SESSION WEEKLY
A NON-PARTISAN PUBLICATION OF THE 
MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 12, 1995
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 6

WEEK IN REVIEW. . . FEB. 2 - 9, 1995
HIGHLIGHTS

'The fat fifteen' . . .
Holding the line on local government salaries

     A bill to cap the salaries of most local government 
officials at $78,500 was approved by the House 
Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs 
Committee Feb. 7.
     But managers who currently earn more than that 
need not worry. The bill was successfully amended 
by committee Chair Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls) to 
exclude them from the salary cap. 
     Bill sponsor Rep. Steve Wenzel illustrated the need 
for HF339 by drawing attention to what he called 
"The Fat Fifteen," a list of the 15 highest paid local 
public officials. The list includes annual salaries 
such as $103,596 for the Hennepin County 
administrator, $96,205 for the Ramsey County 
human services director, and $94,068 for the 
Minneapolis city engineer. 
     "In 84 of the 87 [Minnesota] counties there is no 
problem," said Wenzel (DFL-Little Falls). But some 
cities and counties in the metropolitan area have 
not been fiscally responsible with salaries, he said.
     The bill would limit the amount a city or county 
attorney could earn to 95 percent of the state 
attorney general's salary which amounts to 
$84,981. An elected county sheriff would be limited 
to the salary of the state commissioner of public 
safety, currently $78,500. All other elected officials 
and employees would be limited to the salary of the 
state commissioner of finance, currently $78,500.
     The bill would apply to city, county, metropolitan, 
and regional units of government but would not 
apply to school districts. Under current law, school 
officials cannot earn more than 95 percent of the 
governor's salary, which would amount to 
$108,780.
     Many metro area local government officials and 
professional associations oppose the bill and label it 
"micro management" from the state.
     Hennepin County Commissioner Mike Opat said 
local governments would have difficulty retaining 
top managers if salaries were capped. In particular, 
he said he's concerned government could be set up 
as a training ground for the private sector.
     "Less than adequate talent puts taxpayers at risk," 
said former Hennepin County Commissioner Jeff 
Spartz, now vice president of Capital Partnership 
Inc.
     Spartz called it "penny-wise but pound foolish."
     Joel Jamnick of the League of Minnesota Cities said 
he would be leery of advising cities to comply with 
the bill if it became law because of what he 
considers potential pay equity problems.
     Proponents of the bill, however, dismissed that 
claim. Minnesota's pay equity law is designed to 
eliminate gender-based wage inequities. 
     Wenzel said his opponents will continue to argue 
that government needs to offer good wages to get 
good service. But, he said, too many forget that 
government jobs entail a desire for public service.
     If some want  higher paying jobs, they can go to 
the private sector where taxpayer dollars aren't 
involved.
     "I don't care what [source] in the private sector 
pays their salaries," Wenzel said. 
     Another successful amendment to the bill limits 
the salaries of private consultants hired by a state 
agency or local government to 95 percent of the 
salary of the chief executive officer for that agency 
or local government. The amendment was offered 
by Rep. Joe Opatz (DFL-St. Cloud).
     HF339 now goes to the House Governmental 
Operations Committee for further discussion.

-- K. Darcy Hanzlik

'The fat fifteen: 15 highest-paid public officials'
1. Hennepin County Administrator     $103,596
2. Ramsey County Administrator     $102,762
3. Anoka County Administrator     $98,528
4. Hennepin County Assoc. Admin. Corrections
     $97,392
5. Hennepin County Assoc. Admin. Public Works
     $97,392
6. Hennepin County Assoc. Admin. Enterprise
     $97,392
     7. Hennepin County Assoc. Admin. Human 
Resources     $97,392
8. Hennepin County Library Director     $96,852
9. Minneapolis City Coordinator     $96,257
10. Ramsey County Human Services Director
     $96,205
11. Hennepin County Dept. Director General 
Services     $95,052
12. Rochester General Manager Utilities     $94,197
13. Minneapolis City Engineer     $94,068
14. Washington County Administrator     $92,280
15. Dakota County Administrator     $91,400

Source: Government personnel departments as of 
1994.

AGRICULTURE

Looking for manure

     So what's behind the recent dramatic increase in 
fertilizer prices?
     It appears a lot of things acting together -- 
ranging from problems in Russia to a massive 
explosion in Iowa -- helped cause a 20- to 40-
percent increase in fertilizer prices since last spring.
     And although many farmers may want to point 
fingers at the large companies that produce 
anhydrous ammonia (a widely used fertilizer), 
there's probably only some truth to the charge.
     The House Agriculture Committee began its 
inquiry Feb. 6 into the cause of the recent price 
increases. 
     Testimony from two Minnesota fertilizer 
distributors and a review of several articles on the 
subject listed the following major causes:
-- Worldwide production of ammonia, from which 
most fertilizer is made, is down. Exports of 
ammonia from Russia have dropped significantly 
because of technical failures and contractual 
disagreements with countries that contain parts of 
the ammonia supply line. 
-- Worldwide demand for ammonia for non-
agricultural purposes -- primarily in the textile 
and carpet industries -- is up. Ammonia is used in 
the production of both nylon and acrylic fibers.
-- Worldwide demand for ammonia for agricultural 
purposes is up for two reasons. First, the 
worldwide supply of grain is at its lowest level in 
20 years so farmers around the world want to 
make up the difference in the coming growing 
seasons. Second, U.S. farmers traditionally use 
much more fertilizer following record crops, which 
occurred in many parts of the U.S. last year.
-- The United States is a net importer of ammonia. 
Because it is in such short supply, much of it is 
being sold closer to the ports at which it enters 
the U.S. Distributors can avoid additional shipping 
costs by selling ammonia closer to its port of 
entry. That hits the Midwest the hardest.
-- The explosion of the Terra Industries plant south 
of Sioux City -- Iowa's largest producer of 
nitrogen-based fertilizers --  on Dec. 13, 1994. The 
plant was a major supplier of fertilizer to southern 
and southwestern Minnesota.
-- Price gouging. In the past, the profit margin for 
producing ammonia has been very thin. Some 
sources say those producers are now using the 
short supply to make up some economic ground. 
(See Oct. 3, 1994, issue of the Chemical Marketing 
Reporter.)
     So what can be done about the problem?
     Greg Buzicky of the state Department of 
Agriculture suggested that farmers should 
concentrate on using fertilizer more efficiently.
     And Rep. Gene Hugoson (IR-Granada) suggested 
the state should do more to encourage livestock 
production so more manure could be used as 
fertilizer.
     While that may be a noble goal, Buzicky said it's 
not a complete solution to the problem.
     "There just isn't enough manure to go around -- at 
least in the agricultural sense."

CHILDREN

New department for kids

     Draft legislation that would eliminate the present 
Department of Education and create a department 
of children and education services was heard before 
the K-12 Education Finance Division Feb. 3.
     The new department would "organize state 
government so that it makes sense for children and 
families," said Linda Kohl, director of Minnesota 
Planning.
     Kohl said that about 245 programs spread among 
32 state agencies would be transferred to the new 
department. Most programs would come from the 
departments of education, human services, 
economic security, and health. 
     It would be a "four-to-six-year process" to have 
all duties transferred to the new department, Kohl 
explained. If approved, the governor would appoint 
a commissioner for the new department on July 1, 
1995. Educational and social programs serving 
children and families would transfer to the 
proposed department by July 1, 1966. In the 
second year, more programs would be evaluated for 
inclusion.
     The new department would require $150,000 in 
start-up costs, mainly for the salaries and support 
of two commissioners during the transition year, 
said Kohl.
     The proposal calls for the Department of Education 
and the State Board of Education to be abolished. 
More than $2.7 billion of state spending for K-12 
education programs would transfer to the new 
department after July 1, 1996. 
     John Petraborg, deputy commissioner for the 
Department of Human Services (DHS), told 
committee members that the new department 
would emphasize developmental programs to help 
children learn. More than $45 million for child care 
subsidies would be transferred from DHS to the 
new department in 1997.
     Committee chair Rep. Alice Johnson (DFL-Spring 
Lake Park) asked whether the education and 
employment transition boards  called for under the 
new department constituted a new bureaucracy. 
The legislation would provide $2.5 million in fiscal 
year 1996 to establish this series of regional 
boards, which would expand and manage youth 
apprenticeship and work-based learning programs. 
Johnson suggested that there might be "existing 
regional structures out there that can be built on." 
     The proposal, which has not yet been formally 
introduced, is expected to be discussed further later 
this session.

CRIME

Drunk, driving, and untouched

     Minnesota's DWI laws are working, but the 
chances of getting caught while driving under the 
influence aren't very good, according to a 
University of Minnesota law professor.
     "The public would really be frightened if they 
knew how few police officers are on the street" 
during peak drunk driving times, said Steve Simon, 
one of the state's foremost authorities on DWI law.
     Simon gave members of the House Judiciary 
Committee an overview of the state's DWI laws 
during a Feb. 8 hearing.
     After midnight, on any given day of the week, 8.8 
percent of drivers on the road are legally drunk, 
according to Karen Sprattler of the Department of 
Public Safety.
     And the odds of being arrested are about 1 in 
1,000, Simon said.
     "The chance of getting caught is not as great as 
people think it is," Simon said.
     Law enforcement efforts have become focused on 
more violent crimes like domestic violence.
     To increase arrest rates, the system needs money. 
Simon advocates a dedicated alcohol tax that would 
fund efforts to enforce the state's DWI laws. He 
cited a recent University of Minnesota survey that 
indicated 87 percent of surveyed Minnesotans also 
support such a tax.
     Simon praised the state's DWI laws as "extremely 
comprehensive and complete," and called the 
license plate impoundment and intensive probation 
programs "unique in the country."
     The 1991 Legislature approved a law that 
strengthened the state's license plate impoundment 
law for repeat DWI offenders, which Simon called 
"cheap and effective."
     Not only are the laws working, but they're also 
having a deterrent effect.
     As proof, he cited the declining number of first-
time DWI offenders. In 1986, nearly 61 percent of 
all DWI arrests were first-time offenders. In 1994, 
that percentage had dropped to less than 50 
percent.
     That means many Minnesotans are getting the 
message to not drink and drive.
     But targeting the chronic DWI offender is the real 
challenge.
     "Tough penalties have little effect unless there is a 
fear of getting apprehended," Simon said. 
     And when the odds of arrest stand at 1,000 to 1, it 
seems repeat offenders have little to fear.

EDUCATION

Searching school lockers

     School authorities could search the lockers of 
Minnesota students at any time, under a bill heard 
Feb. 6 by the House Judiciary Committee.
     The proposal (HF107), sponsored by Rep. Jim 
Farrell (DFL-St. Paul), states that a locker inspection 
could take place "for any reason at any time, 
without notice, without student consent, and 
without a search warrant." Notice of the policy 
would have to be distributed to parents and 
students.
     Farrell argues that students don't have a right to 
privacy when it comes to school lockers.
     "The locker is public property, owned by the 
school and used by a student for [his or her] 
convenience," he said.
     Bob Meeks of the Minnesota School Boards 
Association said many local school districts have 
policies regarding locker searches, but are afraid to 
enforce them for fear of a costly court challenge. 
With no law to guide officials, they are frustrated, 
he said.
     "We have a responsibility to provide a safe 
environment to students and staff. . . . There's no 
right to privacy," Meeks said.
     An Oct. 7, 1994, incident at Harding High School in 
St. Paul led to the proposed legislation. 
     Two students were shot following a school 
assembly. A fellow student was later charged with 
the assaults. Lockers were not individually 
searched following the incident because school 
authorities had "constitutional questions," Farrell 
said. Instead, a trained dog was brought from 
Arizona to "sniff out" gunpowder from the more 
than 1,800 student lockers. The search yielded 
nothing, but eight or nine lockers were opened 
where the dog indicated a gunpowder scent. 
     Farrell said the bill has been carefully worded to 
match a Milwaukee school district policy that has 
been court-tested.
     A challenge to that policy based on a violation of 
the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, 
which protects against unlawful search and seizure, 
did not succeed. The Wisconsin Supreme Court 
upheld the search policy and the U.S. Supreme 
Court declined to review the case, Farrell said.
     Richard Neumeister, a citizen lobbyist involved in 
data privacy issues, spoke against the bill. He said it 
violates the Minnesota Constitution by allowing a 
search "without reasonable suspicion or cause."
     He also argued that students do have a right to 
privacy, that they "just don't waive by walking 
through the [school] door."
     A 1994 law mandated that schools track and 
report to the Department of Education any incidents 
involving dangerous weapons on school property 
and in school buses carrying students. 
     The department's first report shows that between 
July 1993 and July 1994 there were 872 weapons 
incidents. Sixty-five of those were exclusively gun 
incidents. Eighty-four of the state's 381 school 
districts did not report.
     Continued testimony on HF107 is expected next 
week.

School buses for sale

     With many school districts facing transportation 
budget troubles, the state may let gym shoe 
companies, fast food chains, and others help pay for 
the ride.
     A bill that would allow advertising inside school 
buses was approved by the House Education 
Committee Feb. 9.
     The advertising would provide money for schools 
at no cost to the state and makes sense with 
"budget crunches all over the place," said Rep. David 
Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm).
     "If you have to go out and pay $100 for a pair of 
Nikes, you might as well get a little bit back into 
your school district," said Tomassoni, sponsor of the 
bill (HF326).
     Under the bill, school districts would be allowed to 
set their own standards for ads to be placed on 
buses and to reach their own deals with private bus 
companies.
     The bill would require that all advertising 
proceeds to districts be deposited in their 
transportation accounts. When it comes to ad 
content, the bill only requires that districts devise 
policies and that ads comply with those policies.
     Setting standards for what types of ads to accept 
could be fertile ground for debate.
     Several committee members expressed concern 
that advertisers could push religious messages or 
stake out a position on teen pregnancy and 
abortion.
     "I don't see how a school district, once it opened 
itself for advertising, could prohibit religious 
advertising," said Rep. Steve Kelley (DFL-Hopkins).
     And advertising on an issue such as abortion could 
cause "a serious problem one way or the other" in a 
district, he added.
     As originally written, the bill also would have 
allowed advertisements on the outside of buses -- 
which could bring in still more money.
     But the committee approved an amendment to 
allow ads only inside buses after hearing concerns 
about safety risks involved with disturbing the 
highly recognizable yellow and black bus exteriors.
     Rep. Warren Limmer (IR-Maple Grove) questioned 
the appropriateness of allowing advertisers to 
target young school bus passengers.
     "I don't like to see children as a captive audience 
in a money-raising endeavor," he said.
     Last year the Legislature gave permission to the 
Department of Natural Resources to sell advertising 
space in its publications. 
     HF326 now goes before the full House for its 
consideration.

ENERGY

Prairie Island revisited

     Northern States Power Co. (NSP) is looking for a 
good place in Goodhue County to store its nuclear 
waste.
     Jim Alder, manager of regulatory projects for NSP, 
told members of the House Environment and 
Natural Resources Committee Feb. 8 that NSP is 
working with the Environmental Quality Board 
(EQB) to find a suitable storage site.
     The 1994 Legislature allowed NSP to immediately 
put five casks next to the power plant at Prairie 
Island to store its spent nuclear fuel.
     Under the same law, NSP will be allowed four 
additional casks if, by Dec. 31, 1996, it has a storage 
site away from Prairie Island ready for federal 
approval. (The utility also would have to contract 
for 100 megawatts of windpower by that date.)
     In testimony Feb. 7 before the Electric Energy 
Task Force, Alder explained that the storage site 
must be away from the 100-year flood plain of the 
Mississippi River and its tributaries. The site, which 
by law must be in Goodhue County, also can't be 
built on limestone bedrock, which is susceptible to 
fracturing. Most of Goodhue County rests on 
limestone, which has significantly reduced the site 
possibilities.
     Three to five acres would be needed to store the 
casks, along with a 20-acre "controlled buffer 
space" around the storage site. If no local 
landowners are willing to sell to NSP, Alder said the 
utility "might have to exercise eminent domain" to 
gain possession of a suitable site. (Eminent domain 
is the power to take private property for public 
use.)
     Alder said that an application for a site certificate 
would be submitted to the EQB by mid-summer. 
The environmental assessment process would take 
between 12 and 18 months, and a final decision 
about the site would come in late 1996, he said.
     Finally, NSP would be allowed to use eight more 
storage casks -- for a total of 17 -- unless the 
Legislature enacts a law by June 1, 1999, to revoke 
the authority to do so. Such legislative action could 
be taken if the utility has not begun construction of 
an alternate storage site or has not contracted for 
an additional 125 megawatts of windpower and 50 
megawatts of biomass energy. 
     Glynis Hinschberger, manager for energy resource 
planning at NSP, told environment committee 
members that NSP has 25 megawatts of windpower 
in operation now, and bids were received in mid-
January for another 100 megawatts of windpower. 
She said the utility will develop 425 megawatts of 
windpower by 2002.

ENVIRONMENT

Abolishing the LCMR

     Should money raised through a portion of the 
state's cigarette tax and lottery earnings be used to 
finance part of the general environmental budgets 
of several state departments, agencies, and boards?
     Or should it be used to fund specific 
environmental projects that are suggested by 
citizens through a series of "natural resources 
congresses" operated by the Legislative Commission 
on Minnesota Resources (LCMR)?
     The issue -- brought to the fore by Gov. Arne 
Carlson -- was hotly debated at meetings of the 
House Environment and Natural Resources Finance 
Committee Feb. 6 and 7.
     The controversy surrounds the governor's 
proposal to divert about $14 million of the LCMR's 
proposed $34.6 million budget (40 percent) over 
the next two-year spending cycle to clean up rivers 
and preserve prairies and forests, proposals that 
weren't included in the LCMR's recommendations.
     The money would go directly to the Minnesota 
Pollution Control Agency, Department of 
Agriculture, Board of Water and Soil Resources and 
the Department of Natural Resources.
     The governor argued in his proposed budget that 
the clean-up and preservation projects were a 
higher priority than some of the LCMR's 
recommended projects. And he has proposed that 
the LCMR be abolished, although a bill to do that 
has not yet been introduced.
     The LCMR, which is composed of eight House 
members and eight senators, has been criticized for 
circumventing the legislative process and for 
adding pork in LCMR members' districts. 
     But LCMR Director John Velin explained that the 
LCMR funding recommendations are always 
modified by the Legislature and that they must be 
approved by the Legislature in order to become 
law.
     About 90 percent of the LCMR funding comes 
from a 2-cent per pack tax on cigarettes and state 
lottery earnings, with smaller amounts coming from 
two smaller funds.
     Historically, LCMR funds have been used to 
finance a variety of environmental projects, ranging 
from the construction of bike trails to 
environmental education in the schools.
     A total of 473 proposals for funding in the next 
biennium were submitted to the LCMR, which 
whittled the list to 86. Funding for those projects is 
proposed in HF132, which is sponsored by LCMR 
Chair Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls). 
     Dale Nelson of the Department of Finance told 
members that the state's general fund is under 
"tremendous pressure" and that there isn't enough 
money to fund additional environmental projects.
     And Ron Nargang, DNR deputy commissioner, said 
he would prefer that construction of trails and 
parks be financed through the sale of state bonds 
rather than through the LCMR.
     But Rep. Steve Trimble (DFL-St. Paul) likened the 
governor to a "bully on the playground" who 
doesn't get his way. "Destroying the LCMR because 
it's not giving you what you want -- I think that's 
terrible," said Trimble.

Learning about garbage

     School children are taught that reducing garbage 
and recycling are good for the environment. In the 
future they may learn the hazards of openly 
burning garbage, especially the health danger from 
dioxin emissions, under a proposed amendment to 
the state's Waste Management Act.
     Members of the Legislative Commission on Waste 
Management (LCWM) Feb. 6 heard public testimony 
on this and other proposed amendments to the act.
     Educational materials about the hazards of open 
burning would be distributed by the Office of 
Environmental Assistance (OEA) which took over  
the solid and hazardous waste management duties 
of the Metropolitan Council. A dioxin is a toxin that 
studies have shown can cause cancers, birth defects, 
and fetal deaths in domestic and wild animals. 
Scientists disagree on whether it can contribute to 
cancer in humans.
     Other proposed amendments to the Waste 
Management Act  would:
-- Require metropolitan counties to submit a 
detailed request to the OEA director before they 
dispose of "unprocessed" mixed municipal waste in 
a landfill. Under current law, mixed waste 
generated in the metropolitan area must be sorted 
to weed out what can be recycled, what can be 
burned as fuel, and what can be composted, so that 
at least 65 percent of the total weight is removed. 
Currently, counties don't ask permission before 
they dispose of mixed garbage in a landfill. They 
only explain why they did it after the fact.
-- Enable greater Minnesota counties to require 
towns, cities, and companies to weed out garbage 
that can be recycled, burned as fuel, and 
composted, as is done in the metropolitan counties. 
-- Reduce the administrative burden on the OEA by 
consolidating, into one biennial report, several 
annual and biennial reports that it must by law 
submit.
-- Instruct governmental units -- including towns, 
cities, state agencies, and school districts -- not to 
expose themselves and taxpayers to potential 
liabilities by disposing of waste at an inferior 
facility. The intent is that governmental units 
should set a good example and not try to cut costs 
at the expense of the environment.
-- Establish a statewide goal for reducing the total 
amount of solid waste from all sources. The OEA 
would develop a strategy to reduce mixed solid 
waste in Minnesota by a minimum of 10 percent by 
2001.
-- Add packaging made with post-consumer 
recycled materials to the hierarchy of preferred 
packaging materials that was established by the 
1994 Legislature.
-- Require that legal briefs and documents 
submitted to the courts be on paper containing at 
least 10 percent post-consumer recycled content, if 
such paper is available. Colorado has such a law.
     The draft amendments to the Waste Management 
Act are expected to be introduced in bill form and 
considered by the House Environment and Natural 
Resources Committee. 

GOVERNMENT

Reining in the feds

     The House is backing a plan to join other states in 
an effort to rein in the federal government.
     House members Feb. 6 voted 75-56 to approve a 
resolution (HF22) calling for a national "Conference 
of States" designed to send a message to the U.S. 
Congress.
     "By passing this resolution, Minnesota will join in 
a national movement seeking to restore the balance 
between the state and federal governments," said 
House Speaker Irv Anderson (DFL-Int'l Falls). "With 
the Balanced Budget Amendment advancing in 
Congress, deciding what duties the states should 
have will be critical."
     Anderson said Minnesota taxpayers should not 
have to pay additional costs resulting from the shift 
of federal programs to the state.
     If at least 26 states pass similar resolutions, the 
state would send six legislators and the governor 
(or another constitutional officer) to the conference, 
which probably would be held this fall.
     The state delegations would then attempt to 
compile a document, dubbed the "States' Petition to 
Congress," to send a unified message to Congress on 
various issues and specifically calling for a stop to 
"unfunded mandates."
     As of Feb. 9, the proposal has been introduced in 
37 state legislatures. It has been approved by 
legislatures in eight states and by one chamber in 
eight others.
     The resolution is now pending in the Senate Rules 
and Administration Committee.

The board that works

     Described by some as a "dinky agency that works," 
a House panel heard pleas Feb. 7 to keep the Board 
of Government Innovation and Cooperation alive.
     The board was created by the 1993 Legislature 
and has a three-pronged mission to: grant waivers 
of state rules to local units of government; provide 
grants to cooperating units of government; and 
facilitate mergers of local governments.
     Gov. Arne Carlson has targeted the board for 
elimination, which would bring a cost savings of 
$3.4 million over the next biennium.
     But several people described how the state board 
has helped to improve government efficiency.
     "We need the board," said Cherry Merritt, program 
manager for Hennepin County's Department of 
Economic Assistance. Her agency successfully 
sought a board waiver to eliminate biannual income 
verification reports for fixed income Medical 
Assistance recipients.
     Merritt told members of the Government 
Efficiency and Oversight Division of the House Ways 
and Means Committee that she sought help from 
the state Department of Human Services (DHS) to 
help identify clients who would be affected by the 
change. She said there was a "lack of enthusiasm" 
on the part of DHS to help.
     Instead of an independent board waiving rules, 
Gov. Carlson would give that authority to state 
agencies -- the very bodies who make the rules and 
are charged with enforcing them. Some members 
see that as a conflict.
     Since state agencies make the rules, "I can 
understand the reluctance" in waiving them, 
Merritt said. "There's ownership there."
     Myra Peterson, a Washington County 
commissioner, said just having the board to 
encourage grant applications is "enough of a carrot" 
to get governments to cooperate. Her grant 
application to fund a transportation needs 
assessment in south Washington County was 
denied, but the project is going ahead anyway.
     The final needs assessment report is now being 
written, and the cities of Newport, Cottage Grove 
and St. Paul Park will be working with the 
Metropolitan Council Transit Operations to discuss 
its findings.
     "It is a mighty program for so few dollars," she 
said.
     Since its inception, the board has awarded 52 
grants totaling $3.24 million. It received 355 grant 
applications totaling $20.1 million. It has received 
33 requests for waivers from rules or procedures, 
11 of which were approved.
     Jim Gelbmann, executive director of the board, 
and his staff of two are currently working with five 
pairs of local governments looking to merge. 
Between 1973 and 1993, Gelbmann said, there 
were only three such mergers.
     A decision on whether to continue funding for 
the board will be made later this session.

HEALTH

MinnesotaCare changes

     Two bills heard by the House Health and Human 
Services Committee Feb. 9 would substantially 
change the way MinnesotaCare, the state's 
subsidized health coverage program, is 
administered.
     Both bills (HF254, HF255) seek to repeal the 
regulated all-payer option portion of the current 
MinnesotaCare law. The all-payer option, set to be 
implemented by July 1, 1997, would require the 
state to set the prices and fees charged by health 
care insurers, including the government. It also 
would require insurers and providers to operate 
under uniform rules.
     "Price controls won't work. A competitive market 
should regulate insurance costs," said Rep. Todd 
Van Dellen (IR-Plymouth), sponsor of HF255.
     HF255 also would repeal the universal coverage 
mandate in current law, which requires that all 
Minnesotans have health insurance as of July 1, 
1997.
     "I believe it's unrealistic to pursue that deadline, 
particularly without federal health care reform," 
Van Dellen said.
     He said his bill pushes for universal coverage 
through "market reforms." It would call on the 
commissioner of human services to develop several 
low-cost health care options.
     Another bill (HF254), sponsored by Rep. Thomas 
Huntley (DFL-Duluth), keeps the universal coverage 
mandate but calls for an additional 40 cent-per-
pack cigarette tax. 
     This tax -- over and above the current 48-cent 
per pack tax on cigarettes -- would replace the 
existing 2 percent provider tax on the gross 
revenues of health care providers.
     The additional cigarette tax would begin in July 
1995 and increase an additional 40 cents in each of 
the next five years until it reached $2 per pack in 
the year 2000. Huntley expects the tax to raise 
about $120 million the first year and about $100 
million the following year. The funds would go to 
the health care access fund earmarked to pay for 
MinnesotaCare.
     Huntley's bill would also require snowmobilers, 
all-terrain vehicle drivers, motorcyclists, and 
bicyclists to wear helmets or face a $25 fine. His bill 
also would increase the fine for not wearing a seat 
belt from $25 to $100 and make violating the law a 
primary offense. Currently the fine can be levied 
only if an officer stops a driver for another offense.
     Rep. Kris Hasskamp (DFL-Crosby) said the 
proposed helmet law meddles with people's 
personal lives.
     "We may as well get into every behavior people 
have and start telling them how much they can 
eat," Hasskamp said.
     Both bills also would allow employers to create 
medical savings accounts. Employees could 
contribute a portion of their income to the account, 
and employers also would contribute an unspecified 
amount. The funds could then be withdrawn to pay 
for medical expenses. Money not drawn from the 
interest-bearing accounts could be withdrawn at 
year's end (and taxed as income), or it could carry 
over to the next year, Huntley said.
     Each bill will next be heard in the MinnesotaCare 
Finance Division.

Health care needs

     Although MinnesotaCare has helped subsidize 
health care costs for 78,000 low income 
Minnesotans, the state could do more to help 
disabled citizens and those with chronic health 
problems afford care, say some groups.
     Specifically, Minnesotans for Affordable Health 
Care and the Consortium for Citizens with 
Disabilities have asked the state to let single adults 
buy into Medical Assistance (MA), also known as 
Medicaid, without having to impoverish themselves 
to meet the income eligibility requirements.
     Both groups hope such legislation will be 
introduced this session.
     MA is a federal and state program that offers 
health care to those in desperate need. The program 
is attractive because, unlike private health plans, it 
covers many long-term health care needs such as: 
in-home care; on-going physical, speech, and other 
therapy; on-going mental health services; and the 
necessary equipment for various disabilities.
     But under current MA guidelines, most people 
have to impoverish themselves -- quit their jobs to 
meet low-income requirements and sell their 
homes -- before they can qualify for help, said Ann 
Henry of the Minnesota Disability Law Center.
     Groups addressing the MinnesotaCare Division of 
the House Health and Human Services Committee 
Feb. 7 asked for the option to pay into the plan for 
their long-term coverage while still keeping their 
jobs and homes. No one is asking for a freebie, 
Henry said. In addition to buying into the MA plan, 
they would agree to buy or keep their private 
insurance for traditional health care.
     Currently, under federal law, states can allow 
families with children the option of paying into MA 
to receive long-term care not offered by their 
private insurers. But no such option is offered to 
childless adults.
     Such an option may have helped Iva Anderson of 
Minnetonka. She has multiple sclerosis, and in 
1993, her doctor recommended a power wheelchair 
to help with shoulder trouble due to her manual 
wheelchair.
     She told the committee her private insurance 
company said a power wheelchair wasn't necessary 
and refused to pay for it. 
     Anderson, who works for the Minneapolis Public 
Library, said she persisted with letters and pleas 
from her doctor but got nowhere. "I was told I had 
two arms I could make it go. I made it go all right. 
It made me go right into surgery," she said in a 
later interview.
      In 1994, she was in an operating room to fix tears 
in the tendons in her rotor cuff.
     A power wheelchair would have been preventive 
medicine, she told the committee. Instead of paying 
for the wheelchair, the insurance company ended 
up paying tens of thousands of dollars in surgery, 
hospital, and therapy bills. 
     Eventually, a private fund-raiser helped her buy 
an electric wheelchair. 
      Henry said the people she represents would like 
the state to step in and require a broader benefits 
package both in MinnesotaCare and in private 
health plans. Currently, MinnesotaCare doesn't offer 
long-term care and private health insurers drop 
customers, such as those with disabilities or chronic 
problems, when they become too costly to maintain.
     But they're realistic, Henry said. They know they'd 
face a strong lobby against such an idea, so they're 
asking the state to let them buy into MA.

Sanctions for convicted docs

     A bill to automatically suspend the licenses of 
Minnesota doctors when they are convicted of a 
felony "reasonably related" to their practice is on its 
way to the House floor.
     The bill (HF231), sponsored by Rep. Steve Kelley 
(DFL-Hopkins), also would apply to physician's 
assistants, physical therapists, or other health 
professionals licensed by the state Board of Medical 
Practice. It won approval Feb. 7 from the House 
Health and Human Services Committee.
     Under the bill, the license suspension would be 
automatic following such a conviction and a doctor 
would have to request a hearing to get his or her 
license reinstated. Reinstatement would only occur 
if health professionals can demonstrate they have 
been rehabilitated by "clear and convincing 
evidence."
     The bill does not define a felony that is 
"reasonably related" to a medical practice, but 
Kelley said some obvious examples would include a 
doctor convicted of sexually assaulting a patient or 
filing fraudulent Medicare or Medicaid claims.
     The board currently has the authority to suspend 
a professional license, but it first holds a hearing, 
said bill proponent Leonard Boche, executive 
director of the Board of Medical Practice.
     Dave Renner, director of legislation and public 
policy for the Minnesota Medical Association, 
opposed the bill. He said it shifts the responsibility 
of license regulation from the Board of Medical 
Practice to the courts. He said he didn't want to be 
viewed as "protecting slime-bag physicians" but 
believes the law is too broad and unclear.
     Boche told the committee he is concerned about 
potential public safety problems because of the lag 
time between when a health professional is 
convicted or pleads guilty to a felony and when 
their license is actually suspended.
     Renner said he believes Minnesota law already 
grants the board the authority to suspend a license 
immediately and later hold a hearing.
     Current law does grant the board the authority to 
temporarily suspend a license without a hearing, 
but the board must find that the doctor "has 
violated a statute or rule which the board is 
empowered to enforce and continued practice by 
the doctor would create a serious risk of harm to 
the public." Current law also puts the burden on the 
board to seek a hearing to issue a final conclusion.
     Kelley's bill would reverse the process: the 
suspension would be automatic and the burden is 
upon the health professional to seek a hearing and 
to prove that his or her license suspension shouldn't 
be permanent.

Full disclosure

     A bill to close a loophole and make sure the state 
Board of Medical Practice receives the names of all 
physicians who have malpractice settlements or 
awards against them is on its way to the House 
floor.
     The bill (HF226), sponsored by Rep. Steve Kelley 
(DFL-Hopkins), was approved Feb. 7 by the House 
Health and Human Services Committee.
     Current law mandates that insurance companies 
provide reports to the board detailing malpractice 
settlements or awards involving physicians. 
     In practice, however, clinics, hospitals, and other 
entities were paying off malpractice settlements 
against physicians and not reporting it to the Board 
of Medical Practice. Since the paying organizations 
weren't insurance companies, they weren't 
technically required to report.
     The bill specifically requires medical clinics, 
hospitals, political subdivisions, and other entities 
that provide malpractice coverage on behalf of a 
doctor, physician's assistant, physical therapist, or 
other health professional under the board's 
jurisdiction, to report all malpractice settlements 
and awards to the board. They must report the 
health professional's name, the date and dollar 
amounts of all settlements and awards, and the 
allegations in the claim or complaint leading to the 
settlement or award.
     The board is pushing for the bill so it can use the 
information to conduct its own investigations into 
doctors and other professionals to see if disciplinary 
actions, such as the suspension or loss of a license, 
is necessary. The bill requires the reports be made 
within 30 days of any settlement or award.
     Leonard Boche, executive director of the Board of 
Medical Practice, said the board currently hears 
about doctors who are self-insured or who work for 
small clinics with private insurance companies. 
However, they rarely hear about malpractice 
settlements or awards from health professionals 
practicing in "mega-clinics."

HIGHER EDUCATION

U2000

     By following its U2000 plan, the University of 
Minnesota could join the ranks of world-class 
research institutions by the turn of the century, a 
House panel was told Feb. 6.
     But Nils Hasselmo, university president, told 
members of the University of Minnesota Finance 
Division of the House Education Committee he needs 
the state's financial help to get the job done.
     Some lawmakers questioned exactly what "world 
class" meant and asked Hasselmo how he would 
know when the university had reached that status.
     "It's clear U2000 is a process, but a process 
leading to what is not as clear as it could be," 
division chair Rep. Becky Kelso (DFL-Shakopee) told 
Hasselmo. "I don't get a picture of what selective 
areas you will be a world-class institution in or 
what a world-class institution is. I think a good 
picture of the goals are missing."
     The U2000 plan, originally unveiled in 1993, calls 
for strengthening undergraduate programs, raising 
faculty salaries to attract and keep quality faculty, 
and upgrading the university's research 
environment, Hasselmo said.
     "You can't make a simple statement about the 
university because it's so many things," Hasselmo 
said. "But I'm concerned we haven't been able to 
lay out the footprint of the University of Minnesota 
as quickly and competently as we should."
     In 1994, Hasselmo said the university would need 
to spend about $256 million over the next six years 
to accomplish the plan's goals. He expected 20 
percent of that funding to come from the state.
     But last year Gov. Arne Carlson vetoed the $9.1 
million the Legislature had intended for U2000. The 
money would have been used to improve the 
libraries and laboratory equipment and to better 
maintain classrooms.
     Hasselmo said he plans to ask the Legislature this 
year to reapprove funding for the vetoed items. The 
university has not formally requested a specific 
state appropriation yet this session.
     In his budget recommendations for the 1996-97 
biennium, Gov. Arne Carlson proposed the 
University of Minnesota receive $968.9 million in 
state money, $53.8 million of which would make up 
a one-time only appropriation for U2000.
     Hasselmo said the governor's recommendations 
trouble him because they represent only a one-time 
proposed appropriation for U2000.
     "Even with technology you have to have sustained 
investment. You can't make a one-time investment 
and let it sit," Hasselmo said.

More money for the 'U'

     The University of Minnesota is seeking $995 
million in state funds for the 1996-97 biennium -- 
9.6 percent over what it received in 1994-95 --  so 
it can continue its University 2000 plan, give 
faculty a long-overdue raise, and maintain its 
buildings.
     And to supplement those state funds, the 
university also plans to increase tuition 4.8 percent 
during each of the next two years, Richard 
Pfutzenreuter, the university's associate vice 
president of finance and operations, told members 
of the University of Minnesota Finance Division Feb. 
8.
     A 1993 law caps the amount of state funds 
appropriated to the University of Minnesota for the 
upcoming biennium at $908 million. The university 
is requesting $87.7 million above that cap. 
     Gov. Arne Carlson has recommended the 
university receive $60.8 million above the cap, or 
$968.9 million, for the biennium. That proposal 
includes a $53.8 million one-time appropriation to 
help the university reach its University 2000 goals.
     The U2000 plan is designed to bring the 
University of Minnesota into the ranks of world-
class research institutions by the turn of the 
century. (See related story this page). Pfutzenreuter 
said the university will need more than a one-time 
appropriation for U2000.

More dollars for higher ed

     The soon-to-be merged Minnesota higher 
education system is seeking $1 billion in state 
appropriations for the next biennium, system 
administrators told Higher Education Finance 
Division members Feb. 8.
     A 1993 law caps the amount of money the system 
should receive in the 1996-97 biennium at $895 
million. The request exceeds that cap by $118.5 
million to account for inflation, enrollment 
increases, the cost of transferring technical college 
employees to state employment, and funding for 
new programs, said Ed McMahon, vice chancellor 
for administration and budget.
     In his budget proposal for the 1996-97 biennium, 
Gov. Arne Carlson has recommended $905 million 
for the merged state university, technical college 
and community college system.
     That proposal would "put us 11 percent below 
where we are today," said Jay Noren, the system's 
chancellor. That's a $94 million shortfall, of which 
$68 million is necessary to maintain current 
services and $26 million is estimated to be needed 
to bring technical college employees, who are 
presently local employees, into state employment 
under the merger.
     The merger is slated for July 1. The Higher 
Education Board created to oversee the system 
won't have the authority until then to deal with a 
shortfall.
     "The governor's budget is unrealistic, It can't be 
accomplished without financially crippling us," 
Noren said.
     Such a shortfall, if made up solely through tuition 
increases, would result in a 20 percent increase in 
1995 and a 9 percent hike the following year, he 
said.
     The system would most likely address a shortfall 
through a  tuition increase, enrollment cut, and 
"draconian layoffs," he said.
     Rep. Lyndon Carlson (DFL-Crystal) said he expects 
to see continued merger costs in the future. But 
Noren disagreed.
     "If contracts are negotiated sensibly I don't 
anticipate additional costs. I'm comfortable in 
saying we will see a savings over time," Noren said.

HOUSING

Landlords' eviction costs

     Landlords would pay just half of the court filing 
fee to evict a tenant provided the proceeding takes 
just one court appearance, under a bill approved by 
the Housing Committee Feb. 7. 
     HF136 is sponsored by Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-
Mpls), who said that the $122 state filing fee 
required to begin legal eviction proceedings is 
burdensome to property owners -- particularly if 
they have to evict more than one tenant.
     Such unlawful detainer eviction proceedings are 
typically handled with a single court appearance 
because tenants often fail to appear. 
     "No matter what happens, even if the case is 
dismissed, you pay," she said. "It's such a hardship 
on property owners. In my district, some landlords 
have almost had to empty buildings because of 
drug problems." 
     Property owners pay the filing fee for each 
eviction they seek.
     Jack Horner, a lobbyist for the Minnesota Multi-
Housing Association, told committee members that 
that fee is not in any way tied to actual court costs 
for such cases.  
     "Unlawful detainers use little of the court 
resources -- three or four pieces of paper, such as a 
summons and a copy of the lease," said Horner. "The 
fee is the same as for all civil proceedings. So you 
could have a case that required 10 to 20 hours of 
court administrator filing time and it would cost the 
same as an unlawful detainer."
     A large portion of the filing fee, goes to the state's 
Supreme Court budget, Clark said. The county in 
which the case is heard receives an additional $7 to 
$10 in law library fees, depending on the county.
     Horner estimated the Minnesota Supreme Court 
budget would have lost about $1.4 million and the 
state's counties about $104,000 if Clark's proposal 
would have been law in 1994. The $1.4 million 
would have to be made up by reallocating from 
other funds, Horner said.
      HF136 moves next to the House Judiciary 
Committee.

INDUSTRY

Keg ban tapped out

     The party may be over for a proposal to ban retail 
sales of keg beer, but a House DFLer still plans to 
slow the flow of alcohol to minors.
     A bill to ban the retail sale of kegs was tabled 
indefinitely Feb. 6 by the House Regulated 
Industries and Energy Committee.
     The bill (HF102), sponsored by Rep. Mary Jo 
McGuire (DFL-Falcon Heights), would ban the retail 
sale of any container holding more than five gallons 
of beer, including kegs and "party balls." Beer 
wholesalers would be allowed to sell kegs only to 
on-sale establishments and municipal liquor stores.
     The elimination of keg sales would reduce 
underage drinking by putting an end to so-called 
keggers, McGuire said.
     "It doesn't solve the entire problem," she said. "We 
wish it would."
     Jerry Ruettimann, a crime prevention specialist 
for the Roseville Police Department, said he has 
confiscated scores of kegs from teens who have 
abandoned traditional kegger sites such as vacant 
fields in favor of elaborately planned parties in 
warehouses and homes.
     At those parties, underage drinking increases 
because beer is cheap and plentiful, Ruettimann 
said.
     "They drink faster and they drink more," he said. 
"It's cheaper. It's easier to transport."
     But the bill was opposed by members of the beer-
sales industry.
     John Berglund, executive director of Minnesota 
Licensed Beverage Association, said the "prohibition 
or ban" on kegs would do little to reduce underage 
drinking but would cause a costly inconvenience for 
the "99-plus percent" of keg buyers who have 
legitimate intentions.
     Although the keg ban proposal appears stalled, 
McGuire said she plans to offer another bill that 
would require kegs to be registered. Similar 
proposals sponsored by McGuire have stalled at the 
Legislature in past years, but have been adopted by 
a handful of states, including North Dakota.
     By registering kegs at the point of sale, police, for 
the first time, could trace confiscated kegs to 
buyers and stores, McGuire said.

INSURANCE

Selling off life insurance

     Infected with the AIDS virus and seriously ill, 
Adam Tillis decided to sell off his life insurance 
assets to receive at least some of his investment 
before his death.
     That was three years ago. Tillis is still alive, but 
the company that purchased the rights to his life 
insurance benefits, once he does die, will have 
made a killing.
     After five "stressful and sometimes humiliating" 
months working out a viatical settlement (getting 
death benefits early), Tillis made a deal he lived to 
regret.
     "When all was said and done, I was ill, I was 
needy, and I was ready to accept any crumb 
thrown my way," he said Feb. 8 in testimony before 
the House Financial Institutions and Insurance 
Committee. "The crumb upon which I settled was 
22 percent of the face value of my policy."
     Tillis urged the lawmakers to support a bill (HF 
217) to regulate viatical settlements, a now growing 
business most often dealing with AIDS patients. The 
committee approved the bill, sponsored by 
committee Chair Rep. Wayne Simoneau (DFL-
Fridley).
     Under the agreements, those who face certain 
death agree to sell off a portion of their life 
insurance policy to receive some cash on their 
investment before they die. Those who buy the 
insurance policy do so as an investment. They 
receive the remaining value of the policy after the 
person actually dies.
     The bill would require companies and individuals 
who provide viatical settlements to be licensed by 
the state and subject to state oversight. The 
commissioner of commerce would set standards for 
evaluating settlement contracts.
     Policy buyers would be required to receive a 
physician's statement showing the would-be seller 
is of sound mind. They'd also need to obtain a 
signed and witnessed statement from the seller 
stating that he or she understands the 
consequences of the contract and consents to it.
     Disclosure requirements in the bill would allow ill 
people to know what they are getting into and what 
options are available to them, Simoneau said. The 
bill requires policy buyers to inform those selling 
their life insurance policies of alternatives to 
viatical settlements, including the fact that some 
insurance companies are willing to offer them early 
payments of their policy benefits.
     The buyers must also make sure the seller knows 
they can cancel up to 30 days from the date the 
deal is signed, or 15 days from the date they 
receive the money.
     Bob Tracy of the Minnesota AIDS Project said 
viatical settlements "emerged" as a result of the 
spread of AIDS. A victim of the disease may be 
interested in reaching such a settlement to get 
money for medical expenses, to take care of his or 
her estate, or simply to make a lifelong dream come 
true, Tracy said.
     But the "young industry" already provides many 
"notorious examples" of unscrupulous dealings, he 
said.
     Tillis used himself as an example of how easily a 
seriously ill person can be duped.
     "After I had recovered from an acute illness, I 
realized I had been taken advantage of," he said. "I 
thought I should have known better. That alone is 
testament to the power terminal illness will have 
upon one's judgment."
     Tillis, who had experience in the insurance field 
before he agreed to his settlement, has since helped 
form a company, ViatiCare  Ltd., that aims to 
provide fair deals for the terminally ill.
     If enacted into law, the bill would take effect Jan. 
1, 1996. HF 217 now moves to the House 
Governmental Operations Committee.

TRANSPORTATION

Transit funding

     The Metropolitan Council needs $93.3 million in 
state funds to run its transportation programs 
through the next biennium, Executive Director Jim 
Solem told members of the House Transportation 
Finance Division Feb. 7.
     The governor has proposed $89 million in 
spending for the agency to operate metropolitan 
area buses and the Metro Mobility program.
     Last year, the council absorbed the Metropolitan 
Transit Commission and the Regional Transit Board 
under a new state law. The council is also charged 
with planning and coordinating the development of 
the Metro area's parks, roads, sewage, and other 
regional systems.
     In addition to state dollars, the council receives 
transportation funding from a combination of 
sources, including federal appropriations, property 
tax revenue, and ride fares. The total budget for the 
next biennium is $347 million.
     Of the council's $93.3 million request, $52.8 
million would fund the Metropolitan Council Transit 
Operations (formerly the Metropolitan Transit 
Commission), the agency running the metropolitan 
area's buses. The state appropriated $32.8 million 
to the busing system in the 1994-95 biennium, but 
costs increased $14.5 million during the spending 
period and they continue to climb, Solem said. The 
system cannot make up the difference with a rate 
hike, because ridership would decrease, he said. 
Instead, the council is in the process of cutting 
800,000 miles of annual bus service to help cut 
costs.
     The other main component of the funding request 
is $31.7 million for Metro Mobility. The transit 
service provides rides to approximately 24,000 
people with disabilities around the Metropolitan 
area.
     For the last biennium, the state appropriated 
$29.3 million to Metro Mobility. The transit service 
effectively collapsed in October 1993 when a new 
management company began to run the system for 
the Regional Transit Board. The governor then 
ordered National Guard members to serve as 
drivers for Metro Mobility's vans and buses until 
the system could be stabilized.
     The Metropolitan Council, rather than an outside 
management company, now manages the Metro 
Mobility program.
     Nacho Diaz, manager of the Office of 
Transportation and Transit Development, told 
division members ridership fell off after the crisis 
but then began climbing steadily. From July to 
December 1994, ridership increased by about 
2,000, from 22,000 to 24,000 users, he said.
     "That's a significant increase," Diaz said. "With our 
budget request, we're strictly trying to keep our 
head above water. Even if the request is met, it's 
questionable as to whether we'll be able to 
maintain service levels."
     Funding levels for the transportation programs 
will be determined later in the session.

Truckin' and drinkin'

     A bill that would suspend the commercial drivers' 
license of a trucker who is arrested for driving 
under the influence in the family car was given 
preliminary approval by the House Feb. 1. The vote 
was 93-29.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Charlie Weaver (IR-Anoka) said 
the punishment would "level the playing field" by 
giving a trucker the same punishment an ice cream 
truck driver or delivery person would face.
     But Rep. Wayne Simoneau (DFL-Fridley), who 
called the bill "a knee-jerk reaction to a very small 
problem," said truckers should not lose their 
livelihood because of actions in their personal lives.
     According to the Department of Public Safety, 500 
commercial vehicle drivers had their personal 
licenses revoked last year, and 40 people were 
arrested for driving their commercial vehicles 
under the influence.
     Weaver's bill would require both personal and 
commercial licenses be taken away for a DWI in a 
personal vehicle. The licenses would be revoked 
concurrently for the same duration as a personal 
license revocation.
     First-time DWI offenders lose their licenses for 15 
days, second-time offenders for 90 days, and third-
time offenders for 180 days. (See Feb. 3, 1995, 
Session Weekly, page 11)
     HF35 is expected to come before the House for a 
final vote Feb. 13.

NOTES

     Perhaps county governments have heard Rep. 
Phyllis Kahn's (DFL-Mpls) repeated attempts to trim 
the number of Minnesota counties.
     Jim Gelbmann, executive director of the Board of 
Governmental Innovation and Cooperation, told 
members of the Government Efficiency and 
Oversight Division of the House Ways and Means 
Committee Feb. 7 that two pairs of Minnesota 
counties in different parts of the state are now 
looking to combine.
     One of the board's tasks is to assist in the merging 
of governmental units.
     Gelbmann, who called the move "unprecedented," 
declined to name the counties for fear it would 
jeopardize the ongoing negotiations.

     It seemed like a good idea back in the 1970s to 
put breath-alcohol testing devices in bars. Patrons 
could drop in a coin, blow in the tube, and find out 
if they were too sloshed to drive themselves home.
     But instead of deterring inebriates from getting 
behind the wheel of a car, the machines turned into 
a drinking game. According to University of 
Minnesota Law School professor Steve Simon, 
drinkers had contests to see who could register the 
highest reading on the devices, which typically 
display a white, yellow, and orange light to reflect 
blood-alcohol concentration levels.
     Simon, who chairs the Legislature's DWI Task 
Force, told members of the House Judiciary Finance 
Committee recently that bar owners realized that 
they had better remove the devices or face a 
lawsuit.
     The 1991 Legislature barred people from 
successfully suing a bar that has a breath-alcohol 
testing device for any liability resulting from such a 
test provided a variety of conditions are met.

FEATURE

Information systems . . .
'If you can get to the Internet, you can get to us'

     The 80 miles between Rochester, Minn., and the 
Minnesota Legislature in St. Paul used to create a 
major obstacle for Lauri Hassinger. 
     She'd wait days to receive copies of bills from the 
Capitol, then spend hours poring over them. She has 
a personal interest in family law and takes the time 
to write lawmakers with her opinions. 
     But beginning in 1994, Hassinger only had to wait 
minutes to track a child custody bill that she had a 
personal stake in. From her personal computer, 
Hassinger monitored legislation via the Internet, or 
information superhighway, as easily as if she were 
at the Capitol in St. Paul.
     The idea was first pushed by former Rep. Marc 
Asch of North Oaks. Minnesota is one of several 
legislatures in recent years to hop on the 
information superhighway and make available a 
wide array of legislative information, including the 
full text of House and Senate bills, Minnesota 
Statutes, committee hearing agendas, House daily 
journals, and bill-tracking information.
     "If you can get to the Internet, you can get to us," 
says Charlie Fastner, former information systems 
manager for the House DFL Caucus who now works 
for the Senate.
     With the use of a computer and modem, the public 
will also soon be able to communicate with most 
lawmakers through e-mail and obtain brief 
biographies of each House and Senate member.
     "There is no easy way to know what is going on up 
there [at the State Capitol]," says Hassinger, an 
employee at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester who uses 
the Internet about twice a week to look up bills on 
everything from family law to crime and health 
care. "It has always been such a maze. But this is a 
godsend." 
     And the service has improved for 1995. Only the 
House was on-line during the 1994 legislative 
session. But during the interim the Legislative 
Reference Library spearheaded the drive to 
organize a variety of legislative information, with 
the bulk coming from the House Public Information 
and Senate Publications offices.
     Then, with the technical expertise of the Office of 
the Revisor of Statutes, the information was put on-
line. On Oct. 11, 1994, Senate information -- and 
much more data from the House -- was added.
     The Minnesota Legislature's Gopher is now 
recognized as one of the best in the country.
     On March 16 of this year, the "Legislative Gopher 
Design Group" will be presented with the "John R. 
Finnegan Freedom of Information Award," which 
recognizes Minnesota institutions and individuals 
who recognize the power of information to effect 
change.
     The goal of the Internet access is to provide as 
much information as possible in a user-friendly 
format to increase citizen participation in the 
legislative process, said Rep. Gene Pelowski Jr. (DFL-
Winona), chair of the Select Committee on 
Technology, which oversees the House's computer 
operations and Internet access.
     Rep. Virgil Johnson (IR-Caledonia), vice chair of 
the Select Committee on Technology, said the 
Internet access will also benefit the public by 
making it possible for the Legislature to make 
better decisions. 
     Since the Internet contains legislative information 
from a variety of state legislatures, including 
information on their bills, laws, and publications, 
lawmakers and staff can more easily determine 
what has been tried elsewhere and learn from 
other state's successes and failures.
     "We are part of the United States," said Johnson. 
"It is kind of stupid to legislate in a vacuum."
     Most of the information on the Minnesota 
Legislature found on the Internet has been 
available for years in a printed format, but the 
public had to either come to the Capitol in St. Paul 
to retrieve it or have it sent by mail, said Grant 
Moos, director of the House Public Information 
Office. 
     "Just about everything we've ever written is, or 
will be, on the Internet," said Moos, who added that 
the daily and weekly House schedules are among 
the most sought after documents. 
     Internet users can also find out which lawmakers 
serve on which committees, final vote counts on 
bills, answers to frequently asked questions about 
the Legislature, and even directions on how to get 
to the Capitol.
     In addition, the 1994 House and Senate rules are 
on-line (the rules for the 1995-96 session have not 
yet been adopted), as well as easy to-read 
summaries of what was approved by the 1994 
Legislature, what was vetoed, and what simply 
died. 
     "It's so unbelievably helpful to people," said 
Marilyn Cathcart, director of the Legislative 
Reference Library. She said people frequently call 
her and say thanks for making it available.
     Although assembling the information for the 
Internet was a lot of work, nearly everyone 
involved with the project says it will pay off in the 
long run because so much information is now 
organized in a way that it will be easy to find.
     "The best spirit of collaboration led to the 
Legislature joining the Internet," said Cathcart.
     Fastner, who helped establish the electronic 
hookup, says the Internet finally gives the public 
equal footing with lobbyists when it comes to 
following legislation.

What's on the Gopher?

     The following information will be available to the 
public on the Minnesota House and Senate 
Legislative Gopher:
-- Daily bill and resolution introductions.
-- Text of bills and resolutions.
-- Bill tracking, so people can track the status of 
bills as they travel from committees to the House 
and Senate floors. (Only official House and Senate 
action is recorded.)
-- House Research Department bill summaries. 
These are often handed out at committee hearings 
and serve to summarize what a particular bill is 
designed to do. The summaries often break down 
a bill by article and section, so people can more 
easily find out what the various parts of the bill 
hope to accomplish. 
-- Final votes on a bill by the House.
-- Weekly and daily committee schedules for the 
House and Senate. 
-- Biographies of representatives and senators, 
their committee assignments, and office numbers. 
-- Minnesota Statutes.
-- Directions to the Capitol and what services are 
available upon arrival.
-- People and the Process - A Legislative Study 
Guide. This roughly 140-page document is full of 
lesson plans, information, and activities for junior 
and senior high school classroom teachers and 
students.
-- New Laws 1994. This 141-page publication 
compiles easy-to-read articles on all the laws 
passed during a legislative session. It is organized 
by subject with House file, Senate file, and chapter 
indexes in the back. It is published every year 
after each session.
-- Session Weekly and Senate Briefly. These two 
publications, one published by the House and one 
by the Senate, come out weekly and contain 
articles that describe and track the various bills as 
they travel through each body, respectively. 

Internet access . . .
Like bringing electricity to farms in Greater 
Minnesota

     Farm families have long turned to the Minnesota 
Extension Service for information, whether it be on 
"Dead Turkey Handling" or "Making Fresh-Pack 
Pickles."
     Now those Minnesota families -- from Crookston 
in the northwest to Winona in the southeast -- can 
turn to their local county extension office, school, or 
library to tap yet another vein of information: 
access to the Internet, or information 
superhighway.
     Beginning this month, three sites in Greater 
Minnesota (Alexandria, Crookston, and Duluth) will 
make computers available so outstate folks will get 
an easier chance to see first-hand what the Internet 
is all about.
     Every month thereafter, additional seven sites will 
be added until a total of 60 "community access 
centers" are established over the next nine months 
under the Access Minnesota program.
     "I think the desire to have it is very big," said Rae 
Montgomery, an extension educator at the 
University of Minnesota who is helping coordinate 
the project. "For many people these sites will be a 
first introduction to the Internet."
     The $1.5 million project is funded in part by a 
$425,000 grant from the U.S. Department of 
Commerce's National Telecommunications and 
Information Administration. The rest of the support 
came primarily from the University of Minnesota, 
Minnesota Extension Service and the state 
Department of Administration's MNet.
     It is hoped that the sites, which will be selected 
based on community interest, readiness, and 
technical considerations, will serve as a catalyst to 
help revitalize Greater Minnesota.
     And although private individuals and businesses 
won't be able to hook up to these Internet sites, at 
least one private company is bringing the Internet 
to Greater Minnesota.
     Nearly 300 Minnesota communities -- from Ada to 
Zumbrota Falls -- are now able to connect to the 
Internet through a local telephone call, which 
eliminated the costly long-distance charges that 
were required in the past. 
     The local connection was made possible through a 
joint effort of numerous independent telephone 
companies that formed the Plymouth-based MEANS 
Inc. with the idea of bringing modern 
telecommunications service to rural Minnesota.
     "Throughout the state people are absolutely 
thrilled that it's a local telephone call," said Julie 
Beaton, the marketing manager for Polaris Telcom, 
which is the marketing arm of MEANS Inc.
     She explained that most of the 64 independent 
Minnesota telephone companies that are 
participating in the project charge about $12.95 per 
month for up to 10 hours of Internet connect time.
     Interested people would also need a software 
package to get connected such as the one offered by 
Fergus Falls-based Communicating for America, 
which is $75 per year, said Beaton. But any 
software program, such as Gopher developed by the 
University of Minnesota (which is free for non-
commercial purposes), will work.
     The local connect charges for Internet access are 
roughly comparable to those offered by many 
private on-line services that are available in larger 
metropolitan areas. 
     And bringing that access to Greater Minnesota has 
led some to compare the Internet connection of the 
1990s to the rural electrification projects of the 
1930s and 1940s.

Q: What is the Internet?

A: The Internet is an international network of 
computers first created by the federal government 
in the late 1960s as a way to connect the computers 
of researchers working with the military. Since 
then, this computer network has grown to include 
university, government, research, and commercial 
computers throughout the world.

Q: How do I connect to the Internet?

A: If you can get an account on a computer at an 
Internet site, you are all set to hook up to the 
Legislature's electronic information center. 
     Without this direct access, however, you must buy 
a connection to a commercial service that has a 
"gateway" onto the Internet and have a modem on 
your computer to connect to the telephone line. The 
University of Minnesota Alumni Association (612-
624-2323) offers a low-cost access package, but 
many people subscribe to services such as America 
Online (1-800-827-6364) or E-World (1-800-775-
4556). Some of these popular commercial services 
charge a flat monthly fee (as little as $10 per month 
for basic services) or charge subscribers only for 
the time they spend connected to the service's 
computers.

Q: Do I have to pay for a long-distance call to get 
connected?

A: No, not if you live in the Twin Cities metropolitan 
area or several other areas of the state. (See related 
article on page 16). For more information about 
Internet access in Greater Minnesota, call 
Plymouth-based Polaris Telcom at (612) 230-4412 
or 1-800-944-1492. 

Q: Once I'm connected, how do I find Minnesota 
legislative information?

A: To find the Minnesota Legislature, you must be 
sure your Internet connection has access to Gopher, 
a system of connections to various databases. Not 
all commercial services have full Gopher 
capabilities, so investigate before you sign up with 
one. (The Gopher is so named because computer 
scientists at the University of Minnesota developed 
it and because its job is to go fer information.)
     Once you connect to Gopher, a menu of options 
will appear on your computer screen. To navigate 
your way to the House information files, you must 
select the following menu items in this order: Other 
Gopher, North America, USA, Minnesota, Minnesota 
Legislature.
     When you open up the Minnesota Legislature file, 
you will have access to all the information 
described in the accompanying articles and more. 
You can now begin your electronic perusal of 
legislative activity.

Q: How do I connect to the Minnesota Legislature 
with gopher client software?

A: Point your gopher client to 
gopher.revisor.leg.state.mn.us (Port 70)

Q: If I don't have gopher client software, how can I 
telnet to connect?

A: Telnet to the University of Minnesota Gopher at 
consultant.micro.umn.edu, and login: gopher. Or, via 
dial access, 612-626-2400, 
access>consultant.micro.umn.edu, and login: gopher.

Q: How can I connect to the Minnesota Legislature 
though America OnLine?

A: Click on the "Go To" menu at the top of the 
screen, then scroll down to "keyword." Type as a 
keyword: Internet, then click on the gopher icon. 
Scroll through these successive menus: Government 
and Politics, Govt. Center at Twin Cities Free Net, 
and Minnesota Legislature.

Q: How do I track a bill on the Internet?

A: From the main menu of the House and Senate 
Legislative Gopher, select Legislation and bill 
tracking. Then select How to follow a bill using this 
gopher. This file explains the process in great detail.

Q: Where does all this information come from?

A: The information provided on the Minnesota 
Legislature's Gopher is a collaborative effort 
involving several legislative offices. Most of the 
information exists in printed form, but has never 
before been gathered in one place. A majority of 
the information has been compiled by the House 
Public Information Office and the Senate 
Publications Office. Others providing information 
include the Chief Clerk's Office, the Office of the 
Revisor of Statutes, the Legislative Reference 
Library, and the House Research Department.

Q: Why isn't this or that there?

A: Please remember, this gopher server is a work in 
progress. It represents an enormous amount of 
work by several staff people; no additional staff 
was hired to work on the project. Eventually full 
search capabilities will exist to make portions of 
Minnesota Statutes and bills easier to locate. Bills 
also will be sorted by author and topic, but these 
options are not yet available. Questions or 
comments on the content of the gopher can be E-
mailed to: refdesk@library.leg.state.mn.us.

Q: Do House and Senate members have E-mail 
addresses?

A: Yes, all House members and some senators have 
E-mail addresses. A complete list of addresses will 
be published in a future issue of the Session 
Weekly. For a list of some E-mail addresses for 
House members, go to the House of Representatives 
folder on the main menu, then select Member 
Information. The E-mail addresses are listed there.

Greater Minnesota sites that now have direct 
connection to the Internet 

Ada
Akeley/Nevis
Albany
Alexandria
Ashby
Avon
Badger
Bagley
Barnesville
Battle Lake
Baudette
Becker
Beltrami
Bertha
Bertha/Hewitt
Big Lake
Blackduck
Blue Earth
Brainerd
Brandon
Breckenridge
Bricelyn
Brooks
Brownsville
Buffalo
Bygland
Byron
Caledonia
Campbell
Canton
Carlos
Chatfield
Clarissa
Clearbrook
Climax
Crookston
Crosby-Ironton
Crosslake
Dakota
Dalton
Deer Creek
Deer River
Delavan
Dent
Detroit Lakes
Donaldson
Eagle Bend
Easton
Eden Valley
Eitzen
Elgin
Elmore
Emily
Erhard
Erskine
Evansville
Eyota
Fargo
Faribault
Fergus Falls
Fertile
Fisher
Flom
Fosston
Freeborn
Freeport
Frost
Garfield
Gary
Gatzke
Glendorado
Gonvik
Goodridge
Grand Rapids
Granger
Great Bend
Greenbush
Greenwald
Grey Eagle
Grygla
Gully
Hallock
Halma
Halstad
Hancock
Hendrum
Henning
Hokah
Holdingford
Holmes City
Holt
Houston
Huntley
Hutchinson
Karlstad
Kasson
Kelliher
Kimball
LaCrescent
Lake
Lake Benton
Lake Bronson
Lancaster
Lanesboro
Lengby
Leonard
Lincoln
Little Falls
Longville
Maine
Malung
Mantorville
McIntosh
Melrose
Menahga
Mentor
Middle River
Millerville
Miltona
Minerva
Minnesota Lake
Mission
Monticello
Moorhead
Morristown
Motley
Newfolden
New Munich
New Prague
New York Mills
Nielsville
Nimrod
Nokay Lake
Northome
Northwest Angle
Ogema/White Earth
Oklee
Oronoco
Osage
Osage/Ponsford
Osakis
Ostrander
Ottertail
Outing
Parkers Prairie
Pelican Rapids
Perham
Perley
Peterson
Pierz
Pillager
Pine Island
Plummer
Preston
Princeton
Randall
Red Lake Falls
Richmond
Rochester
Rock Dell
Roosevelt
Roseau
Rushford
Sebeka
Shelly
Shevlin
Silver Lake
Squaw Lake
St Charles
St Cloud
St Hilaire
St Martin
Staples
Stevens
Stewartville
Strandquist
Strathcona
Thief River Falls
Twin Valley
Ulen
Underwood
Upsala
Urbank
Vergas
Verndale
Viking
Wadena
Walcott
Walker
Wannaska
Warroad
Watkins
Waubun
Wells
Whipholt
Williams
Winger
Winnebago
Wolf Lake
Wolverton
Zimmerman
Zumbrota Falls

Source:
Polaris Telcom

New members . . .
Lake City talk show host airs agenda in House

      This is Rep. Mike Osskopp's (IR-Lake City) first 
term as a legislator, but he's been here before.
     "I'm not a complete rookie to the 
House because I've hung around here as a 
journalist," Osskopp said.
     Since 1991, Osskopp, using his radio 
name, Mike Ryan, has been a mainstay on KDWA in 
Hastings, Minn. In that role, Osskopp trod the 
Capitol beat for his radio station and for the 
Minnesota News Network, which shares news for an 
affiliation of radio stations. For the past three years, 
he also has hosted a conservative radio talk show 
which, he boasts, received higher ratings than the 
Rush Limbaugh show for their relative radio 
listening markets.
     Guests on his show included Rep. Jerry Dempsey 
(IR-Hastings), House Minority Leader Steve 
Sviggum (IR-Kenyon) and Rep. Kevin Knight (IR-
Bloomington). When then-Rep. Bob Waltman (IR-
Elgin) announced his retirement, Osskopp's radio 
guests thought he had a shot at winning the open 
legislative seat.
     "So I talked about it with my wife and here I am," 
Osskopp said. He announced his candidacy in 
December 1993 and couldn't work during his 
campaign. He's now on leave. His radio show may 
be resumed after session, depending on how busy 
he is with legislative duties.
     "I've worked six weeks in the past year, the six 
weeks after I was elected," he said.
     Osskopp faced a strange problem after his decision 
to run: because KDWA's radio waves didn't 
permeate his home district, no one knew his name 
there. And, while his talk show brought him 
popularity in Dempsey's district, residents there 
recognized only his radio name, Mike Ryan.
     But Osskopp has always been involved in local 
community affairs. Eight years ago he started a 
Lake City branch of the Fellowship of Christian 
Athletes (FCA). The national organization, founded 
in the 1950s, uses professional athletes to talk to 
high school athletes about Christian values. The 
program also serves as a youth ministry program in 
a town that doesn't have youth pastors in any 
churches, Osskopp said.
     The FCA is now thriving in Lake City. Many people 
who know him from his work with that 
organization acted as delegates to the IR nominating 
convention, said Osskopp, who faced five other 
contenders for the IR endorsement as well as a 
primary challenger.
     Osskopp holds the FCA in such high esteem 
because he worked with the organization during his 
stint as a professional golfer. He turned pro 
between his junior and senior years of high school 
in Milwaukee. To earn Professional Golf Association 
status he apprenticed for three years at a Denver 
country club. That's where he met his wife, Monica, 
who is a Lake City native. He then toured from 
1976 through 1980, but didn't make a lot of money.
     "I starved," Osskopp said of the time.
     He later landed a job at a Milwaukee banking firm 
and eventually transferred to a job in St. Paul and 
settled in Lake City. They have two children, 
Jeniffer, 14, and Tom, 11.
     Osskopp's conservative political views were well 
known to his listeners. So it was no surprise that he 
emphasized government accountability and 
property tax reform during his campaign.
     "It appears those things will be like moving 
mountains," Osskopp said. "But my district has one 
of the largest senior populations in the state. These 
people are really being hurt. Some are being forced 
from their homes due to rising property taxes."
     He also thinks politicians need to become more 
accountable to the constituents they serve.
     "I want to put the trust back into mainstream 
government. When I was in high school, politicians 
and pastors were the people you trusted the most. 
Now they're not. Neither is the media. I work as a 
journalist, too, so I get a triple whammy," he said.
     Now, he said, he wants to do everything he can to 
earn his constituents' respect.

-- Jean Thilmany

District 29B

Population: 32,761
Distribution: 21.94 percent urban; 78.06 percent 
rural
Counties: Goodhue, Wabasha
Largest city: Lake City
Location: southeastern Minnesota
Unemployment rate: 4.47 percent
Residents living below poverty level: 8.28 percent
1992 presidential election results:
Bush/Quayle     33.05 percent
Clinton/Gore     35.65 percent
Perot/Stockdale     28.80 percent
Other:     2.50 percent

New members . . .
Entenza focuses on 'education, education, education'

     Involvement in neighborhood politics provided 
the springboard for Rep. Matt Entenza's (DFL-St. 
Paul) legislative candidacy.
     Entenza, who is originally from 
Worthington, Minn., attended Augustana College in 
Sioux Falls, S.D., then Macalester College in St. Paul. 
After several years of graduate work at Oxford 
University and teaching high school in England, he 
returned to his old St. Paul neighborhood.
     His affection for the neighborhood and the birth of 
his three children strengthened his resolve to work 
on grassroots issues. He worked as a volunteer and 
served on the board of the Mississippi Market Co-
op in St. Paul. 
     While serving on the Merriam Park Community 
Council, he became involved in many issues, 
including those of planning, city budget, zoning, 
environment, and economic development.
     He says political experience at the local level -- on 
a community council or school board -- is good 
preparation for the Legislature.
     "You see what people's daily lives are like and 
what people need and what they don't need," he 
said. "You get a more practical view." 
     And in addition to experience with local politics, 
Entenza is also no stranger to state politics -- 
particularly when it come to issues involving health 
care. He is married to Lois Quam, who has been a 
key player in the shaping of state health care policy 
for several years.
     Entenza succeeds former Rep. Kathleen Vellenga, 
who most recently chaired the K-12 Education 
Finance Division and was one of the most respected 
members of the Legislature.
     Entenza considers himself lucky as a first-term 
legislator to be appointed to that committee. He 
vows to carry on Vellenga's legislative priorities: 
"education, education, and education."
     "Education funding and fairer education financing 
were the key issues for me," Entenza said. "That 
wasn't the only issue but that's really the issue I 
talked about consistently through the whole 
campaign."
     "I'd like to see that [the schools] are funded fairly, 
so that kids from poorer communities get the same 
education as children who live in wealthier 
communities."
     He is also concerned about the soaring cost of St. 
Paul schools, which translates into burdensome 
property taxes for homeowners in his district. 
     His St. Paul constituents are well-educated and 
well-informed, said Entenza. Half of them are 
renters, many living in the apartments along Grand 
Avenue. The district includes three colleges: 
Macalester, Concordia, and the University of St. 
Thomas. 
     In addition to the many college students, the 
district also has many senior citizens, he said.
     "It's a district that will support a candidate who's 
trying to look at the bigger picture," he said, adding 
that most support the effort to look after the 
"overall health of the metropolitan area." 
     Entenza backs the thrust of proposals offered by 
Rep. Myron Orfield (DFL-Mpls) that would allow the 
inner cities to share some of the wealth of the more 
affluent suburbs. 
     "In the scheme of things, my district is doing 
relatively well," Entenza said. "But if the east side of 
St. Paul or Minneapolis is not doing well, that 
ultimately affects us."
     Before his election to the House, Entenza worked 
in the  Minnesota Attorney General's Office from 
1990 to 1993 prosecuting fraudulent telemarketers 
who were "ripping off" vulnerable citizens. That 
experience provides a solid footing for his current 
position as chair of the Consumer Affairs 
Subcommittee of the House Commerce, Tourism, 
and Consumer Affairs Committee.
     "It was a great white hat job. It was loads of fun 
because they were all people who couldn't believe 
they were being sued," Entenza recalls. The con 
artists he went after -- many posing as fund raisers 
for charitable causes -- "felt really invincible."
     He recalled "a fake minister out of Texas" who set 
himself up as the trustee for families with children 
who needed organ transplants. "He stole almost a 
million bucks," Entenza said. The man was sued and 
several families got their money back. 
Unfortunately, about 50 other families around the 
country never saw their money again. 

-- Mordecai Specktor

District 64A

Population: 32,735
Distribution: 100 percent urban
County: Ramsey
Largest city: St. Paul
Location: urban Metro
Unemployment rate: 3.90 percent
Residents living below poverty level: 9.15 percent
1992 presidential election results:
Bush/Quayle     21.17 percent
Clinton/Gore     62.54 percent
Perot/Stockdale     14.56 percent
Other:     1.73 percent

Do You Know

     Should African-Americans be given the right to 
vote? This was one of the tough questions facing 
those who crafted the original Minnesota 
Constitution in 1857. 
     Between 1820 and 1857, no state constitution 
adopted by a newly formed state had allowed 
African-Americans to vote and seven states that 
previously had made no distinction among races 
changed their laws to disenfranchise African-
Americans.
     And while Minnesota Republicans favored equal 
suffrage, they were concerned that if it were 
included in the constitution, voters would surely 
reject it. Democrats were open in their opposition to 
the idea. "White Supremacy Against Negro 
Equality!" screamed a headline in the St. Paul 
Pioneer and Democrat.
     After each political party had forged its own 
constitution, representatives from both sides 
gathered to mold them into one document. On the 
equal suffrage issue, the Republicans wished to 
submit the question to a separate vote of the 
people. The Democrats disagreed. 
     At the last minute both sides agreed to settle the 
question by limiting the vote to whites while at the 
same time making the constitution easy to amend. 
     "In this way each party could argue that it had 
won -- the Democrats that Black suffrage had been 
ruled out, and the Republicans that it could be 
easily permitted whenever the people were ready 
to vote for it," wrote the Minnesota Historical 
Society in Minnesota: Political Maverick.
     After two failed attempts to amend the 
constitution in 1865 and 1867, African-American 
men, American Indian men, and mixed-blooded 
males over the age of 21 won the right to vote in 
1868.
      Minnesota voters approved the equal suffrage 
amendment by a 56.7 percent to 43.3 percent 
margin. The final vote was 39,493 in favor of the 
amendment and 30,121 against it.

In the Hopper . . . Feb. 3 - 9, 1995
BILL INTRODUCTIONS

Monday, February 6

HF401--Rukavina (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Minimum wage increased and adjustment provided 
based on the consumer price index.

HF402--Rukavina (DFL)
International Trade & Economic Development
Affirmative Enterprise Program expiration date 
repealed.

HF403--Otremba (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Todd County tax forfeited land sale authorized.

HF404--Peterson (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Employers required to grant paid leaves to 
employees donating blood.

HF405--Simoneau (DFL)
Education
School enrichment partnership program 
established, matching funds provided, revenue use 
specified, and money appropriated.

HF406--Luther (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Undercover buy fund and witness and victim 
protection fund biennial reports required.

HF407--Osskopp (IR)
Health & Human Services
Day training and residential services for persons 
with developmental disabilities and serious mental 
illness funding system established, competitive 
bidding process implemented, and advisory 
committee established.

HF408--Cooper (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Motor carrier driver physical examination and 
certification by licensed physicians, osteopaths, and 
chiropractors authorized.

HF409--Tunheim (DFL)
Education
Interactive television revenue increased for certain 
combined or consolidated school districts.

HF410--Winter (DFL)
Agriculture
Crop disaster insurance program designed and 
established, and money appropriated.

HF411--Bertram (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Early retirement option provided temporarily for 
certain teacher retirement association members.

HF412--Bertram (DFL)
Education
Community colleges, state universities, and 
technical colleges required to use construction plans 
prepared through the Department of 
Administration.

HF413--Wenzel (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Trunk Highway No. 131, marked Trunk Highway 
No. 115, named and designated as Veterans 
Memorial Highway.

HF414--Peterson (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Businesses receiving state financial assistance 
required to pay a living wage.

HF415--Huntley (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Minimum wage increased and adjustment provided 
based on the consumer price index.

HF416--Skoglund (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
License plate issuance provided to certain persons 
subject to an impoundment order.

HF417--Luther (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Public assistance payments paid directly to 
battered womens shelters, battered woman 
definition modified, and appeals and payment 
requests directed to Department of Human Services 
commissioner.

HF418--Hackbarth (IR)
Judiciary
Child support order modification grounds 
established by existence of other children.

HF419--Pellow (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Pollution Control Agency required to meet with 
affected party prior to issuance of an administraive 
penalty order.

HF420--Jennings (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Municipal drainage authorities required to maintain 
town road bridges and culverts constructed on 
drainage systems.

HF421--Smith (IR)
Judiciary
Noncustodial parent child care authorized in certain 
cases.

HF422--Osskopp (IR)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Comprehensive Health Insurance Association 
lifetime benefit limit increased.

HF423--Van Engen (IR)
Judiciary
DWI; snowmobile, motorboat, and all-terrain 
vehicle forfeiture provided for violation of certain 
driving while intoxicated offenses, and vehicle 
forfeiture law expanded.

HF424--Hasskamp (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Firefighter state aid funding increase provided.

HF425--Hugoson (IR)
Agriculture
Farm corporation land use and ownership 
restrictions removed.

HF426--Simoneau (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Parking violation delinquent fine notification, 
recording, and collection system established; vehicle 
registration prohibited pending parking violation 
fine payment; parking violation warrant issuance 
prohibited; and fee imposed.

HF427--McCollum (DFL)
Education
Elementary and secondary education trust fund 
established in state treasury, and constitutional 
amendment proposed.

HF428--Jacobs (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Domestic hydropower purchase credits by utilities 
allowed; biomass and wind power mandate 
provisions modified; and preferred generation 
source provisions modified.

HF429--Ness (IR)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' compensation benefits and procedures 
modified, and penalties provided.

HF430--Vickerman (IR)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' compensation benefits and procedures 
modified, and penalties provided.

HF431--Orfield (DFL)
Taxes
Metropolitan area property tax equalization 
provided.

HF432--Sykora (IR)
Health & Human Services
Child abuse investigation liability provisions 
modified, attorney fees provided, abuse 
investigation protocols established, and data access 
provided.

HF433--Winter (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Windom tax increment financing district exempted 
from certain restrictions.

HF434--Carlson (DFL)
Education
General education formula allowance increased, and 
money appropriated.

HF435--Jacobs (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Gas utility performance-based gas purchasing 
regulation authorized.

HF436--Ostrom (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 2397, Le Sueur-
Henderson, provided a levy adjustment.

HF437--Johnson, V. (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources Finance
Environment and natural resources and agricultural 
appropriations provided for: natural disaster relief 
purposes, school land administration, and 
petroleum tank release assistance.

HF438--Sykora (IR)
Education
Higher education system merger implementation 
delayed.

HF439--Onnen (IR)
Transportation & Transit
Alternative fuel vehicle permit fee partial refund 
allowed, and money appropriated.

HF440--Winter (DFL)
Agriculture
Horse feed and bedding exempted from sales tax.

HF441--Jennings (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs
Business license electronic filing and retrieval 
provided, and money appropriated.

HF442--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary Finance
Public defense, criminal justice, corrections, and 
judicial appropriations provided.

HF443--Dempsey (IR)
Capital Investment
Bond issuance provided for acquisition and 
betterment of public land and buildings, and money 
appropriated.

HF444--Van Dellen (IR)
Education
Student disciplinary sanctions related to speech 
limited, and civil cause of action provided.

HF445--Skoglund (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Bureau of Criminal Apprehension Criminal 
Assessment Program enhancements provided, and 
money appropriated.

HF446--Leppik (IR)
Health & Human Services
Acupuncture practictioner licensure by Board of 
Medical Practice established, and rules and 
penalties provided.

HF447--Winter (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Wastewater Infrastructure Funding Program 
expanded to include municipal grants.

HF448--Kelley (DFL)
Judiciary
Tenant screening services authorized to report 
court record information related to unlawful 
detainer filings.

HF449--Mulder (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Pipestone County bond issuance authorized for 
county courthouse repair.

HF450--Pelowski (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Soil and water conservation district supervisors 
authorized to hold certain city or town offices.

HF451--Knoblach (IR)
Rules & Legislative Administration
Tenth Amendment; federal government 
memorialized to conform to the limits expressed by 
the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

HF452--Kelley (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Physician assistants registered by the Board of 
Medical Practice, and rules and penalties provided.

HF453--Weaver (IR)
Judiciary
Parenting and ethics education curricula 
established; disruptive students barred from open 
enrollment program; school buffer zones 
established; lengthened schoolyear repeal removed; 
tort liability limit increased; and money 
appropriated.


Thursday, February 9

HF454--Wejcman (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Inmate wages used to pay room and board charges, 
and mandatory savings eliminated.

HF455--Wejcman (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Inmate wage deduction provisions modified.

HF456--Hasskamp (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources Finance
Cuyuna Country State Recreation Area appropriated 
money for operation and maintenance.

HF457--Perlt (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Mortgage loan negotiator and mortgage broker 
regulatory provisions modified.

HF458--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Children and education services department 
established, and money appropriated.

HF459--Lourey (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 588, Askov, capital 
loan discharge provided, and school district 
maximum debt service levy provisions modified.

HF460--Entenza (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Department of Commerce service of orders 
regulated and enforcement powers modified,
and notaries public regulated.

HF461--Wagenius (DFL)
Taxes
Senior citizen's property tax deferral program 
established.

HF462--Trimble (DFL)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & 
Elections
Minors 16 years of age or older allowed to vote in 
school district elections, and constitutional 
amendment proposed.

HF463--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Governmental Operations
State trooper retirement contribution rates and 
annuity formulas modified.

HF464--Mahon (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
License plate impoundment limited to self-
propelled motor vehicles.

HF465--Pugh (DFL)
Governmental Operations
West St. Paul city attorney authorized to participate 
in a retirement incentive program.

HF466--Pugh (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing home moratorium exception provided, and 
total replacement rates established.

HF467--Wejcman (DFL)
Housing
Housing inspection cause of action for damages 
limited.

HF468--Anderson, I. (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Koochiching County tax forfeited land sale 
authorized.

HF469--Greiling (DFL)
Judiciary
Uniform Condominium Act; attorney fee award 
provided.

HF470--Orfield (DFL)
Judiciary
Uniform conflict of laws-limitations act adopted.

HF471--Greenfield (DFL)
Judiciary
Seat belt violations; peace officers authorized to 
stop drivers and issue citations for seat belt 
violations without first observing a moving 
violation.

HF472--Van Dellen (IR)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Term limits; legislative and executive service 
limited and constitutional amendment proposed.

HF473--Trimble (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Human development center established, and money 
appropriated for planning and development.

HF474--Commers (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Dakota County authorized to sell certain tax-
forfeited land to Eagan.

HF475--Rhodes (IR)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
School district general elections held annually.

HF476--Knoblach (IR)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Bank and trust company annual financial statement 
publishing requirements eliminated.

HF477--McCollum (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Trunk Highway No. 36 in North St. Paul pedestrian-
bicycle overpass construction required.

HF478--Peterson (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Annuity increment provided to certain teachers 
based on the difference between certain teacher 
salaries and average metropolitan area school 
district teacher salaries.

HF479--Bakk (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
State park additions and state wayside deletions 
provided.

HF480--Simoneau (DFL)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Insurer bad faith remedy and cause of action 
provided.

HF481--Marko (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Osteoporosis prevention and treatment program 
established, and money appropriated.

HF482--Wenzel (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Recreational trailer three year registration option 
provided.

HF483--Pellow (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
County commissioner salaries limited, and other 
compensation and conditions of service modified.

HF484--Paulsen (IR)
Health & Human Services
Correctional guard HIV exposure notification 
provisions modified.

HF485--Winter (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Waste combuster operation permitted by Pollution 
Control Agency in certain cases.

HF486--Peterson (DFL)
Agriculture
Value-Added Agricultural Product Loan Program 
eligibility expanded, and money 
appropriated.

HF487--Pelowski (DFL)
Education
State university and college library appropriations 
exempted from the one-third debt service 
requirement.

HF488--Cooper (DFL)
Ways & Means
Petroleum tank release cleanup fund site 
assessment payment provided prior to tank 
removal.

HF489--Cooper (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Uncertified boarding care home defined, and county 
payment rate changed.

HF490--Greenfield (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing home moratorium exception provisions 
modified.

HF491--Greenfield (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Long-term care facility ancillary service provisions 
modified.

HF492--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Long-term care facility payment provisions 
modified.

HF493--Jefferson (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Minneapolis Employees Retirement Fund health 
insurance administrative provisions modified.

HF494--Bertram (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Milk truck length limitations extended and weight 
restrictions eased.

HF495--Workman (IR)
Economic Development, Infrastructure 
& Regulation Finance
Department of Transportation and Department of 
Public Safety appropriated money.

HF496--Kraus (IR)
Education
School district superintendent past buyout 
arrangement disclosure required.

HF497--Anderson, R. (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Medical Assistance noninstitutionalized patient 
monthly allowance deduction provisions modified.

HF498--Dauner (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Clay County authorized to issue an on-sale 
intoxicating liquor license.

HF499--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Prescription drug price negotiation authority 
granted to Department of Administration 
commissioner, statewide drug formulary 
established, and pharmacists required to post signs 
relating to generic drug substitution.

HF500--Abrams (IR)
Governmental Operations
Legislative regular session meetings in even-
numbered years required to begin on the fourth 
Tuesday in March, and constitutional amendment 
proposed.

HF501--Dawkins (DFL)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Comprehensive Health Association disabled 
enrollees covered by Medicare premiums 
regulated.

HF502--Winter (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Town road, bridge, or culvert projects exempt from 
Pollution Control Agency permit fees.

HF503--Bishop (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Water supply systems and wastewater treatment 
facilities classified and operators certified by 
Department of Health and Pollution Control Agency, 
and money appropriated.

HF504--McCollum (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Park, recreation area, and natural and scenic area 
grants provided to school districts and 
municipalities.

HF505--Olson, E. (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 36, Kelliher, capital 
loan approved, money appropriated, and bonds 
issued.

HF506--Clark (DFL)
Housing
Lead abatement provisions modified and recodified, 
and money appropriated.

HF507--Koppendrayer (IR)
Education
Education finance appropriations bill.

HF508--Onnen (IR)
Health & Human Services
Health and human services public assistance 
provisions modified, program integrity provided, 
child support enforcement modified, health care 
finance and administration modified, and money 
appropriated.

HF509--Clark (DFL)
Housing
Affordable home investment account established, 
and money appropriated.

HF510--Clark (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Pesticide poisoning treatment included as an 
emergency service for general assistance medical 
care eligibility purposes, pesticide poisoning 
reporting and education required, and money 
appropriated.

HF511--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Senior Citizen Nutrition Program reporting required, 
funding increased for congregate dining and home-
delivered meals, and money 
appropriated.

HF512--Koppendrayer (IR)
Taxes
Local government property tax aid provided for 
property exempted due to Bureau of Indian Affairs 
action, and money appropriated.

HF513--Cooper (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing home moratorium exception provided.

HF514--Rest (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Municipal Board composition provisions 
modified.

HF515--Rest (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Local government incorporation, detachment, and 
annexation authority transferred to the Office of 
Strategic and Long-Range planning and the Office of 
Administrative Hearings, and money appropriated.

HF516--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Managed care health plans required to provided 
certain enrollees with expanded geographic access 
to primary care physician 
services.

HF517--Rest (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Education Now and Babies Later  (ENABL) teen 
pregnancy reduction program established, and 
money appropriated.

HF518--Rest (DFL)
Taxes
Dependent care income tax provisions 
modified.

HF519--Greenfield (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing facility subacute care definition provided, 
and rule waivers sought by Department of Human 
Services and Department of Health commissioners.

HF520--Milbert (DFL)
Taxes
Jenkins Act; Congress memorialized to amend the 
Jenkins Act to require tobacco tax information 
report filing and increase related penalties.

HF521--Sviggum (IR)
Governmental Operations
State department and legislative appropriations 
provided.

HF522--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary Finance
Bomb Disposal Unit and Hazardous Material 
Response Team member reimbursement provided, 
tort claims and workers' compensation provisions 
clarified, and money appropriated.

HF523--Erhardt (IR)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Canada; Minnesota-Ontario fish importation 
restrictions removed.

HF524--Larsen (IR)
Judiciary
McGruff Program safe houses renamed McGruff 
houses.

HF525--Jennings (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Public assistance provider hearings permitted, state 
agency hearing conduct modified, medical 
assistance prior authorization requirements 
modified, and prior authorization advisory task 
force established.

HF526--Trimble (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Waste management and treatment procedures 
modified in unincorporated areas.

HF527--Mariani (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Telecommunication Access for Communication 
Impaired Persons  (TACIP) Board equipment 
recipient eligibility requirements 
modified.

HF528--Mariani (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Telecommunication Access for Communication 
Impaired Persons  (TACIP) Board equipment 
eligibility restricted for persons in residential care 
facilities where suitable telephone service is 
provided.

HF529--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Eminent domain notice of pendency provisions 
modified.

HF530--Kahn (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Baseball; Congress memorialized to repeal baseball's 
antitrust exemption and to create a publicly 
appointed board to govern baseball.

MINNESOTA INDEX

Minnesota agriculture

Number of Minnesota farms, December 1994
     85,000
     in 1983     102,000
County with the most farms, (Stearns), 1992     3,275
     County with the fewest, (Cook), 1992     15
Average farm size, in acres, 1993     341
Increase in the average size of a farm, 1983-1993, 
in acres     43
Average government payments per farm, 1992
     $4,795
Average annual gross income per Minnesota farm, 
1992     $90,631
     Average net income     $16,824
Total agricultural workers, April 1994     130,000
     Number of those workers hired by farmers     16,000
National rank, sugar beet production, 1993     1
National rank for sweet corn, flax, sunflowers, and 
     spring wheat production, 1993     3
Tons of fertilizer used between July 1, 1992, and 
June 30, 1993, 
     in millions of tons     2.1
     National rank     6
All cattle in Minnesota, 1994, in millions     2.75
Cattle slaughtered by commercial operations, 1993, 
in millions     1
Calves born in Minnesota, 1993     980,000
     State record number of calves born, 1944, in 
millions     1.87
All hogs in Minnesota, 1994, in millions     4.6
Approximate ratio of hogs to humans, 1994     1:1
Percent of the day that a pig spends grazing     31
     That a pig spends rooting     21
Chickens on Minnesota farms, December 1994, in 
millions     13.46
Eggs produced in 1993, in billions     2.69
County with the most beef cows, 1994, (Fillmore)
     21,400
     County with the fewest, (Ramsey)     200
County with the most milk cows, 1994, (Stearns)
     67,700
County with the most hogs, 1993, (Renville)
     143,700
Pounds of American cheese manufactured in 
Minnesota, 1993, in millions     571.8
Gallons of ice cream made, 1993, in millions     40.6

Sources: Minnesota Agriculture Statistics, 1994, 
Minnesota Agricultural Statistics Service, Minnesota 
Department of Agriculture; Bringing Home the 
Bacon, The Humane Farming Association.



Text compiled by the Minnesota House of Representatives 
Public Information Office (612) 296-2146.

*** Last update 2/10/95 (jtt) 
Last review 2/10/95 (jtt) ***