Commentary; Posted: 4/9/03

Legislature running out of time

T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol Reporter

Lawmakers have about six weeks to wrap things up at the Capitol, yet hardly seem gathered for anything like a final push. Racino insiders, astute at these things, give the Legislature diminishing odds at completing the session by May 19. And events suggest there will be more milling before things begin to move ahead.

Dissension seems the order of the day in the House. On March 31, House DFLers spoke of broken trust and took the unusual parliamentary step of formally challenging rulings of germaneness by House Speaker Steve Sviggum.

In part, the protests arose over a Republican tactic of amending abortion legislation onto a bill dealing with circuses as a means of forcing action in the Senate.

Whatever the tactical advantage, the Republican move seems callous ó a well-appointed task force could not have found a worse bill to serve as a vehicle for the abortion legislation if so charged.

Anyway, DFLers were upset. And this week will likely not usher in the Age of Aquarius in the House.

For one thing, the germaneness issue will reappear on Monday. And Monday night, a House ethics committee will hear an ethics complaint filed against Rep. Arlon Lindner, R-Corcoran.

Lindner, as may be remembered, is the lawmaker who, through comments on the House floor, allegedly brought disrepute to the House.

His attorney has promised a vigorous defense and proposes to hold up a mirror so liberals can gaze into it to see that theyíve become what they purport to despise.

Lindner might be seen as the right-wing version of Billy Jack; the 1970s liberal, movie icon of the peaceful, quiet man driven to action by the unreasoning passions of The Man.

Lindner is from Texas, so he may have a flat-brimmed hat somewhere in a steamer trunk ó a hat like actor Tom Laughlin wore in the movie ó and maybe he could wear it to the ethics committee.

Itís a tasteless move, but politics can be a little raw.

Which pretty much sums up Lindnerís comments on the House floor. Even so, Minnesota knows a little more about a lawmaker from Corcoran because he exercised his First Amendment rights.

Racino oddsmakers place the odds at 4-1 against Lindner being found guilty of breaking House rules.

Beyond all of the politics, the actual process of budget negotiations between the House and Senate hasnít really started.

Republicans presented their budget proposal last week. While pretty much a duplicate of Gov. Pawlentyís budget plan, House Republicans included gambling revenue from the proposed racino envisioned for Canterbury Park.

Their proposal lacks a bonding bill ó a likely stickingpoint for Senate DFLers.

(The Senate was planning to present its budget proposal on Monday, April 7).

Anyway, the budget debates hold a number of imponderables that are not easily dismissed.

For instance, Pawlenty has repeatedly stated his opposition to an expansion of gambling.

Both House Republicans and the governor have pledged not to raise taxes. Senate DFLers, unless they change their historic opposition to the expansion of gambling, almost have to propose tax increases if they want to pump more money into the state budget.

This is a critical moment for DFLers.

If they submit to the no new tax approach, they risk the slide into irrelevancy. If they propose raising taxes, they apparently run against the popular sentiment ó at least according to some recent polls. But they would also offer an alternative vision. And any rebirth begins with an inkling of where to go.

Pawlenty has said that the public, with the war and other national concerns, is not likely to be tolerant of Legislature that lingers after May 19.

The Legislature has the proven ability to let things go until the final moments and then miraculously, behind closed doors, strike deals and clear out of St. Paul.

It may well happen again. But Racino insiders smell a foolish bet.

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