House passes bonding bill 92-37

The state House Monday night passed its bonding bill 92-37 amid tense last-minute floor wrangling.

The House debated the $1 billion bill for more than four hours until House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm, successfully moved to call the question, which ended debate on amendments and brought the bill to third reading and final passage.

Angry protests ensued by Republicans that echoed the end-of-session floor fights that have occurred in previous sessions since the DFL took control of the House in the 2006 elections.

Republicans charged that DFL leaders were halting debate on a flawed bill. As the bill moved toward final passage, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, ruled Republicans’ desperate procedural protests out of order.

“What we just witnessed was the passage of a bill without any opportunity to represent our constituents,” said Rep. Marty Seifert, R-Marshall.

The Senate has already passed a similar bonding bill. Both proposals cost significantly more than Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s proposed bonding bill. Republicans during floor debate warned that Pawlenty could veto the bill that gets sent to him.

Despite the partisan tenor of the floor debate, legislators didn’t always agree with their fellow party members. Indeed, Republican representatives including Jim Abeler of Anoka, Paul Anderson of Starbuck, Greg Davids of Preston, Larry Howes of Walker, Bud Nornes of Fergus Falls and Morrie Lanning of Moorhead voted for the bill.

Some Republicans broke with Pawlenty, who supports $89 million to expand the sex offender program at Moose Lake. Rep. Torrey Westrom, R-Elbow Lake, said lawmakers should consider using the privately-funded prison in Appleton instead.

Fewer DFLers crossed party lines on the final votes than Republicans. But an amendment offered by Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville, to add local road and bridge funding and greater Minnesota transit funding to the bonding bill, continued the trend this session of Republican proposals grabbing a token amount of Democratic support.

Holberg’s amendment was defeated 76-54 on a mostly party-line vote. But DFLers from outside the Twin Cities metro area Al Doty of Royalton, Jeremy Kalin of North Branch, Kory Kath of Owatonna and Mary Ellen Otremba of Long Prairie supported the transportation money.

The debate at times veered into hot-button election-year issues.

Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, who is a front-runner for the GOP endorsement for governor, offered an amendment to eliminate state climate change goals and railed against the “flawed and fraudulent science” that underpins concerns about global warming.

DFLers pointed out that research distributed by Emmer on the floor was paid for by a coal industry group. Kalin also noted that Emmer’s amendment would be a slight against Minnesota’s renewable energy manufacturing industry.

“If we accept the Emmer amendment we might as well call it the China prosperity amendment,” Kalin said.

Emmer’s amendment failed 88-44.

4 Responses to “House passes bonding bill 92-37”

1. Walter Scott Hudson Says:
   February 16th, 2010 at 4:10 am

   The China Prosperity Amendment, eh? What Bizarro world does Kalin hail from where increased taxes and regulation based on pseudo-science helps us compete with China?

2. Dan Says:
   February 16th, 2010 at 9:32 am

   “China prosperity amendment?” Rep. Kalin seems to have gotten his talking points rhetoric mixed up. Implementing cap and trade laws in the US is what would send jobs to China. How does his statement make any sense at all? Does Kalin understand the dynamics of emissions regulation, or even basic economics?

3. Dan Howell Says:
   February 16th, 2010 at 9:41 am

   It’s hard to believe that there are people in this world that don’t believe global warming is real! The scariest part is that some of them a law makers.

4. Chris Says:
   February 16th, 2010 at 7:17 pm

   What happened with this bill was obviously premeditated and UNCONSTITUTIONAL and MInnesotans on should be VERY concerned about what just happened. Seifert called a motion to adjourn which is a HIGHER motion than the Question and was IGNORED and called out of order! Watch the YouTube link here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2dvBIFZd9E. This has GOT to STOP Minnesota. We need to elect candidates who will represent US not special interests.