Almanac: At the Capitol

Sportsmen for Change pointed out:

Yesterday the House State Government Finance Division Committee, Chaired by Rep Phyllis Kahn, approved an amendment which would remove retired State Senator Bob Lessard's name from the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council.

The bill HF1781 author is Rep Phyllis Kahn who is also the chair of the House committee.

The naming of the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council was in recognition of Senator Bob Lessard starting the decade long advocacy for Clean water, Land and Legacy Amendment passed by voters on November, 4th 2008. Throughout Senator Lessard's 26-year career in the Minnesota Senate he was a strong advocate for hunting, angling and the outdoors.

The Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council was passed last session by the legislature and before the November 4th statewide vote. Hunters and anglers had said throughout 2008 legislative session that the council was critical to ensure support amongst Minnesota's 1.4 million hunters and anglers.

"Taking Lessard's name off the Lessard Outdoor Heritage Council would be a slap in the face to many of Minnesota's 1.4 million sportsmen and sportswomen who voted for the measure," said Garry Leaf, Executive Director of Sportsmen for Change. "The constituional amendment began with hunters and anglers, they rallied twice at the capitol and Lessards name was used over and over on campaign materials to help pass the amendment with this demograhic."

Many politicians talk about living green, but it's fun to catch them actually walking the talk — or in this case, biking the talk. I was downtown Minneapolis on my way to interview a high-profile former CEO for another story and I ran into Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Minneapolis) getting on her bike. I know I used to run into her a lot in road races back in the day when we were both faster distance runners. But to see a lawmaker biking downtown to do a little shopping is unusual. Kahn tends towards the unusual, but she says she recently had company downtown Minneapolis when Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller biked to their same meeting downtown. And yes, that's a Talbot's bag she's about to strap to the bike. She didn't walk out of Sak's with a sack :) 

The majority and minority leaders of the House are good. Today there was another classic Sertich-Seifert exchange on the floor. Majority Leader Tony Sertich stood up to ask Minority Leader Marty Seifert why he was surrounded by children, he recalled an Indiana Jones movie where the villain surrounds himself with children for protection (Sertich is quite a movie buff). Seifert responded that they were thinking of fleeing the state because of tax increases, women and children first. That got a laugh. Sertich quickly rejoined that Seifert's children may want to flee, but he's trying to get them more funding for their schools. That got a laugh too. These guys are doing a masterful job of bringing a good amount of levity mixed with just enough policy to keep it quotable and fun. They are so well matched. Each is smart and young, quick and experienced. And they don't seem to hate each other which can be productive. BTW, Seifert's family is at the Capitol today to celebrate his birthday, he's 35 which even he will admit surprises most people who he says think he's 45. Rep. Phyllis Kahn just stood up to add her two cents. She pointed out that at 35 Alexander the Great was already dead for 3 years and in his year of birth 1972 Prozac was introduced.