Almanac: At the Capitol

I'm pretty impressed with what the Democrats are doing at the statehouse these days. But now the rubber hits the road. How will it all play out with the governor?

A couple things should not go unnoticed: DFLers are way ahead of past years in passing omnibus budget bills into conference committee … all, at least in the Senate, will pass before spring break. I can't remember the last time that happened.

And DFLers are taking a strong stand for what they believe and what they promised in their campaigns. Their constituents want more money for education, property tax relief and transportation, and the DFL is putting money on the table. They are proposing tax increases. That takes guts and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Now the spotlight turns to the governor. With every passing day he continues to say "no new taxes." He didn't sign a pledge, but he sounds like a broken record. Let's hope the governor is posturing. Does he really want to go back to the disaster of 2003 when he won 100%? Governor, the legislative process is not "all or nothing." To veto any and all tax increases is wanting it all.

Now is the time for the legislature to revisit the old days. We were forced to compromise ... with the governor, house and senate giving and taking their share. It all came to a head in 2000 with three-party government, when the process became transparent. Majority Leader Roger Moe (with the help of chief of staff Vic Moore who came up with the idea) announced the big compromise: a Third, a Third, a Third. He gave a name to what really happened for years in the legislative process.

It was simplistic, I'll grant you. The Independent Governor got his license tab fee reductions. The Republican House got their income tax rebates. And the DFL Senate got to invest their dollars in education and environment. It was a Third, a Third, a Third.

Gov. Pawlenty, you are now only one-third of the equation. You can't have it "all or nothing" a second time regarding new revenues. Take your third and use it to protect the taxpayers most important to you. Politically, you have everything to gain and you can claim victory by tempering the "excesses" of the DFL.

To their credit, Democrats have shown willingness to compromise. DFLers can take their two-thirds and focus it where investments really count. Not every interest group will be happy. But politically they also gain by moderating their tax proposals.

And in the end, Minnesotans win.