Politics in Minnesota: The Weekly Report - Vol. 3, Issue 32 - 2/15/2008

In this issue: Session Starts; Retiring House Members, We've Got Em Webbed; The Void Of Neuville: Committee Shakeups For 2008; Where's That Hot Session Info?; Pioneer Press' New Blog; Minnesota Money Race In The Senate; Wondering How The Congressional Cash Is Stacking Up?; Superdelegate Rundown; Party Faithful vs. Party Endorsed: Part II; Fishing And Freezing; Bits & Pieces; Lobbyist Watch.

Session Starts

We all know it: Session started this week at a furious pace. What was surprising is the lack of partisan acrimony. Look for that to change next week as both the House and the Senate have floor votes on the transportation funding package GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty is sure to veto.

Perhaps the most interesting hearing set for next week is one to be held by President of the Senate and Chair of the Business, Industries and Jobs Committee Sen. Jim Metzen (DFL-St. Paul). Metzen wants to have his committee fully explore what a NWA - Delta Airlines merger means to Minnesota. As we hear it, Metzen intends to subpoena top NWA executives if they don't choose to appear voluntarily.

Retiring House Members, We've Got Em Webbed

We have started an index page on our website for the 2008 Minnesota House races @ politicsinminnesota.com/2008-minnesota-house-races, including the latest retirement information. We're going to build out a useful resource with pages for each district race, so please send all news of challengers and incumbents to staff@politicsinminnesota.com

House members who have formally announced their retirement:

• Rep. Brad Finstad (R-Comfrey)
• Rep. Scott Kranz (DFL-Blaine)
• Rep. Dennis Ozment (R-Rosemount)
• Rep. Neva Walker (DFL-Minneapolis)

Two House members are running for Congress:

• Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) - 3rd Congressional District
• Rep. Randy Demmer (R-Hayfield) - 1st Congressional District

Sen. Dick Day (R-Owatonna) is also contending for the GOP nomination in the First CD to challenge freshman U.S. Rep. Tim Walz (DFL MN-1). However, since no one in the Senate is up for election this cycle, no one is announcing retirements.

Also, apparently Rep. Chris DeLaForest (R-Andover) may not run for re-election. He has apparently agreed to be the campaign chair for Peggy Sue Scott in House District 49A, as documented by the Campaign Finance Board. DeLaForest's DFL challenger, U of M employee health insurance guru Ted Butler, has $1600 more cash-on-hand (PDF) than DeLaForest does (PDF). The liberal blog MnBlue did an interview with Butler last month. His campaign site is ButlerForHouse.com.

With Kranz and perhaps DeLaForest checking out, we ask ourselves: What's going on in Anoka County?

The Void Of Neuville: Committee Shakeups For 2008

Former GOP Sen. Tom Neuville was appointed to the tribe of robe-wearing gavel guys, and was replaced by DFLer Kevin Dahle a civics teacher from Northfield. Thus the committees got tweaked, and Finance got expanded from 12 members to 18, probably because everyone wants a piece of budget pie.

• Business, Industry and Jobs - was 18 members, now 17
• Commerce and Consumer Protection - was 10 members, Dahle added, now 11
• E-12 Education Budget Division - was 17 members, Dahle added, now 18
• Energy, Utilities, Technology and Communications - was 15 members, Dahle added, now 16
• Finance - Neuville's seat replaced by Sen. Gen Olson (R-Minnetrista)
• Judiciary - Neuville's seat replaced by Sen. Pat Pariseau (R-Farmington)
• Public Safety Budget Division - Neuville's seat replaced by Sen. Warren Limmer (R-Maple Grove)

The new Senators on Finance are Michelle Fischbach (R-Paynesville), Leo Foley (DFL-Coon Rapids), Linda Higgins (DFL-Minneapolis), Claire Robling (R-Jordan), David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm), and Jim Vickerman (DFL-Tracy).

Where's That Hot Session Info?

The legislature is back in session, and it's a busy warren of activity, yet the pace of events is hard to discern from without. For Capitol visitors, the printed committee schedules tend to get obsolete. Where are the new tools to track the session? Where is the most accurate committee info?

This year, the nonpartisan House Information Office has started publishing Session Daily and Session Weekly stories online, in a blog-like format. It's great that the excellent material in Session Weekly has finally been broken out of the PDF box it was trapped in.

Conveniently, when a Daily story has an available audio or video clip, it's clearly flagged and linked. Even better, the popup player window lists the times in the clip at which important events like bill introductions occur (thus you don't have to search around hour-long clips to find what you're looking for).

We were wondering how people can accurately stay apprised of shifting committee agendas and schedules. Where's the root source of this info? Capitol staff told us that the committee email mailing lists would have the most up-to-date committee news.

There are many other interesting Capitol tidbit outlets. Sometimes they seem difficult to find, perhaps because the Legislature's websites tend to rely on massive bulleted lists that don't clearly convey relative importance. PIM staff favorite: the regularly updated Senate Information Office 'hotlist' (PDF), which lists popular bills attracting interest.

In the style of leg.state.mn.us, here is our own bulleted list of good Legislature info outlets, and we're putting the House first to make 'em feel cooler:

• All mailing lists of the House of Representatives including committees and reps
  
• House schedule mailing list
  
• Session Daily mailing list
• House Information Office mailing list
  
• DFL and GOP House Caucus mailing lists
• All introduced bills in the House
• All House RSS feeds, including committee audio and Session Daily
  
• All Legislature RSS feeds and Legislative Reference Library RSS feeds
• House/Senate TV schedule, the House TV Windows Media feed, Senate TV RealPlayer feed.
• MyBills is the free personalized bill tracking service, which can track your favorite bills via RSS feed or email. (In many states, this kind of service is really expensive & privately provided. Another reason we're ahead of the curve!)
• All Senate publications
• All Senate mailing lists
  
• All Senate RSS feeds
  
• All Senate media coverage - includes all archived video clips
• Senate Briefly has... brief... snippets and summaries of all committee action
• The official list: Legislative Materials Available to The Public (circa August 2005) PDF. Might be time for a new one!

Pioneer Press' New Blog

The St. Paul Pioneer Press Capitol press corps team has launched a new blog, "The Political Animal." Veteran political reporters Bill Salisbury, Rachel Stassen-Berger and Dennis Lien "will cover the ins and outs of Minnesota politics from the legislative session to the political races to Republican National Convention." So far, so good. A post about which legislators accept the lowest per diems of the bunch. Answers: Sen. Tony Lourey (DFL-Kerrick) in the Senate and Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-St. Louis Park) in the House. Another about Republican legislators sporting new "I Support Molnau" buttons. And, a post about Rep. Dennis Ozment (R-Rosemount) arriving at the Capitol direct from Ecuador a mere 20 minutes before yesterday's opening gavel. All posts telling us something we didn't know. Good for Salisbury, Stassen-Berger and Lien.

Minnesota Money Race In The Senate

At the FEC, every quarter seems to get more and more interactive. Notice the nice break down in the Senate race numbers and where the money is coming from. Link here.

Superdelegate Rundown

Minnesota, which voted for U.S. Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) 66% to 32% over U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY), has 16 superdelegates, who are free to vote for whichever candidate they want to. The 14 assigned superdelegates and who they are supporting are listed below. The two remaining delegates will be selected at the State Convention and will be granted all the powers that come with being a superdelegate. Superdelegates, while lacking the super-powers that make Superman, Spiderman, and the Green Lantern so cool, do serve an important role in the Democratic presidential nominating process. They are often elected officials or influential party members chosen by the party. While their votes count the same as a normal delegate, they are free to vote for whomever they see fit, not how the voters of the state or district decided.

Party Faithful vs. Party Endorsed: Part II
by PIM's Pam Steinle

Last week PIM began the discussion of judicial elections by contrasting differing perspectives of the same political party: former GOP Gov. Al Quie and Minnesotans for Impartial Courts (MIC) are attempting to amend the party platform (and the Minnesota Constitution) to include a provision that eliminates judicial elections in favor of retention elections and merit-based appointments, while Republican activist Bonn Clayton has passed a counterresolution in his precinct caucus that preserves judicial elections.

We left you last week with the following two quotes:

"I'm not sure why they don't agree," Clayton said, referring to Quie, and other Republican legislators who support MIC legislation. "Even the Minnesota district court judges want to see the system preserved... I can only guess... I think they should be supporting what most Republicans support. But they have their own views."

"Political battles are fought for power, not for impartial justice," Quie responded. "If we continue with contested elections, that will mean one group will try to win power over another group so that judges will make decisions to their liking. What we need is impartial judges to ensure justice for all people."

Rep. Steve Smith (R-Mound), a general practice attorney, is on the same side as Bonn Clayton.

"Retention elections do not solve the money problems and involvement of special interest groups that other states are experiencing, and could make the situation worse. Every judge might feel the need to raise funds in a retention election to be prepared for an attack on their record. And special interest groups trying to unseat a judge based on one decision wouldn't even have to find a viable opponent to run against the judge," Smith said. "I agree with the district court judges association, that before we amend our constitution and make significant changes to the right of voters to elect judges, we should move slowly, and carefully consider whether what we are doing is actually an improvement to the current system."

Clayton thinks his resolution will pass easily into the party platform because he has shown it to 300 GOP Central Committee members, and he has heard only positive comments about it. (see last week's story for more on Clayton).

"Most Republicans would say we don't like activist judges," Clayton said. "These proposals are things Republicans agree on. We decided to put it in writing."

Quie was more cautious about the destiny of his resolution, saying he didn't know if it would pass into the party platform or not. But he also says he has heard mostly positive feedback. He brought up the resolution at his precinct caucus, explained both sides of the argument, and only one person opposed it.

"I absolutely believe in the right of citizens to describe whether a judge should continue at the end of his term. I also believe we need a system to inform the voter about judges' performance while in office," Quie said. "Our judicial system doesn't exist for judges and attorneys but for litigants and if we ensure impartiality for people without power there will be impartial justice for all."

Both resolutions will now proceed to either county or senate conventions, and upon majority vote will move up to Congressional District Conventions. From there, resolutions are brought before a state platform committee, which will make the decision to bring the resolution before the delegates at the state convention. According to party chair Ron Carey, it is entirely possible that both resolutions will be passed, perhaps even simultaneously at the same conventions, because only a minimal subset of delegates have strong opinions about judicial elections.

"For the majority of delegates, this is not the reason they came to caucus," Carey said. "It is highly subjective to say that one perspective has prevailing majority of people at this time, especially with the influx of new people. Right now we don't know the official party position."

PIM asked Carey if he thought elected Republicans had an obligation to support, as Clayton said, "what most Republicans support." Carey responded, "While we would like elected officials to support 100% of the platform, in reality they don't, and we have to find ways to deal with that." One solution from party faithful is a resolution that exacts promises from GOP-endorsed officials that they will support the party platform.

At the capitol, Sen. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope) introduced the Senate version of the MIC bill, and Rep. Steve Simon (DFL-St. Louis Park) is expected to introduce the House version on Monday. Republican legislators Sen. Mike Jungbauer (East Bethel), Sen. David Senjem (R-Rochester), Sen. Geoff Michel (R-Edina), Rep. John Berns (R-Wayzata) and Rep. Neil Peterson (R-Bloomington) are co-authors of MIC legislation. PIM got a hold of Jungbauer, and asked if he thought his support of the bill was against party sentiment.

"In my opinion the Republican Party has an identity crisis," said Jungbauer.

Jungbauer said the party doesn't have a clear stand on issues, and that planks in the party platform are too broad to be enforceable. He objects to being referred to as a moderate, because he sees himself as a social and fiscal conservative who is willing to compromise to get things done. He doesn't feel he is opposing the party by supporting MIC legislation, and he guesses party support for Quie's resolution vs. Clayton's resolution "is a 50/50 deal within the party."

"The biggest thing is that I get tons of calls from people who don't have any idea who these people are," said Jungbauer of judicial candidates. "The bottom line is to keep the judicial office from becoming political."

Fishing And Freezing
by PIM's Nick Lambert

I grew up here. I am a native. I get what the State Fair means (it's a religion), I understand why the State Hockey Tournament is such a big deal, I enjoy dining al fresco on that first 40-degree day in March. These things about about our state I live, I know, I love. However, ice fishing is the one "Minnesota" activity that makes about as much sense to me as a M.C. Escher painting. The people you see sitting on a bucket in the middle of Lake Calhoun when the temperature doesn't crack zero watching a hole, I see as certifiable. Even these villages that are set up with roads and huts everywhere scare me. You are on ice, people! At any moment, the ice could crack, in you can go. Maybe the part of my Minnesotan brain that sees no problem with driving a car over ice never fully developed. The New York Times did a story today about that ice fishing Mecca known as Lake Mille Lacs, and the palatial ice huts springing up there. Looking at some of the photos posted with the story, I may be coming along - then again an HDtv and some cold beer could make even Superior, Wisconsin enjoyable! These places are nice, heated, have a bathroom, civilized; a far cry from more rustic pursuits I normally associate with ice fishing. I guess fishing in someone's living room that just so happens to be located on a lake doesn't seem that bad. Couple that with a little fresh 75 across and I may have found a new hobby.

Bits & Pieces

For Capitol veterans, it's the end of an era. Senate staffer Marge Romero quietly retired two weeks ago. Marge... quiet? Difficult to fathom, but that's the way the hardworking, highly respected, universally adored, personality-plus Romero wanted it. Not to worry, however, because Marge will have a blow-out retirement party. Time, date and place will be announced as soon as Marge can find a place where people can smoke indoors. Marge started working at the Capitol in 1984. She was most recently the legislative assistant to Senate Capital Investment Chair Sen. Keith Langseth (DFL-Glyndon). Capitol basketball fans are freaking out...Marge ran the Capitol's March Madness pool. [Younger PIM staff say thanks to Marge for the bummed menthols to compensate for Directory-produced stress.]

Replacing Romero as aide to Langseth is Jennifer Burks, who worked for KARE-11 at the Capitol last session. Burks is a University of St. Thomas grad. We know we're missing many other staff changes. Please send them to staff@politicsinminnesota.com.

Pitchers and catchers reported to Spring Training this week, a sure sign the baseball season is nearly upon us. This past Wednesday, Roger Clemens was questioned by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform for alleged human growth hormone use. Rep. Betty McCollum (D-MN4) sits on the committee but did not attend the hearing yesterday. McCollum chose to attend a meeting on family economics rather than hear seven-time Cy Young winner Clemens and his former trainer Brian McNamee testify before Congress. She chose to attend the economic meeting feeling her constituents would care more about it.

The Mesabi Daily News has hired a familiar face (at least to your Publisher) to cover the Capitol during the session. Brady Silver, a 2007 University of Minnesota School of Journalism grad, will be doing the tough work of covering the Iron Range Delegation. Silver was an intern for your publisher and Brian Lambert along with producer Rob Pendleton back in KTLK radio days in 2006.

David Rehr, the new president of the National Association of Broadcasters and an alumnus of St. John's University, hosted a book party for "North Star Rising: Minnesota Politicians on the National Stage" by Minnesota's own national journalist and author Barry Casselman last week in Washington. A huge crowd, featuring a who's who of Minnesotans living and working in the nation's capital attended, including U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D) and Norm Coleman (R), U.S. Reps. John Kline (R CD2) and Tim Walz (D CD1), Pennsylvania Congressman Phil English, and staff members representing the whole Minnesota delegation. Co-hosts were former congressmen Vin Weber, Tim Penny and Martin Sabo. Introducing the author, former Governor and first Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge cited Casselman's national network of friends and colleagues. Native Minnesotans, diplomat Bruce Laingen and author John Haynes, attended as did an array of national media figures, including Michael Barone, Tony Blankley, Stu Rothenberg, Steve Scully (C-SPAN), David Mark (Politico.com), Minnesota native David Andrusko, Nathan Gonzalez, Al Neri and several others.

The changing face of journalism will be discussed in a forum sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. The forum, Feb. 25th at 7pm, is free but registration is required. So visit the SPJ website to RSVP. Join host Bob Collins, the creator of MPR's News Cut blog, Dan Gillmore, director of the Knight Center for Digital Media Entrepreneurship at Arizona State University, and other experts and bloggers as they debate the path online journalism will blaze in the 21st century.

MPR's website is hosting the 2008 Minnesota Fantasy Legislature (MFL), and the current leader today is Larry Haws (DFL-St. Cloud). Filing bills, getting committee hearings, getting a sponsored bill through committees and through the houses of the Legislature all earn points. If a legislator gets a bill vetoed and then overridden, that's worth 100 points (as it should be)! Unfortunately, registration is closed, and you can no longer form new tradeable teams of legislators.

We here at PIM realize that at this time of year global warming is often seen as a welcome phenomenon, but for those worried about its effects, the Center of the American Experiment would like to welcome you to a luncheon with economist Margo Thorning.Thorning is a veteran of the Departments of Energy and Commerce, and the Federal Trade Commission. The forum will focus less on the actual effects of global warming and more on the economy reacting to the "going green" movement. The event is March 6th from noon-1:30 p.m. For directions and ticket prices click here.

After a long winter spent watching CNN, why not get some exercise and help a good cause? The Fraser Walk for Autism isn't until April 12th but it is never too early to start raising money. All participants who raise more than $100 will receive an official T-shirt. For more information and to register visit the Fraser website or call Rose at (612) 798-8343.

The Minnesota Women's Consortium want all women to come to the Capitol and make their voices heard March 12th from 8:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The event is $15 and features an issues panel as well as time to meet with legislators from around the state. Please RSVP by March 7th to Bonnie Watkins at (651) 228-0338 or bonnie@mnwomen.org.

Education Minnesota has endorsed 6th District Congressional hopeful Elwyn Tinklenberg. With 70,000 members, it is the 21st union to endorse Tinklenberg, who is running against tax lawyer/community banker Bob Olson for the DFL endorsement.

The Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs will be hosting an information session for prospective students February 28th at 12 p.m. The event focuses on the masters programs for Masters of Science, Masters of Public Policy, and Science Technology, and Environmental Policy Program. The program is in room 170 of the Humphrey Center from 12 p.m -1:30 p.m., and will feature faculty, current students and admissions staff to answer questions. RSVP online here.

Asian Media Access will be holding its annual New Year Celebration. The 3rd Annual Lunar New Year Gala is March 2nd from 12 p.m.- 3 p.m. at the Varsity Theater in Dinkytown. Yes, the event features an Asian buffet and a silent auction. For more information call (612) 376-7715 or email amamedia@amamedia.org. You can also visit their website.

Minneapolis lawyer Susan Segal was unanimously confirmed as Minneapolis City Attorney this week. She was a top deputy in then-Hennepin County Attorney Amy Klobuchar's office, president of the Mental Health Association of Minnesota and an adjunct prof at the U Law School and William Mitchell.

The platform that powers PIM's website, Drupal, jumped to version 6.0 this week, which is good news for campaigns and organizers that need a robust, free, flexible web platform for promoting their candidates and issues. In our expert opinion, Drupal 6 still needs some add-on modules to be completed in the next few weeks, but it should deliver excellent results. An expanding circle of Twin Cities consultants do Drupal work, Gorton Studios, Triangle Park Creative, Advantage Labs, Sundays Energy among them. It's politically relevant because more and more local political operations, institutions and media outlets are using Drupal as their platform (the Science Museum, Rake Magazine, the Daily Planet, Minnesota immigrant rights orgs, etc.), along with major media companies like AOL and Sony BMG. The core global Drupal development team will be in Minneapolis next week, as the U of M will help them conduct usability research (because the U library is planning to switch to Drupal, as well). Organizers may like the CiviCRM package, which empowers groups to manage members, organize and fundraise online.

Lobbyist Watch

From the Minnesota Campaign Finance & Public Disclosure Board:

• Recently Registered Lobbyists
• Recently Terminated Lobbyists