Legislators emptied out of St. Paul this week for a spring break. Our Mary Lahammer gives us the highs and lows of the first six weeks of the legislative session.
Coon Rapids' own Rockie Lynne was named by Billboard Magazine as the artist it believes "Most Likely to Succeed." He's been on the Grand Ole Opry a dozen times, but this week he graces our stage. Rockie is one of the featured artists on Musicians for Minneapolis, a compilation CD devoted to I-35W Bridge Disaster Relief.
Many Twin Cities arts organizations are headed by new leaders. We meet with four of them ... Olga Viso with Walker Art Center ... Michael Henson with the Minnesota Orchestra ... Patricia Mitchell with the Ordway ... and Kathleen van Bergen with the Schubert Club.
Political essayist and cartoonist David Gillette tells us all about the Legacy Act.
The environment takes center stage in the House, Senate and with Gov. Pawlenty. Plus, Robert Bly becomes our state’s first official poet laureate.
It's a family memoir written by Joe Amato published this month by the Minnesota Historical Society Press. In the book, Amato makes the case for rethinking how family histories are written.
What's the state of our state? We hear from panelists Fritz Knaak, Andy Brehm, Blois Olson and Jane Ranum.
Mary Lahammer brings you all the fastbreaking items.
Thursday, February 14, 2008 - 2:48 pm
In shockingly speedy fashion the House and Senate have passed a constitutional amendment dedicating 3/8 of 1% of a sales tax increase to the outdoors and arts. The Senate debated for just 45 minutes and the House for just an hour (believe me that's fast) and bi-partisanly passed the bill 85-46 and 46-17. What's interesting is support for this wasn't a party thing. Dems and GOPers both voted for and against it. Some don't want to budget through the constitution, some don't like the sales tax increase, some don't like the arts and parks being added on. While much of the opposition in the House was Republican, many Northern Minnesota lawmakers voted against it — apparently they have had it with local sales tax increases.
It's amazing that this has had so much support from so many different people for so many years and it took a decade to pass. But amending the constitutional is a big deal. We'll see if voters are willing to raise their own taxes. It may have helped that House and Senate leaders Sertich and Pogemiller took over the bills to finally move them to the floor. The governor does not have to sign a constitutional amendment, it goes straight to the voters. But note Sertich's red rose for the special occasion. Here's the quote to match from supporters' press release: "With love in the air on this Valentine’s Day, the state Legislature passed some on to Minnesota’s natural resources and cultural heritage as it approved the landmark Great Outdoors and Heritage Amendment as its first piece of business."
In shockingly speedy fashion the House and Senate have passed a constitutional amendment dedicating 3/8 of 1% of a sales tax increase to the outdoors and arts. The Senate debated for just 45 minutes and the House for just an hour (believe me that's fast) and bi-partisanly passed the bill 85-46 and 46-17. What's interesting is support for this wasn't a party thing.
