Three Wise Men
Senate District 41’s Elected Representatives, Geoff Michel, Ron Erhardt and Neil Peterson talk about the Budget, Transportation and the Seniority of Urinals

 The DFL imposed gridlock at the end of last year’s legislative session claimed many victims such as millions in taxpayer dollars and perhaps, according to SD 41 State Senator Geoff Michel, a few Republicans in the House. Another victim of obstructionism was SD 41’s yearly session wrap-up. Unable to meet with their constituents and without definitive conclusions to many of the issues raised during the 2004 session, the Senate District’s three legislators were forced to interrupt the yearly tradition of a quasi-town hall meeting to discuss the session in review. 

Rep. Neil Peterson, Rep. Ron Erhardt, and Sen. Geoff Michel

Hopefully while a repeat isn’t in the works in St. Paul, Senator Geoff Michel, Rep. Ron Erhardt (41A) and newly elected Rep. Neil Peterson (41B) met with residents to discuss the potential events to come for 2005. Following the State of the State address and Governor Tim Pawlenty’s budget introduction that same day, the evening was a lively discussion of the issues that will certainly dominate the 2005 debate. Each of the three laid out their views on the primary issues that will be addressed this year, and not surprisingly, the budget was the top of the list.

In his opening remarks, Senator Michel asked his audience “do you think the Democrats will be civil?” upon the release of Pawlenty’s latest budget to tackle the state deficit. And during the Q&A session later in the evening, Michel returned to the budget, pointing out that it was an increase of 5.8% in spending. “I know you don’t believe the Star Tribune,” he joked with audience members. “It isn’t a cut!” 

Rep. Ron Erhardt remarked the House had already passed an efficiency bill in order to balance the budget and that despite the moaning from the education lobby of cuts, Pawlenty’s budget added 2%. As Transportation Policy Committee Chair, Erhardt was very curious with the Governor’s proposed 10 year, $4.5 billion transportation budget. “I will have to take a hard look at that,” he said. 

In his first few weeks in St. Paul, Rep. Neil Peterson has learned many things. “I’ve learned that freshmen go to the lowest urinal,” he joked. The freshman class is energized, Peterson said, already adopting the nickname “Greenies”. Like his fellow representatives, Peterson had not yet seen Pawlenty’s budget but said that most in the House were “willing to raise revenues” through user fees such as raising the gas tax. Given the structure of the state budget, Peterson remarked, the House and Senate needs to either raise revenues or make cuts in health care and human services or some combination there between.

Switching to a town-hall style format, the three legislators took questions from the audience for the remainder of the evening covering the gamut of issues and perspectives. Here’s a sampling of what they discussed:

On the chances of the ‘Marriage Amendment’: The DFL’s unwillingness to put the marriage amendment to a vote in the Senate was partially the reason for the level of gridlock in that body, according to Michel. Michel supports the legislation and believes it will pass the Senate---if it’s put to vote. “There’s no gridlock if there’s a vote”. Peterson said there are already two bills in the House in favor of the marriage amendment and he supports the legislation. Peterson even believes that DFL members of the House will support a bill when it comes to the floor. Erhardt said he’s not in favor of the legislation only because it calls for a constitutional amendment. In the 1990’s he voted for similar legislation now in State Statute that bans same sex marriage and does not recognize same sex marriage licenses from other states. 

Rep. Neil Peterson Discusses Property Taxes

On rising property taxes: Some audience members expressed concern about rising property taxes and especially the forthcoming expiration of assessment caps in 2006. Erhardt reminded residents that while assessors can set market values the municipalities, county, school district’s etc can only tax a certain percentage of that value. The House has introduced legislation to freeze that percentage. The rising property taxes are due to local governments having more taxation authority with the lifting of levy limits, Erhardt said. Peterson said he knew of residents in West Bloomington and Edina who were living on fixed incomes and having trouble paying for increased property taxes. Michel warned that “spenders” had arrived at a local level since Pawlenty was working on decreasing the size of state government. He especially warned audience members of DFLer Larry Pogemiller’s “Property Tax Freeze” legislation which would force local governments to not be able to raise taxes. Pogemiller is attempting to hurt Republicans, who are in favor of local control, with the bill. “It’s a game to him,” Michel said.

John Heutmaker Questions the Panel

On fixing Minnesota’s transportation problems: The most talk about transportation project wasn’t for the Crosstown, Highway 100, 494 or 169 but the “Central Corridor” of the University of Minnesota to St. Paul. Michel spoke of the route being a natural place to have transit, be it a dedicated bus line, light-rail, or even “a gondola [or] hot air balloon.” The real divide, Michel said, wasn’t GOP vs. DFL but metro legislators vs. rural legislators. As Transportation Policy Committee Chairman, Erhardt knows he’s tackling a problem that “for virtually 20-plus years nothing was done.” Erhardt would prefer a “pay as you go system” that includes a gas tax increase. He likes Pawlenty’s constitutional amendment idea that would dedicate car sales tax fees to transportation funding and hopes that if the legislation were passed, it would be a winner at the ballot box. Peterson knows the “Central Corridor” project quite well from his experience on the bonding committee in the House. He said he supports transit to the outer stretches of the metro because it is the car travel from these areas that makes metro congestion as bad as it is.