Almanac: At the Capitol

In a day dominated by pubic safety, House Republicans fail to get their bill passed, Governor Pawlenty wants to put offenders to work, and the Senate passed an anti-bullying bill.

View the Capitol Update for April 16, 2009.

The debate over marriage is back, but this time it's different.  People rallied at the Capitol today in favor of gay marriage.  Bills this session would "make Minnesota's marriage laws gender-neutral."  While the anger and passion isn't the same as a few years ago, there was still an uncomfortable interaction during today's rally.  Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) who is also openly gay was addressing the crowd, but he was repeatedly interrupted by a man holding a marriage between a man and a woman sign by yelling "let the people vote."  Dibble had to say "please respect our rally" and he chimed back "respect our right to vote.'  The vote the man was talking about was the effort to define marriage as a union between one man and one woman in a constitutional amendment which was the most controversial issue several years ago at the Capitol.  Today the bill to allow gay marriage has dozens of sponsors.

It seems it's the week of first-time news conferences.  First premise: make sure your idea is new or different.  Rep. Pat Garofalo (R-Farmington) held his first news conference today.  Garofalo is proposing giving early high school graduates scholarships that also saves the state budget money because they won't be in school anymore.  He said some Democrats privately like the idea, but Education Chair Mindy Greiling said "We already have Post Secondary Enrollment Options and College in Schools--which I strongly support...  This doesn't sound much different."

Afterwards he asked me how he did since it was his first time.  I had to tell him the highest praise is the fact a DFL staffer in the back of the room said his members could learn something from this about doing press conferences.  Garofalo was stunned and open to more feedback, that's another good sign, being willing to take press feedback.

What Garofalo did well was keep his opening statement brief, less than 5 minutes and told us more details are in the press materials.  You don't need to read your press release.  That allowed for 10 solid minutes of questions.  There half-hour long news conferences where we get in fewer questions than we did today in a 13 minute press conference.  The other helpful aspect of this news conference was while there were many lawmakers present, not every one of them felt the need to talk (which is rare).  It's great to have supporters in attendance, but not all 10 of them need to speak.  If the press wants to hear from someone, they'll ask.  

So after being a bit tough on another lawmaker's first press conference this week because the idea was quickly shot down, this was one done right.  And speaking of that other news conference, Sen. Dibble gave his "sincere apology" for his remarks dismissing Sen. Gimse's idea of moving mass transit funding to school busing.  Dibble says he will now schedule a hearing for the bill.

Sen. Joe Gimse (R-Willmar) proposed moving money from mass transit to school busing.  95 of the 100 million dollars would come from the metro, just 5 million would come from greater Minnesota.  Needless to say, it's not going to happen.  Sen. Scott Dibble (DFL-Minneapolis) says the idea will not get a hearing-- so dead on arrival as most suspected. 

Nothing divides lawmakers faster than rural versus metro and this idea smacks of that.  We've seen party lines crumble over the years as rural lawmakers routinely grapple with members from the metro.  Gimse said it was a "setting of priorities" and said many superintendents are excited.  The Senator who knocked off former Majority Leader Dean Johnson said it would be fair because metro districts would get the same per-pupil transportation model as the rest of the state.  Gimse has been rather quiet (and likeable) for a guy who beat one of the most recognizable lawmakers at the Capitol, but this idea won't get much more attention after today.  It was the first news conference he's headlined after being up here a couple of years now.  

The Clinton and Obama camps keep growing in Minnesota. Clinton's campaign just held a press conference led by House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher. They announced a bunch of new endorsements in the Twin Cities, Duluth and Rochester. No earth-shattering names, but the campaign's continued activity is interesting. As the second female speaker of the House, Kelliher noted, of course, that Clinton would be the first female president and "she'll be ready on day one." Sen. Scott Dibble added his support. Minneapolis City Council President Barb Johnson said she never imagined that when she graduated from an all-girls high school that she could have a female president, "the thought never crossed my mind."

Meanwhile Obama's camp announced the first presidential TV ads will start running in our state. They obviously have been running a long time in states like Iowa with early tests and even in Arizona which has the same Super Tuesday schedule. I was inundated with Clinton and Obama ads watching Phoenix TV on my recent visit.

Politicos are really buzzing about the new Survey USA poll showing McCain beating both Obama and Clinton in Minnesota. In it McCain has 49% support running against Obama at 42% and Clinton at 45%. That has people wondering if it hurts or helps Pawlenty's VP potential. A VP is supposed to deliver their homestate, but we've been going pretty blue for president for decades. One thought has this poll helping TPaw's chances at the number two slot, the other would say McCain may not need Pawlenty. I think McCain probably fits the mold of those maverick independent voters who elected figures like Rudy Perpich, Arne Carlson and Jesse Ventura.

It was a day of dueling press conferences at the State Capitol. First, Gov. Pawlenty announced a new small business initiative worth about $70 million, which upstaged a Democrat's event on crime victims. Pawlenty also used his time with the press to clear up what he calls a misunderstanding about MnDOT's request for additional spending authority to cover the 35W bridge reconstruction. He said for lawmakers to not approve the money is "silly" and used the analogy that if this were a basketball game, this should be a lay-up. Meanwhile leading senators on transportation questioned whether the request is even legal. Sens. Dibble and Murphy say without federal money in hand, "This is irresponsible," especially with the governor's "abysmal record on transportation."

The other fight brewing is over the soon-to-be-announced health commissioner. The governor says he'll make an appointment "within a matter of days." Meanwhile DFLers led by Rep. Rukavina held a press conference with signs saying "restoring the trust" because Rukavina says there's no trust left on the Iron Range and he wants a commissioner who "relies on science, not voodoo science." Pawlenty's appointment will be telling. When lawmakers forced out his education commissioner, he responded with a less-partisan and well-liked lawmaker. We'll see if he's feeling concillatory.