Saint Paul important event WEDNESDAY!!! Come!!

STOP THE EVICTIONS AND FORECLOSURES!
Cerenity Care Center near 7th and Arcade, St Paul, MN
Wednesday, 12 Oct 2011, 3:00 PM
This is a public rally to build public awareness around corporate and public policy decisions to close nursing homes. Every time a home closes, the residents who called it "home" are being evicted! We need to stop the cuts to nursing home jobs and public funding for critical services our seniors deserve!


Message from host: Cerenity Care Centers have just announced the closings of two nursing homes vital to their communities - Dellwood Place on the east side of St Paul and Bethesda HE Cerenity Care in South St Paul. Big business decisions and policy makes need to be accountable for their life-changing decisions! Many seniors do not long survive such traumatic changes in their lives and this is a real JOBS CUTS issue for all of the caregivers and staff who are losing their jobs and losing their American Dream!

Status: Public, open for RSVP, 21 attendees (max. 300)

Address:
    753 7th St East (Map)
    St Paul, MN 55106

http://pol.moveon.org/event/events/attendees/index.html?id=31867-8592068-CBe5utx&event_id=121768

Poll: Majority of Minnesotans Not Happy with Budget Deal

Posted at 12:02 AM on August 18, 2011 by Tom Scheck (0 Comments)
Filed under: MN Legislature, Mark Dayton

 

A new poll, commissioned by the Bush Foundation, found that two thirds of those surveyed are not happy with the budget agreement that ended a 21 day state government shutdown. The poll also found that a majority of those polled think the state is headed in the wrong direction.

Governor Dayton and the GOP-controlled Legislature shut down state government for three weeks because they were at odds over the best way to balance the state's two year budget. The two sides agreed to cut spending, borrow against future tobacco payments and delay payments to K12 schools to erase the deficit. The poll found that a majority of Minnesotans weren't happy with that deal.

"The poll made it very clear that people were unhappy about any sort of shift or borrowing against the future," The Bush Foundation's C. Scott Cooper said. "People much preferred to deal with the problem now, face it head on and tackle it."

Cooper, with the Bush Foundation, says the polling is consistent with the results the group gathered from a number of focus groups conducted by the Bush Foundation on the state budget. He said they held town hall meetings in Grand Rapids, Rochester and Bloomington to gauge how the state's budget problems should be addressed.

The poll also found that 54 percent of those surveyed think a mix of spending cuts and revenue increases are needed if the state faces another deficit. At the same time, 80 percent of those polled think making government services more efficient should be "the most central piece" or "a major part" of the solution.

The findings are consistent with other polling that shows the public wants to see lawmakers rein in government spending but balk when the focus of those cuts turns to popular and expensive programs. Cooper said the results from the focus groups were more nuanced. For example, he said some were willing to make sacrifices in order to see things get better.

"People want the reform and they're willing to pay the price in the short-term if they think we can get the reforms in the long-term," Cooper said.

The most striking result from the poll is the dissatisfaction that the general public has about their quality of life. 40 percent of those polled said they believed the quality of their lives was getting worse. Nicole Martin Rogers, a researcher with polling group Wilder Research, said that was a 17 percentage point increase from a similar poll done in December.

Both Governor Dayton and GOP legislative leaders are working to show that they understand the frustration. Dayton is scheduled to launch a statewide jobs tour to discuss ways to improve the state's economy.

Republicans in the Minnesota House are scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday morning to discuss what they have characterized as "the start of the "Reform 2.0" agenda for the 2012 legislative session."
The two sides disagree on the best way to tackle some of the key issues facing the state.

Dayton has been pushing for a mix of spending cuts and income tax increases on Minnesota's top earners to solve the state's budget problems over the long-term. Republicans have rejected tax hikes of any kind and say the focus needs to be on cutting government spending.

The poll was conducted between August 1 and August 4. It has a margin of error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Here's the poll.
Here's the report from The Bush Foundation.

State budget ‘deal’ not a deal for people with disabilities

http://www.leadershipandcommunity.com/2011/07/28/state-budget-%E2%80%98deal%E2%80%99-not-a-deal-for-people-with-disabilities/

BY 

SUE WARNER

 – JULY 28, 2011POSTED IN: COMMUNITY

The following analysis of the State of Minnesota budget compromise was originally produced by Courage Center’s Public Affairs and Research Department. It gives a good summary of how the state budget deal impacts people with disabilities in general, and Courage Center clients in particular. This edited version is posted with permission:

What was in the final deal?

The approved state budget spends more in the next two years than the state did in the last two years, but significantly less than the projected growth of programs. That’s why both sides in this budget fight could claim victory: spending is growing, but there are big cuts in what would have been spent had changes not been made. The approved Health and Human Services budget for the biennium is $11.3 billion. This is a billion dollars more than the last biennium we just finished (at $10.2 billion), but also a billion less than DHS had projected would have been needed to provide the same level of services to a growing population. In this respect, people with disabilities and the organizations that serve them, including Courage Center, were hit hard.

So if the final budget agreement spends more, where did the revenue come from?

The added spending over the last biennium was funded solely through borrowed funds, not permanent increases in the revenues coming in to the state budget. Shifting school payments and borrowing money from future tobacco bonds brought in an extra $1.4 billion to prevent deeper spending reductions.

Does this framework build a foundation for future stability?

Unfortunately, the fundamental cost drivers – primarily health spending – were not addressed head on. Unless the state and national economic outlook brightens beyond the expectations of most experts, this deficit scenario will repeat itself in 18-24 months.  The core issue – not enough funding for service levels either needed or provided – remains.

What are the immediate impacts of the budget agreement for Courage Center?

The biggest impacts affect our payments for people on Medical Assistance (MA):

– For physician services and therapies, rates will drop 3%;
– For community-based services like Independent Living Skills and Behavior Services, payments will shrink by 1.5%;
– Daily per diem payments for inpatient care in our Transitional Rehabilitation Program (TRP) are not cut, but other payments made to TRP will decline;
– Payments for any services provided to complex clients who have Medicare and MA coverage will drop significantly;
– While most rehab services (PT, OT, speech) were preserved, specialized maintenance therapy for adults was eliminated;
– Additional prior authorization requirements will be required before most rehab therapies can begin;
– Despite being passed by the state House and Senate earlier this year, a change sought by Courage Center to give us more flexibility to manage our MA population was not included in the final deal.

Are reform and policy changes addressed in this deal?

Both the Governor and legislature want significant health reform, and will be seeking permission from the federal government to adjust the way health care works in Minnesota. The good news is that Courage Center is very much on the forefront with our Primary Care Clinic (a health care home), supported by our strong measurement and data efforts perfectly positioned to capitalize on the reforms below:

– Assessing the needs of people with disabilities more often to better target (and limit) services;
– Pay specialists and hospitals less and primary care providers more;
– Focus on time-limited, low-cost services to avoid more expensive long-term care services; and
– Pay more to providers who achieve better health for their clients, and pay less to those who don’t.

What other changes will impact the disability community?

A big change will see people with disabilities automatically enrolled in managed care plans unless they “opt out.” This is a very big policy change. Other cuts that will affect Courage Center clients include:

– Co-payments for drugs and medical services will be higher;
– Less access to personal care attendant (PCA) services for those with mental health conditions.

What will the future bring?

The end of the longest shutdown in state history and the conclusion to the 2011 legislative session brings some relief, and will mean many things return to business as usual. However, we have difficult work ahead to provide our clients with the services they need while balancing our own organization’s budget in a continuously challenging economic environment.

Calculating the Bonding Bill’s Jobs Impact

By Tyler Hanson, Undergraduate Research Fellow

Minnesota’s budget deal has been criticized for irresponsible borrowing, namely from tobacco funds and schoolchildren. It does, however, contain an example of smart borrowing: a $500 million bonding bill that will invest in our future and put Minnesotans back to work in the short term.

The bonding bill will spend $500 million on construction projects across the state, including a new physics and nanotechnology building at the University of Minnesota, a new science and engineering building at St. Cloud State University, new wastewater treatment facilities, and levees for flood mitigation. In addition, the bill sets aside funds for restoring and renovating aging public buildings all over the state.

The dire condition of Minnesota’s construction industry makes these projects even more important. Construction employment began declining after the housing bubble peaked in late 2005 and took a nosedive when the downturn began in late 2007. Even after the recession officially ended in mid 2009, construction employment had continued to fall since overall job growth has remained sluggish. Seasonally adjusted, industry employment has dropped by over 50,000 since the peak of the housing bubble. Furthermore, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Minnesota construction unemployment in 2009 was a whopping 17.5%, compared to overall unemployment of 7.4% that year.

Fortunately, the bonding bill provides a much needed shot in the arm for construction employment. In the short term, the bonding bill will fund infrastructure projects that will create thousands of jobs directly in the construction sector.

In 2009, according to data from the BLS and the Bureau of Economic Analysis, construction in Minnesota generated about $10.6 billion in gross state product and employed over 93 thousand workers. Per worker, gross state construction product came in at around $113 thousand—meaning that an additional $113 thousand in gross product roughly corresponds to one additional job.

The bonding bill pumps $500 million into the construction sector: that corresponds to about 4,400 jobs. Labor costs don't account for the full $113 thousand, though. Gross construction compensation comprised about 48% of gross construction product in 2009, or about $54.8 thousand per worker. In total, the bonding bill will provide about $241 million in compensation (wages, health care and other benefits) for construction sector employees.

The other 52% of the bonding bill will be spent on non-labor inputs and other construction costs, having a stimulating effect on the non-construction economy. Eventually, this $259 million will make its way into the pockets of workers in non-construction sectors as they are benefitted by the increased demand for inputs. The average non-construction worker received about $45.4 thousand in total 2009 compensation. $259 million in non-labor construction spending, then, will eventually create about 5,700 non-construction jobs.

The bonding bill will also have a multiplier effect on Minnesota’s economy. As more workers become employed due to increased construction spending or see wage growth, they will spend those additional wages on goods and services, further stimulating the economy. In their 2010 study of the recent federal stimulus, economists Alan Blinder and Mark Zandi calculated a multiplier of 1.57 for infrastructure spending—that is, for every dollar spent by the government on infrastructure projects, $1.57 is contributed to the aggregate economy. The $500 million bonding bill, then, would have a gross impact of $785 million on Minnesota’s economy: $500 million directly, and $285 million indirectly through stimulated consumer spending.

That additional $285 million will also eventually be spent in other places, meaning even more job creation. In 2009, wages averaged $45.8 thousand across all sectors, meaning that a $285 million increase in gross state product corresponds to over 6,200 jobs.

Chalk it all up and the bonding bill could provide over 16,000 jobs for Minnesota over the next few years. The actual number will likely be fewer, as an increase in gross state product will also be reflected in wage growth. Either way, the bonding bill will put thousands of Minnesotans back to work and put more money in the pockets of thousands more.

Some would argue, though, that stimulus policies only create a short term “sugar-high” and fail to address long-term economic issues while piling debt onto the future. Eventually, the bill's short-term employment benefits will disappear and leave the government with unmanageable debt and an unimproved economic outlook. This, however, is far from the case.

First, it will be well within the state’s means to manage the bonding bill’s debt service. According to February’s budget forecast, Minnesota’s general debt is around $6 billion and service on that debt is projected to total about $475 million. This compares favorably with other states: a 2008 Minnesota Taxpayer’s Association report ranked Minnesota 34th in the nation for interest on general debt per $1,000 of income. Dayton's original $1 billion bonding proposal would have added $18 million to the state's biennial debt service, which was within our ability to handle. The $500 million bill, then, would only add about $9 million, keeping interest payments at a healthy level.

Unfortunately, persistent deficits over the past decade have caused Minnesota’s credit ratings to suffer. Moody’s downgraded the state’s top rating in 2003 and Fitch followed suit this year, causing interest rates on municipal bonds to increase. Fortunately, Minnesota has retained its top rating from Standard & Poor’s and interest rates remain low and suitable for investment.

Second, the bonding bill is more than just a stimulus. It makes wise investments in infrastructure and education that will bring returns long into the future. Projects like new buildings at state colleges and universities, improved public infrastructure, and renovations to crumbling public buildings will be vital to Minnesota’s future. The bonding bill is smart policy because it provides not only short-term stimulus, but also long-term investment.

After a heated budget debate that polarized the state, a bonding bill is exactly the kind of forward-thinking policy that Minnesota needs. Conservative lawmakers have consistently labeled tax increases on the wealthy as “job-killers,” but the real job-killer is a failure to adequately invest in public infrastructure.

For $500 million dollars, Minnesota will get a lot of value: thousands of jobs in construction and beyond, hundreds of millions of dollars in the Minnesota economy, and valuable investments in infrastructure and education. It’s a welcome boost to the state, one that we’re going to need in light of the massive cuts in this year’s budget.

Bachmann: T-Paw left 'a multi-billion-dollar budget mess' plus more . .

http://www.minnpost.com/dailyglean/2011/07/25/30276/bachmann_t-paw_left_a_multi-billion-dollar_budget_mess

By Brian Lambert | Monday, July 25, 2011

Well, after taking digs from T-Paw for most of the last couple weeks, Our Favorite Congresswoman has dropped all pretense of observing the Republican 11th Commandment and blasted away. L.A. Holmes of FoxNews reports: “In a campaign email to supporters Sunday afternoon, Bachmann defended her ‘real world’ successes and excoriated Pawlenty for ‘leaving a multi-billion-dollar budget mess’ in Minnesota, which led to a government shutdown in the state early July. ‘Real world actions speak louder than the words of career politicians,’ the statement concludes. ... In the middle of it she also says, “I bring a record of success in the real world in business, the law, and in fighting for our principles. I am self-made. I worked my way through school. I have a post-doctorate degree in federal tax law from William and Mary. I worked in the US Federal Tax Court as a federal tax litigation attorney. I am a job creator. My husband and I built a successful private company from scratch. In Minnesota, I led an unprecedented effort to reform education —repealing intrusive regulations that hampered the ability of parents and educators to provide a quality education for their children.” As woozy as I always get when she starts talking about “the real world,” I have to wonder, given Pawlenty’s poll numbers, why she’s even mentioning him in public?

For his part, T-Paw, reports the AP, fired back: “Pawlenty spokesman Alex Conant said, "The difference is that when Governor Pawlenty was scoring conservative victories ... Congresswoman Bachmann was giving speeches and offering failed amendments, all while struggling mightily to hold onto the most Republican house seat in the state."

T-Paw’s real high point of the weekend, though, was going on CNN and, according to the AP, saying: “If you're the leader of the free world, would you please come to microphone and quit hiding in the basement about your proposals, and come on up and address the American people? Is he chicken?" Why am I thinking of Albert Brooks in “Broadcast News”?

A note on the other downside of selling bonds backed by tobacco revenue to resolve the budget stand-off. The AP’s Scott Karnowski writes: “The budget deal that ended Minnesota's government shutdown relies heavily on $640 million borrowed against money from the 1998 tobacco settlement. The strategy allows Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders to avoid the same amount in spending cuts or tax increases. But it could cost as much as $640 million in interest — plus a substantial annual revenue loss for years to come.” Hey, better to blow $640 million than cripple a “job provider.”

Way over in Poughkeepsie, Chuck Raasch at the Poughkeepsie Journal writes about driving through Minnesota during The Shutdown. Eventually he says: “In a vigorous democracy people argue about the amount of taxes they are willing to pay to build and maintain roads that get them to the lakes. But in the protracted, nasty budget and deficit fights here and nationwide, some have shorthanded ‘the government’ into the enemy of the people. Some always seem to wish for shutdowns to show government is unneeded. Real reasons exist to think government at all levels has gotten too big. But equally destructive is this idea of government inherently as enemy. It makes the people the foes of their own commonwealth. Such positions make it that much tougher to decide what is essential, and how to do it the best. It lets politicians dig in on campaign pledges [that] are not practical to solving issues in a diverse country. While we try to bury debts and deficits, maybe such absolutes can be buried with them.” Hmmm, “equally destructive”?

More links on Minnesota budget, transparency, bonding bill,

Buoyant Gov. Dayton signs budget bills that end shutdown
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2011/07/20/30193/buoyant_gov_dayton_signs_budget_bills_that_end_shutdown
http://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2011/07/20/dayton-signs-budget-shutdown-over.html
Gov. Mark Dayton was in remarkably buoyant spirits this morning as he sat down at a desk to sign the bills that end Minnesota's government shutdown.

Shutdown-ending deal is unpopular but the state slowly returns to business
http://www.twincities.com/ci_18519011
It's over. The longest state government shutdown in recent U.S. history officially ended at 9:08 a.m. Wednesday when Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton signed the last of 12 budget bills the Legislature passed during a marathon one-day special session that ended before daybreak.

List: What’s in the Minnesota bonding bill
http://finance-commerce.com/2011/07/list-what’s-in-the-minnesota-bonding-bill/
Here’s a rundown of the projects funded in the bonding bill, listed by agency. A spreadsheet detailing the projects can be found here.

Bill by bill: Special session ends shutdown
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2011/07/20/bill-bill-special-session-ends-shutdown
The 20-day shutdown is officiallyover, after a 12-hour-plus legislative marathon. A quick summary of all bills passed, complete with comparison to the conference committee version previously passed (GOP version) and Governor Mark Dayton's previous budget, is here at MPR.

Budget deal means big changes for schools, health
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/125924558.html
When laid-off government workers go back to their jobs Thursday, they immediately will deal with the effects of what's in the budget and borrowing bills signed into law.

At a glance: Health and Human Services budget
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/21/hhs_budget_glance/
When Gov. Mark Dayton signed the new Health and Human Services $11.4 billion budget into law, months of political wrangling over spending for health care and welfare programs came to an end. Here's a look at its impact on specific programs.

Health care providers, advocates feel budget sting
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/21/hhs_budget/
Advocates, nonprofits and health care providers continue to scrutinize a state Health and Human Services budget that could restructure social services and public healthcare in Minnesota for years to come.

Nursing home groups say budget deal has mixed messages
http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2011/07/20/30189/nursing_home_groups_say_budget_deal_has_mixed_messages
As the reviews of the budget deal continue to come in, nursing home officials say that the agreement  approved by the Republican Legislature and signed by DFL Gov. Mark Dayton sends mixed messages to seniors and nursing home operators.

Workers relieved by shutdown's end, outraged by budget
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/news/2011/07/20/workers-relieved-shutdowns-end-outraged-budget
While thousands of public and private sector workers are relieved to be returning to work after the nearly three-week state government shutdown, they are outraged by a budget that protects millionaires and increases the burden on Minnesota’s most vulnerable residents.

Nonprofits group says new budget will hurt low-income people
http://www.minnpost.com/politicalagenda/2011/07/20/30196/nonprofits_group_says_new_budget_will_hurt_low-income_people
That state budget compromise reached in the wee hours this morning will impact lower-income persons in many ways, including higher education and public safety.

Small cities anticipate LGA funding delay
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/ground-level/archive/2011/07/small-cities-anticipate-lga-funding-numbers.shtml
Just as the Legislature is about to begin a special session to settle the state's budget, the revenue department has issued a release stating that Local Government Aid (LGA) checks--scheduled to be issued tomorrow--will be delayed until at least July 27.

Transportation bill to make improvement, but falls short of need
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/20/budget-transportation-bill/
The nearly $500 million bonding bill signed into law Wednesday will borrow $10 million for local road maintenance and safety improvements.  The bill also designates nearly $56 million dollars toward the state's transportation infrastructure, which includes $33 million for local bridge repair and replacement. Twin Cities transitways will receive $20 million for projects that include the 35W south Bus Rapid Transit line, or BRT, and the Cedar Avenue BRT line.

Agreement between Governor Dayton and Legislature cuts transit by $54 million
http://minnesotabudgetbites.org/2011/07/18/agreement-between-governor-and-legislature-cuts-transit-by-54-million/
Details of the agreement between Governor Dayton and the Legislature on funding transportation emerged Monday afternoon. The bill includes more than $54 million in reductions to mass transit in the Twin Cities and Greater Minnesota. While this level of cuts is far below the $118 million proposed by the Legislature, the Governor’s budget had proposed no reductions in funding for transit.

Jobs and economic development budget bill a mixed bag for workers, employers and housing
http://minnesotabudgetbites.org/2011/07/20/jobs-and-economic-development-budget-bill-a-mixed-bag-for-workers-employers-and-housing/
Governor Dayton and the Legislature approved a jobs and economic development bill that increases funding by $2 million in FY 2012-13, or one percent. That is a better than the $14 million in cuts approved by the Legislature, but not as good as the $4 million increase proposed by the Governor. Within that overall figure there is significant new funding for some elements of workforce training, business development and affordable housing, but cuts to other areas. All of these services are important blocks in building Minnesota’s future economic success.

Some pluses, minuses -- but no big surprises -- in higher-ed outcome
http://www.minnpost.com/learningcurve/2011/07/20/30181/some_pluses_minuses_--_but_no_big_surprises_--_in_higher-ed_outcome
When the final, thumbs-up, thumbs-down version of the state’s higher-education bill was posted on the Minnesota Legislature’s website yesterday, it contained virtually nothing in the way of big surprises.

Higher education funding cut below FY 2000-01 levels in compromise agreement
http://minnesotabudgetbites.org/2011/07/19/higher-education-funding-cut-below-fy-2000-01-levels-in-compromise-agreement/
Higher education is cut by $351 million in the agreement reached between Governor Dayton and the Legislature, a 12 percent cut in general fund support in FY 2012-13 and slightly less than in the legislative budget. As a result, the state’s investment in higher education will fall below FY 2000-01 levels (and that’s in actual dollars, not inflation-adjusted). These cuts will jeopardize Minnesota’s future economic success, creating challenges for students seeking to improve their skills and for employers counting on hiring an educated workforce.

School officials ponder funding, policy changes in budget
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/20/budget-public-education-funding/
Education officials across the state spent the day poring over the $13.6 billion dollar K-12 education budget bill that Gov. Dayton signed into law Wednesday.

Public safety compromise still includes cuts in services for vulnerable populations
http://minnesotabudgetbites.org/2011/07/19/public-safety-compromise-still-includes-cuts-in-services-for-vulnerable-populations/
Governor Dayton and the Legislature have released a budget for public safety that increases funding by $17 million in FY 2012-13. The slight increase supports additional funding for prisons, public defenders and the courts, but the budget still includes cuts to services that will impact low-income families needing legal assistance, victims of crime and Minnesotans facing discrimination.

State parks could re-open for day use Friday
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/20/state-parks-re-open/
http://www.twincities.com/ci_18514310
The end of Minnesota's government shutdown will bring the re-opening of state parks, one of the most visible casualties of the budget impasse, starting as early as Friday.

Dayton considering special session for Vikings stadium bill
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/20/vikings_stadium/
http://www.startribune.com/sports/vikings/125862973.html
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/20/vikings_stadium/
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/vikings-stadium-bill-incomplete-july-20-2011
Gov. Mark Dayton confirmed Wednesday morning that he's willing to call lawmakers back for a special session on a Vikings stadium bill.

Tom Powers Live: A new Vikings stadium is inevitable, so for now, backers should just back off
http://www.twincities.com/sports/ci_18509881
Lester Bagley said the Vikings are "assessing their options" after hearing that their quest for a new stadium will not be considered during this special session of the Legislature.  Oooooo, I'm scared.

Nobody said ending shutdown would be easy -- or painless
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2011/07/19/30159/nobody_said_ending_shutdown_would_be_easy_--_or_painless
No one should have figured this would be easy.  And it wasn’t.  Republicans grimaced, DFLers winced, and  long recesses were the rule of the night as the Legislature tried to "quickly" end the longest shutdown in state history.

State agencies plan for slow restart
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2011/07/20/slow_restart/
The Minnesota government shutdown on July 1 may have felt abrupt, but state agency planning for it had been going on for weeks.

2011 legislative debates segueing into beginning of 2012 campaign
http://www.minnpost.com/stories/2011/07/20/30171/2011_legislative_debates_segueing_into_beginning_of_2012_campaign
The early hours this morning didn't so much mark the end of the 2011 legislative session as they did the beginning of the 2012 campaign.

DFL Reps seek to prohibit political party officers from working at the Legislature

by Briana Bierschbach
Published: July 20,2011
Time posted: 2:12 pm
Tags: government, Mindy Greiling, Ryan Winkler

DFL Rep. Ryan Winkler (Staff file photo: Peter Bartz-Gallagher)

A bill brought by a handful of DFL House members would prohibit all political party officials from also holding a job at the state Legislature.
Some liberal bloggers are already calling it the “Michael BrodkorbBill,” referring to the GOP Party deputy chair who also leads the Senate Republican’s communications team. The dual role has miffed plenty of Democrats around the Capitol, and  even became a key issue in a Republican-on-Republican row with RNC Committeewoman Pat Anderson during session.
The bill was introduced by DFL Reps. Ryan Winkler, Mindy Greiling, Jim Davnie, Kerry Gauthier, Rick Hansen, Carly Melin and Erin Murphy during Tuesday’s special session to pass the now-signed final budget bill.
Winkler said he can’t control how bloggers interpret the bill, saying only that elected officials should be answering to their constituents and there shouldn’t be “too much influcene from political parties” in the confines of the Capitol.
“I wouldn’t hire [DFL Party Chair] Ken Martin either,” Winkler said, adding that if GOP Rep. Tony Cornish hadn’t introduced a bill to stop legislator pay and other benefits during a government shutdown, he would have tacked that on to this bill as well.
“I don’t think we would have had a shutdown if legislators stopped getting paid and the political party wasn’t so influential on Republican legislators,” Winkler said.

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