know about their prospects on a veto override:
- Rep. John Lesch (DFL-St.Paul). We hear mixed reports about why Lesch voted against his caucus. We're betting it was a strict procedural move (Lesch can make a motion from the losing side on the floor if needed).
- Rep. Mary Ellen Otremba (DFL-Long Prairie). No way, no how. Otremba will not vote for the tax increases in the bill.
- Rep. Jim Abeler (R-Anoka). The Republicans' wildest card. No prediction from us on Abeler.
- Rep. Ron Erhardt (R-Edina). The pressure on Erhardt is enormous. He's the only GOP incumbent who has a GOP candidate already filed to run against him. Still, we bet Erhardt votes to override.
- Rep. Rod Hamilton (R-Mountain Lake). Votes to override and is thrilled about that new four-lane stretch of highway to be built in his district.
- Rep. Bud Heidgerken (R-Freeport). Probably the key vote. Cancels Lesch by voting to sustain the veto.
- Rep. Neil Peterson (R-Bloomington). Votes to override, but he's cheaper than Hamilton. New off-ramp on the 494 strip in Bloomington.
- Rep. Kathy Tingelstad (R-Andover). Tingelstad's GOP endorsing convention was held this past weekend, and her local folks chose to wait for the vote. State GOP Party Chair Ron Carey gave a long speech on the importance of sustaining the Governor's veto at the convention. Count Tingelstad as a no vote on an override.
- Finally, Rep. Connie Ruth (R-Owatonna) missed the first vote because of a family event scheduled months ago. Ruth will vote to sustain a veto.
The Transportation Bill, The Minnesota Chamber Of Commerce And The Taxpayers League Of Minnesota
The coup last week for those who support the transportation funding package was getting the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce on board. And, Hell hath no fury like Mike Wigley scorned. Writes the Taxpayers League founder to friends in an email:
"The Minnesota Chamber of Commerce IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!!! Today, THEY CROSSED OVER TO THE DARK SIDE. AND THEY WILL NEVER EVER GET ANOTHER CENT OF DUES FROM ME!!! NEVER EVER!!! David Olson, my friend, you can take that to the bank!!!...So, my good friends, here's what you can do: (1) Call David Olson at the Chamber and rip him up oneside and down the other; and (2) DROP YOUR MEMBERSHIP IN THE CHAMBER NOW. Vote with your VOICE AND YOUR POCKETBOOK!!!" [Emphasis is Wigley's.]
We're not sure, yet, how much damage Wigley and friends can do to the Chamber, but we do know a little something like Wigley. Put it this way, he's the last person we'd want on our enemies list.
$eifert Roll$ In The DoughWe're not sure, yet, how much damage Wigley and friends can do to the Chamber, but we do know a little something like Wigley. Put it this way, he's the last person we'd want on our enemies list.
DFL House Speaker Margaret Kelliher (DFL-Minneapolis) may have 85 members to House Minority Leader Marty Seifert's (R-Marshall) 49, but she ain't got nothing on Seifert when it comes to off-year fundraising. The 2007 year-end fundraising reports for the two caucuses show that the House Republican Campaign Committee raised $1,242,387 (with $514,233 cash on hand) and the House DFL Caucus having only raised $645,445 (with $360,835 cash on hand).
Seifert raised more money in the minority in 2007 than the Republicans raised in the last off year, 2005, when they had the majority. Worth noting is that the House DFL always pulls in big bucks from the tribes, the unions, the trial lawyers and Education Minnesota in even election years. Seifert had a great run at the Capitol in 2007, and if he delivers on sustaining the transportation veto, his future is bright in 2008.
A Bold Day
Good for Sen. Dick Day (R-Owatonna), who has decided to go directly to a GOP primary and not limit himself to winning the GOP endorsement in the First Congressional District to run against U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (D). The other candidates, Dr. Brian Davis of Rochester and Rep. Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield) have announced they will sign a pledge to abide by the endorsement. Davis and Demmer proponents view Day's primary move to be a sign that Day is weak in endorsing circles. That may well be, but Day has a point in that a mere 256 GOP endorsing delegates in the First Congressional District shouldn't make the decision about who the GOP candidate should be in a Congressional contest that historically averaged about 300,000 general election voters.
Day also rightly notes that the state GOP is in a weak position to argue "abide by the endorsement" because party leadership is all over the map, with Gov. Tim Pawlenty supporting John McCain, state GOP Party Chair Ron Carey supporting Mike Huckabee and GOP National Committeeman Brian Sullivan who supported Mitt Romney before he withdrew. Of the three GOP candidates, Day has the highest district-wide profile, because he served as the Senate's GOP Minority Leader and made transportation his signature issue. Day detractors should not forget that Day first came to St. Paul by knocking out popular and more moderate incumbent Republican Mel Frederick in a primary in 1990.
Cell Phone Consumer Protection Proposal Riles Telecoms, Astroturf Group
Web ads have appeared on the Star Tribune's politics portal, urging citizens to contact their legislators in opposition to HF 635 and SF 833. The ads, placed by an organization called MyWireless.org, are concerned with the Minnesota Wireless Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The bill comes alongside similar proposals in California, New York, and other states and also contains some measures similar to those proposed in DC by Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) last fall. Both the bill authors (GOPers and DFLers) and the organization opposing it claim to be protecting consumers from unfair practices in the cellular phone industry, so what are the issues at stake?
The Wireless Phone Consumer Protection Act [summary] focuses on a few major points in the business of buying and using cellphones, most of which affect the retail-level practices of phone companies. In particular, the bill would require disclosure of certain billing practices (checking the common practice of cell 'cramming'), fees, and contract extensions. As anyone who has waded through the language of their own cell contract, attempted to extract this type of information from company websites, or been on the receiving end of a mandatory contract extension can attest, any measure of clarity or forthrightness from the phone companies would be a step in the right direction.
Indeed, nationwide, the cellphone business generates the most complaints for state Attorneys General and consumer advocacy groups. Mywireless.org, on the other hand, rather generically pleads for site visitors to 'stop costly and unnecessary new regulations on wireless service.' (They also feature an unsourced and implausible poll of Minnesotans.) Opposing the Minnesota proposal, claiming that it would 'limit choices, slow innovation, and drive up costs,' doesn't track with a bill that affects disclosures to consumers, rather than intervening in fees or generating new costs. The main thrust of the legislation is the reasonable disclosure of critical telecom info to those who would enter into a contract. It seems that a group would have to be quite detached from the typical consumer experience to claim that honest billing and disclosure could have any limiting effect on choices or innovation. [Unless innovation = hidden fees, which is often true.]
So who is 'MyWireless,' and what interest do they have in this Minnesota bill? For a 'consumer advocacy non-profit,' their website openly reflects the corporate interests they represent. Though various chambers of commerce and taxpayers' unions are members of the coalition, the notable player is the CTIA—the international association of the wireless telecom industry. CTIA's board of directors is packed with CEOs and Presidents of all the major wireless carriers and handset manufacturers. MyWireless is a pretty good example of an 'astroturf' non-profit—a fun new label for 'fake grassroots' organizations propped up by corporate public relations money.
The bill has been touted by the Minnesota Attorney General's office, which has a direct interest in reducing the inflow of complaints. The AARP is also a supporter. We heard it was the AARP who got the no-forced-arbitration clause tacked onto the end. Last year, Juanita Brown, an AT&T vice president, testified against the bill. The other major bill proponent is Consumers Union, the people behind Consumer Reports (Here is their cellphone site, and their telecom and media site.).
This is the second try at regulating cellphones under Gov. Pawlenty: he signed an earlier bill into law circa 2004-2005, which was in turn struck down in its entirety by the Eighth Circuit Court in Cellco Partnership v. Hatch (PDF). The court declared that a 60-day required delay before changing billing was too much of a government rate control for the state of Minnesota to attempt. However, Interstate Commerce Clause fans should know that the ruling also spelled out that the state has broad discretion to regulate many dimensions of the consumer cellphone experience. The new bill is designed to hew to the federal ruling.
According to the February 16, 2008 issue of National Journal, CTIA has revenues of $53,966,855 and its president/CEO Steven Largent makes a modest $960,847 with $62,061 in benefits. They aren't the biggest gorilla in the room, though: AARP has revenues of $877,650,835 and its CEO pulls down $1.7 million and another $244K in benefits.
The Attorney General's office has a unique labor conundrum: Lawyers don't usually have unions in the private sector (they're at-will employees and well-compensated); and, the AG's office itself has a role in settling mission-critical public employee union issues.
There is also extra political pressure upon the whole office: It is independent of the Governor, and when the Attorney General changes it tends to herald big instability, always bound to be disruptive. As PIM reported last year, some staff are trying to unionize, but there is turbulence. For one, since the AG's office is mission-critical, it cannot be represented in the usual bloc way, and purportedly, PELRA, the Public Employment Labor Relations Act, has to be modified in order for an AG union to be formally certified for collective bargaining.
Some fliers have been going around, and an anonymous pro-union blog, agunion.blogspot.com has been set up. Steve Perry's Daily Mole and the Minnesota Lawyer Blog have talked about it this year, and Minnesota Lawyer reported that a critical letter about Lori Swanson didn't represent the majority of the staffers.
The blog claims that the AG lacks a regular pay scale system, or good union-backed job security. They want the AG to turn over the list of non-management lawyers to the labor mediation board. According to the blog, a previous union card-signing effort last year faltered, and there's been more turnover since. Now another path to union consultation/authorization is being tried.
It seems like the problems with the AG's office would be a lot better if a new union backed up the usual civil service protections and made the whole environment more predictable. Many county attorney offices are unionized, and the Hennepin County Attorney's office looks like it's doing all right.
Strib As Vehicle For U.S. Senate Democrats' PR Machine
Some Republicans were surprised to see the enormous amount of coverage the Star Tribune gave to a hearing last week in St. Paul on Minnesota's economy led by U.S. Sens. Byron Dorgan (D-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN). The story --and three photos -- consumed more than half of the front of the Strib's business section and another quarter page on the inside. What was striking about the amount of coverage is that this wasn't an official U.S Senate field hearing. Rather, it was put on by the Democratic Policy Committee, a group with a mission of promoting Senate Democrats. Sure, there is a Republican Policy Committee. President Harry S. Truman signed the creation of these policy groups into law in 1947. In your Publisher's opinion, it's time for these taxpayer funded party PR machines to go.
But you can put abolishing these committees in the "fat chance" column. Meanwhile, the Star Tribune shouldn't treat these partisan events as news events. Looks like Klobuchar is getting her money's worth in hiring former Star Tribune editorial writer Dave Hage to be her Senate office's communications director.
Ciresi OnDemand
Earlier this month Senate hopeful Mike Ciresi launched Ciresi.tv, a service designed to keep the candidate better in touch with his supporters, and to help him get his message out to DFL delegates across Minnesota. Ciresi.tv allows campaign email update subscribers to receive weekly video clips of Ciresi speaking across the State at various conventions, debates, and at meet and greets. The campaign keeps the clips current events related and are shot in a TV news format. The campaign says this service is helpful for people who are interested in Ciresi and want to learn more about his stances.
Bits & Pieces
Congratulations to former GOP State Auditor and now Commissioner of Employee Relations Pat Anderson. She's now Pat Anderson Gallwas after marrying Douglas Gallwas on February 15th in a private ceremony at Rice Park in which both Pat and Doug's six children from previous marriages served as attendants. The couple and their children will make their home in Dellwood. [Unclear is what happens to Anderson Gallwas when the Department officially becomes part of the Department of Administration on June 1, 2008.]
Last week, Legislative Auditor Jim Nobles released the State Highway and Bridges Report (a full PDF is available here) offering many recommendations and observations. Here is the Summary (PDF), Summary (plain text), and the Full Report. With the turbulence in the municipal bond market spreading, it sure won't be cheap to fix all these potholes, no matter which way we have to pay for it. [And if someone can actually explain what is happening in the muni market, please drop us a line @ staff@politicsinminnesota.com. It's way beyond our pay grade!]
If you haven't yet opened your checkbook to help pay for Minnesota's 150 birthday party this year, here's the chance to "Leap In...For the Love of Minnesota." That's the title for the next Minnesota Sesquicentennial fundraiser to be held this Friday, February 29th, at the St. Paul Hotel. Tickets are $75 (or $500 for the private reception with First Lady Mary Pawlenty which starts at 5:00 p.m. Featured attendees are former GOP Gov. Al Quie, Minnesota's favorite weather author and historian Mark Seely and WCCO's Don Shelby. Ticket information is available on the Sesquicentennial website at mn150years.org.
St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman appointed Rick Larkin as Emergency Management Director. Larkin, a 20 year veteran of emergency management, has spent time working as a fire fighter, paramedic, and as Burnsville's fire captain managing emergency medical service and directing emergency preparedness.
Matt Kane, Policy Fellow for Infrastructure and Economic Development at Growth & Justice, released an op-ed (PDF) entitled "20 Years Behind" this week. The piece documents Minnesota's lack of investment in transportation infrastructure, and how this has affected our economic development.
Minneapolis received more accolades this week. It was named the 4th healthiest city in America by Cooking Light and 11th greenest city by Popular Science, it should be noted that St. Paul appears as the 12 greenest city. Minneapolis also just announced a grant program for climate change projects.
This time of year, the only road-related topic of conversation on most Minnesotans' minds are the potholes that seem to be popping up faster than zits on a teenage face. And so, the University of Minnesota's Center for Transportation Studies will be hosting a seminar on the case study about converting four-lane roads into three-lane roads. Keith Knapp, research manager with the Center of Excellence in Rural Safety at the Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, will be hosting the event which is free and open to the public. Registration not required, for further info visit the CTS Research Seminar website.
Allison Ahcan, a Grand Rapids native, joined the Blandin Foundation last week and will serve as the Foundation's Director of Communications. Ahcan brings 22 years of professional communications experience to the Foundation, which serves Minnesota's rural communities.
As we noted in our last issue, the Center of the American Experiment luncheon will feature Margo Thorning in a discussion about global warming and economics. To register for the event click here.
U.S. Senate hopeful Al Franken received another impressive endorsement recently. The UAW, with it's 3,500 active members and 4,000 retirees, endorsed Franken, citing his commitment to retaining the state's manufacturing jobs. For a list of Franken's endorsement click here.
The Trustee Candidate Advisory Council extended its deadline for application submissions from February 15th to February 28th. There are four openings on the Council that oversees the 32 State Colleges and Universities. One seat is designated to the 4th Congressional District, one to the 7th, and two are at-large. Application materials are available on the TCAC website.
The Three presidential finalists were named for Minnesota West Community and Technical College. The three candidates are Diane Graber, Richard Shrubb, and Bill Thallemer. Garber has been the provost at Minnesota West Community and Technical College since 2005, Shurb is the vice president of academic affairs at Terra State Community College in Ohio, and Thallemer was president of Lake Land College in Illinois from June 2006 to June 2007. A decision could be made as early as March 19th when the Board of Trustees meets for its regular meeting.
The Citizens League has two events coming up, a policy open house on February 28th and a healthcare panel and dinner March 6th. The policy open house will be held at St. Paul College from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. and is open to the public. The event is designed to help members and non-members learn about imminent issues and policy priorities. The panel and dinner will be held at Graves 601 in downtown Minneapolis with the reception beginning at 4:30 p.m. and the dinner/panel starting at 6:00 p.m. Special guests include Denise Cortese M.D. CEO at the Mayo Clinic, Mary Brainerd CEO at HealthPartners, and Tony Miller CEO at Lemhi Ventures and carol.com. Registration is not necessary for the policy open house, however to register for the panel dinner visit the Citizens League website. Also Sean Kershaw's blog and the Policy Blog are excellent ways to keep up with the League's issues.
American democracy and dissent will be the topic of conversation when Prof. Larry Jacobs and Daniel Ellsberg, political activist and former American military analyst, meet February 26th at 7:30 p.m. at the Ted Mann Concert Hall, 2128 Fourth Street South in Minneapolis. Tickets are $28.50 or $23.50 for U of M faculty, staff, students and UMMA and MPR members. To order call (612) 624-2345 or visit the College of Continuing Education website.
Lobbyist Watch
From the Minnesota Campaign Finance & Public Disclosure Board:
Morning Reports
