Minnesota House and Senate Votes on Kitchen Table Economics

Records 1-20 of 57

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Votes

Kitchen table economics
Final House Vote, 2010 Special Session Omnibus Budget Bill

Body: House | Journal Page: 12 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Sertich
Acting on: HF1 Date: 05/17/2010
Result: Bill Passed 97 - 32

After four months of futzing around waiting for the Feds to bail them out, the DFL were finally tuckered out and ready to head to the cabin for Spring Break. The final deal was a masterful display of the art of kicking the can down the road to the driveway of the next legislative session. The bill included the K-12 shift good through 2013, a total 180-day holdback of corporate and sales tax refunds to allow the MMB bookkeepers to show an additional $152 million. Local aids (including reductions to the Local Government Aid formula) account for $299 million for the biennium; Also adopted the governor’s cut to renters credit of $52.3 million. A number of accounts were raided to help shore up the numbers. In the end the "solution" was a collection of shifts and holdbacks and transfers. Vote Red.

Kitchen table economics
Final Senate Vote, 2010 Special Session Omnibus Budget Bill

Body: Senate | Journal Page: 13 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author:
Acting on: Date: 05/17/2010
Result: Bill Passed 52 - 14

See: Final House Vote, 2010 Special Session Omnibus Budget Bill. Vote Red.

Kitchen table economics
Declare Urgency for SSHF2, Omnibus Education Funding Bill

Body: House | Journal Page: 14 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Greiling
Acting on: HF2 Date: 05/17/2010
Result: Motion Failed 85 - 43

Having already passed the session-ending HF1 Mega Finance Bill, Rep. Greiling put the House through one more vote to pass an education finance bill. To bring it before the body for passage the Greiling motion to suspend the Minnesota Constitutional requirements by declaring an emergency would need 90 votes. The motion failed on a party-line vote of 85-43. Too many controversial provisions along with the risk of opening negotiations to other issue areas and extending the special session into a slow-motion train wreck. Controversial provisions included: new language reducing nonpublic pupil aid, highly volatile statewide algebra testing; fund transfers for a long list of favored school districts. Vote Red to oppose suspending the Constitution and allowing the bill to be passed.

Kitchen table economics
Attorney General Expense Tracking Cost Report

Body: House | Journal Page: 10143 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? No |
Author: Hackbarth
Acting on: SF2519 Date: 04/13/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 55 - 72

Since we're talking about expenses, the Hackbarth amendment requires the attorney general to issue an annual report on the cost of the attorney general's review of utility expenses reported under SF 2519. Not scored.

Kitchen table economics
Expiration of Rules that Raise State Costs

Body: House | Journal Page: 10102 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Buesgens
Acting on: HF1320 Date: 04/13/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 35 - 96

The Buesgens amendment would force the expiration of new rules adopted by the Board of Pharmacy regarding the substitution of drugs used for the treatment of epilepsy or seizures if those rules conflict with the substitution requirements in current rules. Under the Buesgens amendment, the new rules would expire at the end of the next regular legislative session. The amendment would allow the new rules to be adopted, but would force the reconciliation of any increased costs related to the new rules. Without the amendment, the Board must only inform the Legislature of the new costs. Vote Green to maintain legislative authority over budget issues.

Kitchen table economics
PUC Expense Tracking Cost Report

Body: House | Journal Page: 10144 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? No |
Author: Hoppe
Acting on: SF2519 Date: 04/13/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 52 - 76

The Hoppe amendment is similar to the Hackbarth amendment. It requires the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to report "the total costs to public utilities associated with collection, review, and preparation of data required for compliance" with SF 2519. Not scored.

Kitchen table economics
Buesgens: Block Bloomington Bike Bridge

Body: House | Journal Page: 9748 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Buesgens
Acting on: HF2695 Date: 03/29/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 39 - 93

The Buesgens amendment deletes new language on page 45, line 25 (below) that adds the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge to the list of projects the Legislature finds worthy of its (taxpayer fueled) benevolence. Turns out the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge was converted into a bike bridge a few years back, and bike bridges, we know, are about as vital to the movement of goods and services in Minnesota as, well, bicycles. To be fair, the language does not commit state money, but allows the City of Bloomington to include the bridge as part of its Mall of America update project and thus Bloomington may spend its money on the bike bridge. In 2008, the project received $2 million in the bonding bill (story). Vote Green on the Buesgens amendment.

From HF 2695, 2nd Engrossment:

46.19    Sec. 38. Laws 1986, chapter 391, section 1, is amended to read:
46.20    Section 1.
46.21    The legislature finds that providing areawide and local financial assistance,
46.22including the provision of security for debt financing, but not including direct subsidies to
46.23private interests, in the development of the ~~former metropolitan stadium site~~ Industrial
46.24Development District 1 (Airport South) of the city of Bloomington, as amended, including
46.25any phase of the Mall of America, and the Old Cedar Avenue Bridge, is a public purpose
46.26of state, metropolitan, and local government in Minnesota and that it is a benefit to the
46.27metropolitan area within the purpose of the metropolitan revenue distribution program
46.28pursuant to chapter 473F.

Kitchen table economics
Final House Vote, HF 1671, Phase I Budget Cuts

Body: House | Journal Page: 9709 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Carlson, L.
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/29/2010
Result: Bill Passed 76 - 55

The conference committee report on this first budget reduction bill included $210 million in cuts and a $105 million reduction in local government aid (LGA). The bill did not deal with health and welfare spending or education, but solved roughly a third of the budget shortfall. No attempt was made to mitigate the ominous budget issues looming on the horizon - the DFL simply kicked the deficit can down the road to the next session. This bill was simply meant to allow the DFL to wait around to see how the Minnesota Supreme Court would rule on the 2009 unallotment issue and whether the feds would come come to the rescue with "FMAP" funding. (Days before the end of the 2010 Session, the Court would rule against Governor Pawlenty, and that had the effect of dumping another $2.7 billion onto the 2010 deficit. And in early June it was reported that the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) funding was in peril. Eventually House and Senate Democrats would give up and simply codify the majority of the 2009 unallotments.) Vote Red on this weak effort to deal with a monumental budget crisis.

Kitchen table economics
Final Senate Vote, HF 1671, Phase I Budget Cuts

Body: Senate | Journal Page: 9239 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Cohen
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/29/2010
Result: Reconsideration Passed 44 - 23

See House summary on this conference committee report. Vote Red.

Kitchen table economics
Final House Vote, HF 2695, Omnibus Jobs Bill II

Body: House | Journal Page: 9761 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Lenczewski
Acting on: HF2695 Date: 03/29/2010
Result: Bill Passed 112 - 20

Democrats just cannot resist the urge to use their power to pick winners and losers. Rather than simply back off and let the private sector work its magic, they try to bend the economy to their will. Problem is, they are simply not smart enough. It's not that they're dumb, it's just that markets are the result of millions of decisions made by millions of people who actually have something at stake. HF 2695 rewards favored constituent groups like the boutique providers of green energy and the handful of employers who are riding the heavily subsidized green jobs graveytrain. This bill is the Legislature's second attempt at a jobs bill in 2010 - the first being the $1 billion bonding bill that was pared back to $680 million via "multiple line item vetoes." This second bill is a mix of just enough "good" provisions to make it hard to vote against the bad stuff like historic structure rehabilitation, The Iron Range Honey Do List, special assessments for certain energy improvements, a new voluntary energy improvement financing scheme for local governments, green building and sustainable design projects to name a few. Vote Red.

Kitchen table economics
Final Senate Vote, HF 2695, Omnibus Jobs Bill II

Body: Senate | Journal Page: 9254 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Bakk
Acting on: HF2695 Date: 03/29/2010
Result: Bill Passed 58 - 3

See final House vote on this bill. No Senate floor amendments.

Kitchen table economics
Zero Deficits Through Zero-Based Budgeting

Body: House | Journal Page: 9180 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Kiffmeyer
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Amendment Adopted 71 - 63

The Kiffmeyer amendment would impose zero-based budgeting beginning in 2012. Included would be all state agencies, the judicial branch, the state retirement systems and, yes - even the House and Senate. The meat of the amendment is that "each proposed expenditure for the biennium covered by the budget must be justified as if it were a new expenditure." No more inflated base budgets, no more built-in increases, just a big fat zero. Each line-item in the budget would need to be justified "as if it were a new expenditure." All affected state agencies would have to state in writing in their budget documents "a justification for the existence of each activity by reference to statute or other legal authority..." and "a quantitative estimate of any adverse impacts that could reasonably be expected should the activity be discontinued, together with a full description of the methods by which the adverse impact is estimated." The new budget numbers would be based on the cost of maintaining state services at "the minimum level of service required by the statutory authority."

This massive overhaul of the budget process would undoubtedly keep the state's army of well-compensated bean counters busy, especially the first time through. But, hey, that's why they make the big bucks. By adopting this reform, the seemingly impossible job of balancing the state's budget might get a whole lot easier.

Kitchen table economics
Too Clever by Half

Body: Senate | Journal Page: 8480 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? No |
Author: Pogemiller
Acting on: SF3223 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 0 - 67

The political masterminds in the Minnesota Senate DFL Caucus thought it would be good theatre when they offered the Pawlenty Administration's budget cut proposal on the Senate floor. Sen. Pogemiller offered the Pawlenty budget reduction language as a DE (delete everything) amendment to the Cohen bill. Offering Administration bills has become a popular little game on the floors of the House and Senate, with Rep. Sertich pulling the same stunt that same day in the House. Take a proposal, more or less as introduced, without committee amendments and changes asked for by lobbyists and just throw it out there to get a roll call vote condemning the thing. Cute.

The Baby Ruth Bar in the punch bowl, so to speak, is the cut to local government aid (LGA) made in the Pawlenty proposal. Any cuts to LGA are characterized by the DFLers who run local governments as automatic increases in property taxes and automatic cuts in the number of cops on the street. But Majority Leader Pogy wasn't ready to offer his plan for balancing the budget. If the Democrats challenging the 2009 unallotments have their way in court, they could end up with a total $3.7 billion shortfall dumped in their lap, not just the puny $1 billion 2010 number. At least the Administration did something - unallotments in 2009 and proposals for cuts in 2010 that address the entire deficit. This was a condescending and ill-conceived gesture by Senate leadership and Republicans would have none of it. Not scored.

Kitchen table economics
Iron Range to General Fund Transfer

Body: Senate | Journal Page: 8838 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Ingebrigtsen
Acting on: SF3223 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 19 - 46

The Ingebregtsen amendment takes $5.7 million from the Douglas J Johnson Economic Protection Trust Fund and increases funding in the Fire Safety Account. At this point in the debate on SF 3223 the Iron Range delegation was beginning to show some frustration, as no fewer than five amendments to the bill took money from the fund to either increase funding or reduce reductions to other areas. The pots of money are getting fewer and those not clearly labeled as being for public safety or the courts or nursing homes or vets are fair game. Vote Green.

Kitchen table economics
Transportation Dollars Back Where They Belong

Body: Senate | Journal Page: 8847 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Jungbauer
Acting on: SF3223 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 26 - 40

The Jungbauer amendment addresses changes made in 2009 to shift funds in the MVest dedicated fund, when money in that particular pot was transferred from the legitimate use of roads to wasteful uses such as trolley car technology in the Metro area. The shift amounts to about $20 million more for roads, according to author Jungbauer. Roads work. Vote Green.

Kitchen table economics
First Senate Passage, Phase One Budget Cut Bill

Body: Senate | Journal Page: 8854 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Cohen
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Bill Passed 43 - 23

On first Senate passage, this phase one budget reduction bill is a politically safe document that steers clear of LGA reductions and ignores the potential addition of $2.7 billion to the deficit if the DFL is successful in overturning the 2009 Pawlenty unallotments. The Senate is also waiting on some federal dollars to trickle down from Washington. Republicans had the guts to offer some solid amendments, including the Pawlenty proposal to cut a mere $250 million from LGA and build in cuts to deal with the unallotment issue. Vote red.

Kitchen table economics
An Eye Dropper of Relief for Their Parched Tongues

Body: House | Journal Page: 9202 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Hamilton
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 42 - 92

The Hamilton amendment takes $60 million from the Metropolitan Council's transit account and uses the $60 million to create a property tax relief account. The amendment then authorizes the (unelected) officials of the Metropolitan Council to levy back the $60 million they lost and generously authorizes an automatic increase in the transit tax levy limit to match inflation going forward. Sweet, right?

More regional wealth redistribution, but this time targeting transit, and that presumably includes light rail, and light rail, as we all know, is a complete and utter waste of taxpayer money. And contrary to Comrade Lenczewski's statement that the amendment imposes an automatic tax hike, the Hamilton amendment forces the (unelected) members of the Met Council to make a choice: either stop wasting tax dollars on trolley car technology or have the guts to increase property taxes to pay for it. Vote green.

Kitchen table economics
Fire All the Cops and Raise Property Taxes!

Body: House | Journal Page: 9192 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: Y
Author: Sertich
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Amendment Defeated 15 - 119

According to Majority Leader Sertich, all three players - House, Senate and the Governor - agree on the amount of the budget shortfall, they just don't agree on how to fix it. Rep. Sertich dragged out an amendment based on Governor Pawlenty's proposal and offered it up to see how much support it had among House members.

Then he launched into the old shtick about protecting local property taxpayers and core government functions like police and fire. Whenever government budgets need to be balanced and state tax hikes are off the table, Democrats go straight for the jugular: the Republicans are going to jack up property taxes on seniors living on fixed incomes and then fire all of the policemen.

Of course, state cuts to local aid don't increase property taxes and fire policemen. Cuts to local aid put the problem of local spending right where it belongs: at the feet of local elected officials. They are the ones who decide whether to increase property taxes and fire policemen. And guess what - they are also free to put on their thinking caps and try to resolve budget issues in ways other than tax hikes and fewer cops.

A trifling $1 billion budget gap is nothing next to the billions on the horizon in the form of pension benefit shortfalls for retiring government Baby Boomers, out-of-control welfare spending (can you say GAMC?), the insatiable educational-industrial complex and the care and feeding of the 50,000-plus state employee workforce. Vote green. There are no easy answers.

Kitchen table economics
First House Vote, HF 1671, Budget Reduction Bill I

Body: House | Journal Page: 9212 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? Yes | Right Vote: N
Author: Carlson, L.
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Bill Passed 80 - 51

Many reasons to vote No on HF 1671. Number one is that it doesn't get the job done. The bill addresses only a portion of the $1 billion shortfall. The Majority rejected many valid reform and cost cutting proposals offered by the Minority. The bill raises fees and even creates new fees and assessments. Rep. Seifert pointed out that the legislature's own carryforward balance is barely nicked in this budget reduction bill, demonstrating that the DFL is not willing to walk the walk. The authority to carry balances forward from biennium to biennium is limited to few state entities. Little is known about the carryforward, but rumors are that it ranges between $4 million and $9 million. Rep. Severson made the point that HF 1671 is in blatant violation of Article IV, Section 17 of the Minnesota Constitution, which states, "No law shall embrace more than one subject, which shall be expressed in its title." Section 17 has been ignored many times in recent history, with the most obvious example being 2008's HF 1812, also authored by Rep. Carlson. Rep. Garofalo raised some concerns about taconite tax re-allocations to a list of 41 specific public work projects on the Iron Range.

Kitchen table economics
Re-referal to Ways and Means, HF 1671

Body: House | Journal Page: 9210 (Click to view vote.)
Scored? No |
Author: Seifert
Acting on: HF1671 Date: 03/22/2010
Result: Motion failed 48 - 86

This vote is not scored. See First House Vote, HF 1671, Budget Reduction Bill I.