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

FEBRUARY 24, 1995
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 8 

WEEK IN REVIEW. . . FEB. 16 - 23, 1995
HIGHLIGHTS

Seat belt law. . . 
Police could stop drivers for failure to buckle up

     Failure to wear a seat belt would be reason 
enough for a cop to pull you over and issue a ticket, 
under a bill approved by the House Judiciary 
Committee Feb. 20.
     The measure, sponsored by Rep. Lee Greenfield 
(DFL-Mpls), would make a seat belt violation a 
"primary offense." Currently, law enforcement 
officers need another reason to pull you over before 
issuing a $25 seat belt citation.
     Greenfield listed a series of reasons law 
enforcement officials can now pull you over, 
including a cracked windshield or having fuzzy dice 
dangling from your rear view mirror. Failure to 
wear a seat belt is not among them.
     "The goal is to reduce the injuries that occur in 
accidents," Greenfield said. "This is health care 
legislation."
     An August 1994 roadside study showed that 55 
percent of Minnesotans wear their safety belts. The 
national average is 65 percent. In states where 
failure to wear a seat belt is a primary offense, the 
rate is 75 percent compliance, Greenfield said.
     In the six months after California enacted a 
primary offense law, compliance rose 15 percent, 
Greenfield said. The National Safety Council 
estimates enacting such a law would increase 
compliance by 10 to 20 percent.
     And the higher the compliance rate, the greater 
the cost savings to the state and others, proponents 
argued. If Minnesota could raise its compliance rate 
to 65 percent, the savings -- in avoiding wage and 
productivity loss, medical and administrative 
expenses, motor vehicle damages, and employer 
costs -- would be $42 million per year, according to 
the Minnesota Medical Association.
     By not making violation of the seat belt use law 
a primary offense, "this sends a message to our 
drivers that we are not serious about seat belts," 
said Frank Chavez of the Minnesota Board on Aging.
     But opponents, including those from the 
Minnesota Motorcycle Riders Association (MMRA), 
disagreed.
     "You've been given information that is -- and I'll 
be kind -- inaccurate, said Bob Illingworth, 
executive director of the MMRA. He said the seat 
belt compliance rates cited by proponents were 
inflated, and their studies funded by "those who 
want laws such as these passed." He said there 
aren't enough law enforcement officials to enforce 
the laws currently on the books, and "this is just 
another law we don't need in this state."
     Another MMRA representative, Steve O'Brien, 
worried that making HF471 law would "give the 
police carte blanche, unbridled authority to pull 
over whomever they want."
     Failure to wear a seat belt is a primary offense 
in 10 states and a secondary offense in 35 others. 
As of February 1994, five states had no safety belt 
use law in effect.
     Similar measures have been introduced in the 
last several legislative sessions. The most recent 
attempt, also sponsored by Greenfield, failed to pass 
the 1994 House. The vote was 46-83. Sixty-five of 
those 'no' votes are members of the 1995 
Legislature.
     Lawmakers passed the original mandatory seat 
belt law in 1986, but waited until 1988 to add a 
$10 fine for failure to follow it. The fine was 
bumped to $25 in 1991.
     The fine generates about $1 million per year, 
according to Rep. Dave Bishop (IR-Rochester). 
Ninety percent of the dollars fund the state's eight 
regional emergency medical services systems for 
personnel education and training, equipment, and 
vehicle purchases. The remaining 10 percent goes 
toward traffic safety education programs conducted 
by state troopers.
     Bishop tried to scrap the bill and instead double 
the fine to $50. He said it wasn't until Canada 
imposed a $50 fine that they saw compliance rates 
jump to a significant level. He agreed that the main 
issue was safety, but said increasing the fine "would 
be more effective."
     Bishop's amendment failed on a tie 9-9 vote.
     The bill also would mandate that all children 
between the ages of 11 and 14 wear a seat belt 
while in the back seat of a car. Under current law, 
only the driver's children who are between 11 and 
14 years of age must wear a seat belt. (All children 
under age 11 are required to wear a seat belt.)
     The driver would then face a $25 fine for each 
child under age 15 who isn't buckled up.
     HF471 now moves to the Transportation and 
Transit Committee.

-- John Tschida

CHILDREN

Out-of-home placements

     County officials say that the growing number of 
children being placed in Minnesota treatment 
centers and foster homes has reached crisis 
proportions. Consequently, counties, which pay 90 
percent of the cost of this placement, can expect 
their spending to triple within 10 years.
     According to Out-of-Home Placement Trends, a 
report prepared by the Metropolitan Inter-County 
Association (MICA), which represents 10 counties 
across the state, counties' costs for placements are 
rising 13 percent per year and will triple by the 
year 2005.
     In 1993, out-of-home placements for 18,000 
youth cost Minnesota counties some $131 million, 
according to Bob Orth, MICA's executive director.
      "Obviously, we've got to do something to 
reverse this trend," Dave Rooney, director of Dakota 
County Community Services, told the House 
Judiciary Finance Committee Feb. 21.
     Rooney explained that courts, probation officials, 
or social services agencies can remove a child from 
a home for various reasons, including parental 
abuse and neglect, severe emotional problems, and 
delinquent behavior. Also, parents can voluntarily 
have a child committed to a residential treatment 
program or foster home.
     The spiraling costs for out-of-home placements 
largely reflect an increase in the child population, 
less community tolerance for disruptive behavior, 
and a more difficult group of children requiring 
care.
     In the latter category, 35 percent of children 
entering private treatment centers in 1993 had 
been convicted of at least one felony. This is up 
from 19 percent in 1992 and 14 percent in 1991, 
according to the 1994 report of the Minnesota 
Council of Child Caring Agencies (MCCCA), which 
represents private agencies serving about 3,000 
children and adolescents.
     John Doman, MCCCA executive director, told the 
committee that compared to children of the same 
age receiving outpatient mental health services, 
children referred to residential programs are much 
more likely to vandalize property, run away, abuse 
or threaten someone, and consider suicide.
     MICA's report suggests that the state offer 
property tax relief to counties based on incentives 
for controlling the rate of out-of-home placements, 
while providing "sufficient funding for effective 
treatment."

CONSUMERS

Replacing airbags

     Motor vehicle airbags that have been "deployed 
or damaged" in an accident would have to be 
repaired or replaced, under a bill approved by the 
House Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs 
Committee's Consumer Affairs Subcommittee Feb. 
23.
     The bill's sponsor, Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL-St. 
Paul), explained that under current law, airbags 
deployed in a collision do not have to be replaced. 
If a car or light truck is later sold, a new owner 
might think that the safety equipment was still in 
place -- until he or she crashed and went through 
the windshield.
     The bill would require that all automobile 
insurance policies include airbag repair or 
replacement as part of collision coverage.
     The "down side" of the bill, according to Entenza, 
is that if a person has a high deductible on collision 
coverage, they might have to pay from $400 to 
$1,000 to replace an airbag.
     Both the repair person and the vehicle owner 
who knowingly did not repair or replace an airbag 
would be guilty of a misdemeanor and could be 
sued later by someone injured in a crash, under the 
bill.
     The real-life impact of the bill is uncertain, 
however. 
     "The vast majority of airbags are being repaired. 
. . . They are covered by insurance," explained Scott 
Lambert, director of government affairs for the 
Minnesota Automobile Dealers Association.
     Rep. Bob Milbert (DFL-South St. Paul) suggested 
that repair shops might abuse the proposed state 
law to ring up a "very expensive repair . . . I'm 
concerned about this because it's not going to be a 
trivial amount of money."
     Instead of requiring a repair or replacement, he 
suggested that the seller be required to disclose 
that an airbag was missing when a vehicle is sold.
     Both Entenza and Lambert responded that an 
individual might not necessarily want to disclose 
that an airbag was missing if it would lower the 
purchase price of a vehicle.
     "The difficult issue is to find out the best way to 
get the airbags replaced," said Entenza.
     HF531 now moves to the full Commerce, 
Tourism and Consumer Affairs Committee for 
consideration.

Busting the chromium scam

     Law enforcement officials would have an easier 
time cracking down on unethical telemarketers who 
sell "investment metals" -- often to senior citizens.
     A bill approved by the House Commerce, 
Tourism and Consumer Affairs Committee Feb. 21 
would expand the definition of "investment metal" 
to include indium, chromium, and germanium.
     That would subject the sellers of investments in 
these high technology metals, which are often used 
in military hardware and spacecraft, to the same 
laws that apply to gold and silver brokers.
     "By expanding the definition [of investment 
metal] we just protect our consumers a little bit 
more," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Matt Entenza 
(DFL-St. Paul), a former prosecutor in the consumer 
division of the Office of the Attorney General. 
     People selling investment contracts for gold and 
silver coins, for example, must be licensed as 
securities brokers by the Department of Commerce, 
and must register their sales program with the 
department.
     Getting licensed as a securities broker is an 
involved and costly process that requires meeting 
national certification standards and filing numerous 
documents with the Department of Commerce. 
     Licensed brokers also must register their sales 
programs with the department, which determines 
whether the sales pitches are fair and the 
commissions reasonable.
     The same regulations would now apply to people 
who sell indium, chromium and germanium, under 
the bill.
     The three metals named in the bill have been 
used over the years in telephone "boiler room" 
operations pitching strategic metals as an 
investment opportunity, according to Gary 
Lavasseur, deputy commissioner of the Department 
of Commerce.
     He explained that a caller will state that 
instability in South Africa or Russia, the sole 
sources for these strategic metals, is driving up the 
price for these items. Buyers find out later that 
most of the purchase price has gone for 
outrageously high sales commissions.
     The sales pitch "in reality is just a scam," said 
Lavasseur.
     Unlicensed sellers of investment metals would 
be notified that they are in violation of state law 
and liable for civil and criminal penalties, according 
to Teresa Fischer, senior investigator at the 
Department of Commerce. On the civil level, victims 
could sue for damages and get their money back 
plus interest and attorney fees. On the criminal 
level, penalties could mean a fine of up to $10,000 
and up to five years in prison for each offense.
     Legitimate sales of these metals as a commodity 
(like selling silver to jewelers) for use in 
manufacturing -- as opposed to an investment -- 
would not be affected by the bill.
     HF554 now moves to the House floor.

Licensing for counselors

     Mental health counselors in Minnesota would be 
licensed by the state, under a bill passed by the 
House Health and Human Services Committee Feb. 
23.
     The bill, sponsored by Rep. Roger Cooper (DFL-
Bird Island), would create new license categories 
for counselors: "licensed professional counselor" and 
"licensed associate counselor." 
     The bill (HF66) also would create a board to 
license mental health counselors and defines the 
field as offering counseling for compensation that 
includes aptitude appraisal, guidance, and 
personnel consulting; referral activities; and 
research activities.
     Right now "anybody can say they are a 
psychotherapist," said Ludwig Spolyar, a member of 
the Minnesota Association of Counseling and 
Development who testified in favor of the bill.
     "The licensure of professional counselors will 
help close the loop in providing the public with 
qualified and accountable mental health services," 
he told the committee.
     The bill exempts school counselors and people 
employed to offer counseling by federal, state, 
county, or local governments. It also exempts 
doctors, nurses, social workers, attorneys, marriage 
and family therapists, and other already licensed 
professions.
     Those counselors practicing without a license or 
using the titles "professional counselor," "licensed 
professional counselor," or "licensed associate 
counselor" would be subject to a misdemeanor.
     The measure would take effect 90 days after 
enactment.
     It also would set out education and training 
requirements for counselors. They include obtaining 
a master's degree from a regionally accredited 
college or university and passing a board exam. A 
"licensed professional counselor" would also need to 
complete 2,000 hours of postgraduate and 
supervised work in an appropriate counseling 
setting that the board would define. A "licensed 
associate counselor" would not have to meet that 
requirement.
     Amy Lindgren, who runs a St. Paul career 
counseling business for dislocated workers, opposed 
the bill. She said she couldn't see the logic in 
requiring someone in her profession to have a 
master's degree in counseling.
     She said it would hurt her business and raise 
her prices if she had to go back to school for a 
master's degree.
     To help Lindgren and people like her, the 
committee adopted an amendment that is expected 
to exclude career counselors from the license 
requirement.
     Originally, the Health and Human Services 
Committee defeated the bill 11-10, but Rep. Tom 
Huntley (DFL-Duluth) later asked to reconsider the 
measure. It passed 11-10.
     HF66 now moves to the Governmental 
Operations Committee for further consideration.

EDUCATION

Lockers, safety, truancy

     Locker searches, school safety measures, and 
new ways to combat truancy are included in a bill 
the House Education Committee is currently 
considering.
     The bill (HF610), which is sponsored by Rep. Jim 
Farrell (DFL-St. Paul), includes a locker check policy 
allowing public school lockers to be searched at any 
time without notice or consent. School districts 
would have to supply parents and students with 
advance notice of the policy. The House Judiciary 
Committee approved the language of the locker 
check policy in HF107 on Feb. 13. (See Feb. 17, 
1995, Session Weekly, page 3)
     HF610 also tackles school safety issues, including 
measures to:
-- require school districts to run criminal 
background checks on all applicants for 
employment, and require the Board of Education 
and the Board of Teaching to run such checks on all 
teachers and others licensed by the boards;
-- make all school districts implement the federal 
Gun-Free School Act, which calls for at least a one-
year expulsion for any student who is caught 
bringing a weapon to school;
-- allow districts to require that students purchase 
school uniforms if the school has a uniform policy in 
place; and
-- make parents guilty of a misdemeanor if they 
fail to exercise "reasonable care, supervision, 
protection, and control" over their children.
     The bill would take on truancy by allowing 
county attorneys, law enforcement agencies, and 
school districts to set up programs and services to 
intervene in truancy cases and provide services and 
referrals.
     Pat Diamond, first assistant to the Hennepin 
County attorney, called truancy a "gateway to 
delinquency" and testified in support of 
community-based efforts to deal with it.
     "The savings to the rest of the system down the 
road and the potential to help the child are 
enormous," Diamond said.
     The bill also would increase parental liability 
and stiffen some penalties for truants.
     Parents who do not make sure their kids comply 
with compulsory attendance laws could face 
misdemeanor charges with maximum penalties of 
90 days in jail and $700 in fines. Under current law, 
the maximum penalty a parent could receive is 30 
days in jail and a $50 fine.
     The bill would extend the authority of courts to 
deny driving privileges to habitual truants until 
they turn 18. Courts would be able to order parents 
to deliver the child to school at the beginning of 
each day for a set period of time.
     The Education Committee is expected to continue 
discussing HF610 on Feb. 28.

'Baby truants'

     A bill to get "baby truants" back in school was 
given final approval by the House Feb. 23. The vote 
was 94-36.
     The "anti-truancy bill," sponsored by Rep. Wes 
Skoglund (DFL-Mpls), would make school children 
under 7 years old subject to compulsory attendance 
law.
     State law does not require children to attend 
school until the age of 7, but many children begin 
kindergarten earlier.
     Currently, school officials can do little about the 
chronic absence of some 5- and 6-year-olds, leaving 
a troubling outlook for the future of such "baby 
truants," Skoglund said. (See Feb. 17, 1995, Session 
Weekly, page 5)
     Under HF341, parents would be able to remove 
a child from school provided they had "good cause" 
and approval from the school board. Skoglund said 
"good cause" to remove a child could include an 
illness, a family move, or physical or psychological 
immaturity.
     The bill drew criticism from some House 
members who argued the circumstances are 
ambiguous about when parents can pull a child 
from school.
     Rep. Dave Bishop (IR-Rochester) called the bill a 
"clear interference with the power of the parents to 
look out for the best interests of the child."
     But Skoglund said the bill would give school 
officials a chance to step in before it is too late.
     "This bill is going to save lives," he said. "Kids 
are not going to end up in prison because of this 
bill."
     The measure, which does not have a Senate 
companion, now moves to the Senate for its 
consideration. 

Superintendent buy-outs

     Legislation on its way to the House floor would 
ensure that school districts know whether a 
candidate for superintendent left the same position 
in another district via a contract buyout.
     The House Education Committee Feb. 23 
approved a bill that would require superintendents 
who have their contracts bought out to disclose that 
information to would-be employers when applying 
for the same position elsewhere.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Ron Kraus (IR-Albert Lea) said 
the disclosure requirements would provide 
protection for taxpayers who fund the sometimes 
costly buyout procedures.
     The bill is the result of events in Kraus' 
hometown, where school district officials learned 
too late of their superintendent's earlier buyout.
     In December 1994, the Albert Lea School District 
agreed to pay $187,000 to buy out the contract of 
Superintendent Cy Kruse. When Kruse was hired in 
1989, the district was not aware that his former 
employer, Prior Lake-Savage Area Schools, had paid 
$100,000 to buy out his contract earlier that year.
     The Albert Lea district may have made a 
different decision if it had known of the earlier 
buyout, according to Kraus. The expense of the 
buyout deals has people "outraged," he added.
     "This legislation would prevent or help to 
prevent the recurrence of the scenario playing out 
in Albert Lea," said Gerald Skaar, an Albert Lea 
school board member.
     The bill stipulates that superintendent 
candidates have to disclose the information even if 
the original buyout included a non-disclosure 
agreement. The bill contains a provision that would 
void the contracts of superintendents who fail to 
disclose the buyout information.
     In testimony against HF496, Dale Jensen, of the 
Minnesota Association of School Administrators, 
said the bill is "designed for one person."
     "I don't know of any people who have been 
bought out in two communities other than the 
situation [in Albert Lea]," he said.
     Jensen warned the bill will add another barrier 
to keep people from pursuing superintendent 
positions.
     Changes in the law in recent years have clamped 
down on some of the practices that made 
superintendent jobs more lucrative. In 1993, for 
example, the Legislature tightened salary cap 
restrictions to include car allowances and other 
items that had been paid to superintendents as 
"non-salary" items.
     "This bill adds one more reason for people to not 
want to become a superintendent," Jensen said.

ENVIRONMENT

Emissions impossible

     Cars under six years old need not face an annual 
exhaust emissions test, under a bill approved by 
the House Environment and Natural Resources 
Committee Feb. 17.
     But an amendment added to the bill (HF2) would 
require emissions tests for all used cars when they 
are sold, unless the buyer waives the right to have 
the test done.
     The amendment's author, Rep. Bill Haas (IR-
Champlin), said the provision would protect a 
consumer who could buy a vehicle and then 
possibly have to make expensive repairs in order to 
pass an emissions test.
     The amendment would require that an 
emissions test be performed on a vehicle within 30 
days of the date when its title is transferred. 
     The 1988 Minnesota Legislature enacted the 
vehicle emissions testing program, which went into 
effect in mid-1991, because the state was in 
violation of federal clean air requirements.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Alice Johnson (DFL-Spring Lake 
Park) contends that testing newer cars doesn't help 
clean up the air because so few cars fail the test. 
     An MPCA report showed that during a six-
month period last year, only 1 in 5,634 cars built in 
1994 failed a test. 
     In recent years, more efficient auto engines and 
the use of oxygenated fuel -- gas mixed with 
ethanol -- have reduced carbon monoxide levels in 
the Twin Cities. The U.S. Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) recently suggested that it might 
officially declare that the metropolitan area is 
meeting federal carbon monoxide standards. Both 
the EPA and Minnesota Pollution Control Agency 
(MPCA) have endorsed the Johnson bill. (See Feb. 
17, 1995, Session Weekly, page 6, and Jan. 27, 
1995, Session Weekly, page 7.)
     Tom Binder, Midwest manager for program 
development for  Envirotest Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., 
the private firm that runs the emissions testing 
program for the MPCA, said that exempting newer 
cars would be "very debilitating" to his firm's 
business in Minnesota.
     Envirotest runs 11 testing stations in the 
metropolitan area. The MPCA gets 93 cents of the 
$8 test charge for administration costs. Envirotest 
gets the rest. Exempting newer cars would result in 
Envirotest losing 30 percent of its revenues, or 
about $4 million annually; the state's loss would 
then be about $526,000.
     Unless his firm's contract with the state was 
modified, Binder said that Envirotest would not be 
able to continue running the emissions testing 
program.
     HF2 now moves to the Local Government and 
Metropolitan Affairs Committee.

FAMILY

Curbing teen pregnancies

     To curb the trend of teens becoming pregnant at 
younger and younger ages, the state would help 
pay for communities to use a  program that targets 
12- to 14-year-old boys and girls.
     A measure sponsored by Rep. Ann Rest (DFL-
New Hope) would create a Minnesota ENABL 
(Education Now And Babies Later) program 
modeled after a similar program in California.
     The bill passed the House Health and Human 
Services Committee Feb. 23 and now travels to the 
Ways and Means Committee for further 
consideration.
     The program focuses on convincing 12- to 14-
year-olds to postpone sex by using an existing 
curriculum that doesn't include birth control 
information.
     Part of the program includes a statewide media 
campaign that would encourage parents to talk with 
their children about postponing sex. Older teens 
also would talk to their younger counterparts about 
postponing sex.
     The state would give out grants to community 
organizations across the state to implement the 
ENABL program. School districts, churches, YMCAs,  
and other groups could apply as long as they could 
come up with 25 percent of the cost of the program.
     HF517 does not specify the cost of the program 
but plans to seek money from the state's general 
fund.
     Donna Fishman of Minnesota Planning told the 
committee that although the number of pregnant 
teens overall has declined in recent years, the 
number of pregnant teens under the age of 15 has 
increased.
     The need to reduce teen pregnancy is a taxpayer 
issue, according to proponents. In 1993, Minnesota 
spent $20 million on Aid to Families with 
Dependent Children welfare grants to families that 
began with a teen birth.
     There are about 7,100 parents on AFDC who are 
either minors now or were under 18 when their 
oldest child was born. That accounts for about 
14,000 children.

GOVERNMENT

State spending slashed

     A bill to slash $10 million from state agency 
budgets -- which amounts to about 4 percent of 
their budgets in the current fiscal year -- won 
approval from the House Ways and Means 
Committee Feb. 23.
     Under the proposal, an additional $500,000, or 
about 3.9 percent, would be cut from the 
Legislature's current budget.
     "If the governor's budget is asking local 
governments to take a cut this year, then we must 
examine the state's budget as well," said bill 
sponsor Rep. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope).
     The governor has proposed cutting aid to local 
governments by $55.2 million this fiscal year. 
Budgets for those governments have already been 
set.
     In light of tough budget decisions that need to 
be made at the local level, "it's only proper that the 
pain be felt in state government and the 
Legislature," Rest said.
     HF394 would give the governor the authority -- 
and broad discretion -- to reduce the current 
budgets of state agencies where he sees fit. The cuts 
could not include any K-12 or higher education 
programs or aid payments to local governments.
     Rep. Jim Rice (DFL-Mpls) spoke against the bill, 
saying if there is truly $10 million in extra funds in 
state agency budgets, then the legislative finance 
committees should identify where the cuts should 
come from.
     "I don't like programs to be cut on the basis of 
what the governor does or doesn't like," Rice said.
     The $10 million would be trimmed from 
approximately $76 million left in agency budgets 
that is not yet obligated to be spent.
     HF394 now moves to the House floor for further 
consideration.

Mille Lacs court fight

     Costs continue to mount in the state's challenge 
of the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians' claim to 
hunting and fishing treaty rights in a 12-county 
area of east-central Minnesota that includes Lake 
Mille Lacs, the state's premier walleye lake.
     A bill to give the Office of the Attorney General 
another $790,000 to pay for state expert witnesses 
in the treaty court case was approved by the House 
Ways and Means Committee Feb. 23.
     The additional money was included in a $3.1 
million "deficiency" bill designed to set aside extra 
money for several departments and programs that 
had unforeseen expenses during fiscal year 1995. 
     Peggy Willens, finance director for the Office of 
the Attorney General, told the State Government 
Finance Division Feb. 22 that none of the $790,000 
would pay for attorneys. She said the Legislature in 
1993 appropriated about $1 million for the 
attorney general's office to take the case to court. 
About half of that was to go to pay for expert 
witnesses. 
     Willens said, "$500,000 was our estimate. It was 
low." 
     Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) tried 
unsuccessfully to amend the bill so that half of the 
$790,000 request would come from the general 
fund and half from the Department of Natural 
Resources Game and Fish Fund.
     "The general fund is really strained right now," 
said Kahn, explaining that it makes sense for the 
DNR to chip in.
     During the 1993 Legislative Session, lawmakers 
had a chance to vote for a settlement to the treaty 
rights dilemma and avoid the courts altogether. The 
attorney general's office and the DNR had 
negotiated the settlement with the Mille Lacs band 
but lawmakers narrowly defeated it.
     Some lawmakers objected to the Kahn motion 
because they said it would punish the DNR which 
did its best to convince the Legislature to accept a 
settlement and avoid the courts.
     In August 1994, a U.S. District Court in 
Minneapolis ruled that the Mille Lacs band does 
have special hunting and fishing rights under an 
1837 treaty in east central Minnesota. The second 
phase of the trial is set to begin in 1996 and will 
decide how much of the resources are allocated to 
band members and how much to other anglers and 
hunters.
     The state has filed an appeal with the Eighth U.S. 
Circuit Court of Appeals. 
     Nearly half the funds in the bill, or $1.5 million, 
are marked for the State Board of Public Defense. 
The dollars are needed to confront changes in 
criminal laws affecting juveniles that were enacted 
by the 1994 Legislature.
     HF355 now goes to the House floor for 
consideration

International promotion

     A Duluth lawmaker has renewed his effort to 
improve the state's performance as an international 
player.
     Rep. Mike Jaros (DFL-Duluth) is sponsoring a bill 
(HF373) to establish a Minnesota Office of 
International Affairs. The House International 
Trade and Economic Development Committee 
discussed the bill Feb. 22.
     The new office would coordinate international 
activities of the state government and advance 
efforts to promote cooperation and understanding 
between Minnesotans and international visitors.
     "We should pay more attention to international 
affairs," Jaros said. "It's very important to our 
economy and to our well-being as a state."
     Jaros sponsored similar legislation in 1994, but 
the bill died in conference committee.
     Under HF373, the new office would oversee 
international relations activities, including 
attracting and hosting foreign visitors, providing 
information on protocol, and promoting cultural 
exchanges between Minnesota and other countries.
     The office also would oversee efforts to improve 
international competitiveness and understanding 
through education in public schools.
     The bill calls for the office to be designed to 
avoid duplication of the activities of the Minnesota 
Trade Office and the Minnesota World Trade Center 
Corporation.
     The bill also calls for $500,000 to be 
appropriated to the office in fiscal years 1996 and 
1997. But Jaros acknowledged that that figure 
serves mainly as a point to begin discussion, given 
the constraints on new spending this year.
     The committee took no formal action on the bill, 
which is expected to come up for discussion again 
later in the session.

HEALTH

No Canadian-style panacea

     Would Minnesota save money if it adopted a 
single-payer health care system where the 
government (or an agency under its direction) takes 
over payment of all health care services -- similar 
to the program in Canada?
     No, says a report from the Office of the 
Legislative Auditor that was presented to the House 
Health and Human Services Committee's 
MinnesotaCare Finance Division Feb. 23. In fact, the 
costs would actually increase by 0.4 percent.
     The $65,000 study was authorized by the 1994 
Legislature to help determine whether Minnesotans 
could save money through some form of single-
payer system.
     Although administrative costs would be reduced 
significantly under such a Canadian-style system, 
the overall spending on health care would actually 
increase because more people would use health 
care, states the report.
     And that's because patients would use more 
health care services because they wouldn't have to 
share any of the costs.
     Another type of single-payer system, however, 
could lead to modest savings, concluded the report.
     Under this "single-payer cost sharing system" -- 
where patients would share the cost of medical care 
through deductibles and co-payments for services 
-- costs could be reduced by 3.4 percent.
     Administrative costs wouldn't be reduced as 
much as under the Canadian-style system, but the 
deductibles and co-payments would lead to fewer 
people using health care services, said the report. 
     The study assumes Minnesota would offer 
health insurance to all citizens. In 1994, health 
spending in Minnesota amounted to $15.8 billion, 
about $2.4 billion (or 15 percent) of which was for 
administrative costs.
     The study also looked at managed competition 
with traditional HMOs as well as a government-
payer system that uses taxpayer dollars to buy 
private insurance for the public. Managed 
competition was expected to increase health 
spending by 0.6 to 0.8 percent, and a government-
payer system by 1.5 percent.
     "These results suggest that health care can be 
expanded to cover the uninsured without 
dramatically increasing overall health spending," 
states the report. "However, an analysis of financing 
suggests that implementing any of the reform 
options might require state government to assume 
a greater role in financing health care." 
     The study also notes that studying health care 
involves many variables and suggests a cautious 
interpretation of the study's results.

HOUSING

Easing landlords' eviction fee

     A bill to make it cheaper for most landlords to 
evict their tenants won approval from the House 
Judiciary Committee Feb. 22.
     The proposal would slash the current unlawful 
detainer filing fee from $122 to $66 in most cases. 
Technically, the half-price sale only applies to cases 
where the eviction proceeding can be resolved in 
one hearing. 
     But according to Joe Gockowski, court 
administrator for Ramsey County, 95 percent of all 
such eviction cases are resolved in one hearing.
     Should any case go to trial, the current $122 fee 
would be required. Those filing such an action pay 
$66 up front, then pay the additional $66 should 
the matter go to trial.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Mpls) said the 
bill is designed to ease the burden on some 
landlords, "particularly those with multiple units 
and multiple buildings."
     In 1994, 23,014 unlawful detainer actions were 
filed, according to the Department of Finance. 
Between 3 and 7 percent of the cases involved 
more than one hearing. The potential loss to the 
general fund, per year, would be about $1.3 million.
     Rep. Teresa Lynch (IR-Andover) suggested that 
the fee be sliced to $66 for everyone. 
     But Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. Paul) said the 
existing fee should remain in place "as an incentive 
for parties to settle" during a single court hearing.
     HF136 now moves to the Judiciary Finance 
Committee. (See Feb. 10, 1995, Session Weekly, 
page 11)

Screening potential managers

     A bill requiring criminal background checks on 
potential apartment building managers won 
approval from the House Judiciary Committee Feb. 
22. 
     The bill stems from the 1994 abduction and 
murder of Kari Koskinen, a New Brighton woman 
believed to have been killed by her building 
manager. (See Jan. 27, 1995, Session Weekly, page 
9; Feb. 3, 1995, Session Weekly, page 9.) It would 
be called the "Kari Koskinen Manager Background 
Check Act."
     Sponsored by Rep. Mindy Greiling (DFL-
Roseville) and Rep. Charlie Weaver (IR-Anoka), the 
bill would require apartment building owners to 
have the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal 
Apprehension (BCA) conduct a criminal history 
check on every building manager applicant (or 
other employee) who would have the authority to 
enter a tenant's apartment. 
     Applicants who have lived in Minnesota for less 
than five years also would be subject to a 
nationwide search for state and federal offenses 
that may have occurred in other states. (A 
provision to mandate that managers be rechecked 
every two years was removed from the bill.)
     Weaver estimates that a statewide check would 
cost $8 to $10. The nationwide check, which 
includes the fingerprints necessary to access the 
national computer system, would cost about $50. 
The bill does not specify who must bear the cost for 
the background checks.
     Owners who fail to conduct a background check 
would be guilty of a petty misdemeanor, punishable 
by up to a $200 fine.
     BCA background checks would need to be 
completed within 10 days. Federal checks typically 
take six to eight weeks, according to Karen 
McDonald of the BCA. Nothing in the bill would 
prohibit the hiring of an applicant before the 
results of the checks are made available, or the 
hiring of an applicant who is shown to be a 
convicted criminal.
     While the checks will aid in uncovering an 
applicant's past, they are not perfect. The BCA 
tracks only state offenses occurring within 
Minnesota -- not federal offenses. Any applicant 
who has lived in Minnesota for more than five 
years who has committed crimes in other states 
also would not be detected by the BCA search, and 
would not be subject to the nationwide search.
     Also included in the bill is a tenant's right to 
privacy section, which states that a landlord may 
only enter an apartment -- after giving reasonable 
notice -- for a "reasonable business purpose." This 
would include showing an apartment, or for 
maintenance reasons. Limited exceptions would be 
allowed for emergency or safety reasons.
     A landlord privacy violation could result in a 
tenant being released from a lease, a recovery of a 
damage deposit, and up to a $100 civil penalty for 
each violation.
     HF72 now moves to the Judiciary Finance 
Committee for further consideration.

Easing tenant responsibilities

     Landlords who own multi-unit apartment 
buildings and measure tenants' utility use with a 
single meter would be required to pay the utility 
bills, under a bill approved by the Housing 
Committee Feb. 20.
     Beginning with leases signed after Aug. 1, 1995, 
landlords would either have to install separate 
utility meters for each apartment or become the 
utility company's customer of record, pay the bill, 
divide it among the tenants, and figure it into the 
rent.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. Paul) 
told the Housing Committee that in some buildings 
with only one meter, tenants are now required to 
pay the electricity and other utility bills for all 
tenants. Later, they must seek out the other tenants 
to get them to pay their share.
     Some tenants also are now being charged to light 
the common areas of a building, such as lights in 
the hallways and parking lots.
     The problem, Dawkins said, is that the tenant 
who pays the utility bill has no recourse if the other 
tenants refuse to pay their share. The utility 
company will come after the person whose name is 
on the bill. A landlord, on the other hand, can pay 
the bill and then figure it into each tenant's rent.
     Minneapolis and St. Paul already have similar 
ordinances in place to do much of what the bill 
(HF323) proposes.
     If the bill becomes law, landlords who refuse to 
abide by it could face a $500 penalty and be 
mandated to pay their tenants' attorney fees. 
     Currently, all new multi-housing buildings in the 
state are required to install a separate utility meter 
for each unit.
     Jack Horner of the Minnesota Multi-Housing 
Association opposed the bill saying: "I don't know if 
it is fair" to make landlords responsible for utility 
bills.
     "We think the current system works pretty 
well," he said.
     But Dawkins said it wasn't fair to make one 
tenant pay for everyone and then be responsible 
for collecting the money.
     The bill now goes to the Regulated Industries 
and Energy Committee for further consideration.

HUMAN SERVICES

Welfare reform

     A welfare reform bill, which no longer contains a 
controversial abortion waiting-period proposal, was 
approved by the House Ways and Means Committee 
Feb. 23.
     For weeks the bill had been bogged down by the 
threat of a veto. Gov. Arne Carlson told the 
Legislature that the 24-hour abortion waiting 
period proposal had absolutely nothing to do with 
welfare reform and must be removed from the bill.
     Rep. Howard Orenstein (DFL-St. Paul) and Rep. 
Dave Bishop (IR-Rochester) introduced the 
amendment to remove the abortion language from 
HF5. It was adopted on an 11-9 vote.
     "This amendment is not about abortion . . . it is 
about the responsibility of the Legislature to enact 
welfare reform," Orenstein said.
     The bill has had its share of vocal opponents 
aside from the controversy surrounding the 
abortion language. Members of the public testifying 
against the bill focused on cuts to welfare programs 
and what they called the bill's "punitive approach" 
to the poor.
     In all, the welfare reform bill totals about $52 
million but with cuts in some public assistance 
benefits such as Aid to Families with Dependent 
Children and the elimination of one $24 million 
state jobs program, the net price tag falls to $23.7 
million for fiscal years 1996-1997.
     The measure, sponsored by Rep. Bob Anderson 
(DFL-Ottertail), would require all teenaged moms to 
live at home or with a supervising adult and 
request the elimination of federal rules that some 
argue discourage welfare recipients from finding 
work. 
     A major component of the bill would establish a 
Work First pilot program. The new program would 
set out tough penalties, such as losing benefits, if 
participants don't stick to a contract to search for a 
job and accept work. Clay and Itasca counties would 
receive the pilot program.
     The measure also includes $18 million to help 
low- and moderate-income families pay for child 
care, thus removing a barrier to their returning to 
work.
     HF5 now goes to the House floor for debate.
     (See Jan. 13, 1995, Session Weekly, page 6; Jan. 
20, 1995, Session Weekly, pages 6-7; Feb. 3, 1995, 
Session Weekly, page 10; and Feb. 17, 1995, Session 
Weekly, pages 8-9.)

Say 'no' to kid department

     A coalition representing needy mothers and 
infants told the Health and Human Services Finance 
Division of the House Health and Human Services 
Committee Feb. 22 that creating a new department 
of children and education services is a bad idea.
     Spring Davis, chair of the Minnesota Healthy 
Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, said it isn't 
practical to create a new department and a new 
bureaucracy. Too many dollars would go to 
administering and merging programs that already 
work, she said.
     Specifically, the coalition (composed of doctors, 
nutritionists, nurses, parents, and educators) is 
concerned that the health needs of disadvantaged 
families would become overshadowed by education 
if all were under one roof.
     The group has targeted the following seven 
programs they want the state to continue to fund:
-- maternal and child health grants which provide 
pregnancy, family planning, and child health 
services to low income people;
-- family planning grants that provide pre-
pregnancy services to reduce unintended 
pregnancies;
-- Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, 
Infants, and Children grants commonly known as 
WIC grants. The program  provides nutrition 
education, dietary health screenings, and food 
vouchers for low income pregnant, postpartum, and 
breast-feeding women and their children under age 
5;
-- home visiting project grants which provide home 
visits to prevent child abuse and neglect;
-- HIV prevention and HIV services grants which 
provide confidential HIV counseling, testing, and 
education;
-- subsidized child care grants which provide a 
sliding fee scale to help low-income working 
families afford child care. A House bill seeks more 
than $18 million over the next budgeting cycle to 
help subsidize child care; and
-- crisis nurseries which provide a safe place where 
a parent can take a child when they feel stressed 
and unable to care for the child.
     The seven programs, Davis said, have proven 
track records and deserve continued funding. 
     Mary Peick, coordinator for the Ramsey County 
WIC program, told committee members WIC "is a 
health and nutrition program that works. . .. WIC is 
a health program, not a welfare program."
     Under the program, pregnant women and 
mothers of young children who have poor diets are 
given vouchers for peanut butter, eggs, milk, 
certain cereals, and other nutritious foods.
     She added that it costs much less to have a 
mother and infant on the WIC program compared to 
how much it costs to deal with low-birthweight 
babies in a hospital.
     Deborah Swenson-Klatt, a research coordinator 
with the Greater Minneapolis Day Care Association, 
told committee members how important subsidizing 
child care is for low income families. It removes a 
barrier to their keeping a job or returning to work.
     She explained how often her association must 
tell families that the child care money has run out, 
and that they have to be put on a waiting list.
     In December 1994, about 2,100 families in 
Hennepin County faced a wait of up to one-and-a-
half years for child care help.
     Swenson-Klatt shared with members her 
association's study of 270 randomly selected 
parents on the waiting list for subsidized child care.
     A typical family on the list earns about $1,521 a 
month and after housing, utilities, transportation, 
health care, food, clothing and other expenses, has 
$31 a month to spend on child care. Child care costs 
for one toddler average about $380 a month.
     The child care subsidy is a benefit to taxpayers 
over the current welfare system, Swenson-Klatt 
said. Taxpayers spend about $854 a month to 
support a family on Aid to Families with Dependent 
Children (including food stamps and Medical 
Assistance), $405 a month to support a family on 
just food stamps and Medical Assistance, and $259 
a month to support a family receiving a child care 
subsidy.

LAW

Lawmakers turned judges

     Minnesota should hire more judges to ease the 
current heavy district court caseloads, House 
Judiciary Finance Committee members were told 
Feb. 22.
     The plea came from several former lawmakers 
who are now State District Court judges.
     The judges, who served at various times in the 
Minnesota House of Representatives from 1960 to 
1992, identified problems and offered suggestions 
on how the Legislature could improve the courts. 
     Judge Terry Dempsey of New Ulm told 
lawmakers to authorize "more judges or cut the 
number of cases."
     Judge Franklin Knoll of Minneapolis also asked 
lawmakers to "bear in mind the increases in 
caseloads" that might result from their funding and 
policy decisions.
     As other judges discussed the stress from a daily 
court calendar comprising 100 or more cases, Knoll 
warned that "some members [of the bench] are 
going to start to crumble" under an increasing 
workload.
     There are other problems facing judges as well. 
The increasing demand for translation services is 
among them.
     Judge Richard Menke of Prior Lake said that on 
one morning, three of the first four cases before 
him required translators in Russian, Hmong, and 
Mandarin Chinese. He affirmed that foreign 
language interpreters are necessary to insure that 
people fully understand court proceedings, but the 
process "doubles the time" it takes to hear a case.
     And when there are between 100 and 150 cases 
on a daily court calendar, extra time is something 
judges just don't have.
     Legislators were encouraged to spend a day 
sitting on the bench with a judge -- the judicial 
equivalent of the police "ride-along."
     Spending five hours with a judge in family court 
or juvenile court would allow a legislator to see that 
judges are under "extraordinary pressure" to move 
along cases, while "dealing with people in incredible 
pain all the time," said Judge Joseph Quinn of Coon 
Rapids.
     Having individuals with so many years of 
experience both in the Legislature and on the bench 
"openly willing to share their advice" was an 
opportunity that couldn't be passed up, Chair Mary 
Murphy (DFL-Hermantown) later commented. 

Mighty morphin' inmates

     Harley Davidson, Punisher X, and Jay De Lawless 
are Minnesota prisoners, but they didn't go behind 
bars with those names. Once incarcerated they 
obtained legal name changes at taxpayer expense.
     A bill to curtail the occurrence of such name 
changes won approval from the House Judiciary 
Committee Feb. 22.
     "There are too many of these proceedings going 
on," said bill sponsor Rep. Dave Bishop (IR-
Rochester).
     His proposal would limit prisoners to one name 
change while within the state prison system. And it 
would be done at public expense only when "failure 
to allow the name change would infringe on the 
constitutional rights of an inmate." Religious reasons 
would be an example of such a case.
     A total of 305 name changes were made 
between 1990 and February 1995, said Jim Bruton, 
deputy commissioner of the Department of 
Corrections. Some inmates have changed their name 
as many as three times. Currently, there is no limit 
on the number of name changes a prisoner may 
request.
     Each change costs between $400 and $500, 
Bruton said. The most concrete cost is in the form of 
a $142 filing fee that is waived for most prisoners 
because they can't afford it. The remainder of the 
cost is the price of bringing a judge, court reporter, 
and bailiff to the state prisons several times per 
year. Time spent by Department of Corrections staff 
renaming prison files also adds up, Bruton said.
     Security is also a concern, Bruton said, because 
inmates are at times transferred between prisons. 
Failure to immediately recognize a potential 
security risk because of a name change could pose a 
problem, he said. 
     HF125 now goes to the House floor for 
consideration.

TAXES

Governor's tax bill

     A little-noticed provision in the governor's 
proposed tax bill would eliminate the political 
contribution refund program that allows individual 
donors to give up to $50 to a political candidate or 
political party.
     Under the program, created by the Legislature 
in 1990, an individual can give up to $50 to a 
candidate or party, obtain a receipt for the 
donation, complete a form from the Department of 
Revenue, and get the cash back from the state. 
Married couples can contribute up to $100 and get 
it back. 
     Although the provision is a relatively small part 
of the bill (HF630) that calls for a total $76.5 million 
cut in state aid to local governments in fiscal years 
1995 and 1996, House members spent most of the 
Feb. 21 House Taxes Committee meeting discussing 
the refund.
     "What you have here is an interest-free loan," 
said Rep. Ron Abrams (IR-Minnetonka). "There is no 
contribution." 
     The bill's sponsor, Rep. Bill Macklin (IR-
Lakeville), says the refunds cost the state $4.7 
million per two-year spending cycle. No other state 
has such a program.
     "It's a question of [funding] priorities . . . and our 
ability to get re-elected should not be one of them," 
he said.
     But supporters of the program say it has 
increased the participation of average Minnesotans 
in the political process.
     "The idea was to get away from the very large 
donors," said Rep. Don Ostrom (DFL-Mankato). "This 
program has opened up the process to people of 
varying means."
     The governor's bill also would establish an aid 
distribution council in each of Minnesota's 87 
counties. The councils would administer the state's 
local government aid and homestead and 
agricultural credit aid. They would be composed of 
an equal number of county commissioners, city 
mayors or council members, and school district 
board members. (Townships and special taxing 
districts would be represented by county board 
members.)
     The largest council would be composed of 21 
members.
     Matt Smith, commissioner of the Department of 
Revenue, said the goal of the councils is to "try and 
engender discussion at the local level as to how 
those dollars should best be spent."
     Under the bill, councils that fail to reach an 
agreement on how to divide up the revenue would 
then divide the money in the same way it was 
parceled out the previous year. (See Jan. 27, 1995, 
Session Weekly, page 4 and Feb. 3, 1995, Session 
Weekly, page 11).
     But several members expressed lingering doubts 
about the councils which some say would be 
"another layer of government" that fostered 
competition, not cooperation.
     "There's no incentive for governments to 
cooperate," said Rep. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope). 
"Where are the consequences here?"      The 
measure would also make permanent the sales tax 
exemption for used farm machinery (at a state 
revenue loss of $1.9 million over the next 
biennium) and provide up to a $500 tax credit for 
those buying specialized farm equipment designed 
to stem feedlot pollution. 
     The Taxes Committee did not take any formal 
action on HF630.

TRANSPORTATION

High-tech tollways

     The state could help raise the money for major 
transportation projects -- those with a price tag of 
more than $100 million -- by charging drivers a toll 
on metropolitan freeways and expressways.
     That's the conclusion of the State Advisory 
Council on Major Transportation Projects. Rep. 
Bernie Lieder (DFL-Crookston) who served on the 
council, presented its findings to the House 
Transportation and Transit Committee Feb. 22.
     The council also proposed a five-cent hike in the 
gas tax, currently 20 cents, with future increases 
likely. The additional money would fund highway 
repairs and new roads not considered major 
projects. 
     The 1994 Legislature created the 15-member 
council, made up of lawmakers and private citizens, 
to find innovative ways to fund what the 
Legislature called "major transportation projects." 
Light Rail Transit is one example of a major project.
     To pay for projects, the council recommended 
installing a toll-like billing system on all Twin Cities 
freeways and expressways by the year 2000.
     The system would work much like a toll road, 
but with different technology, Lieder said. An 
electronic device along the road would note each 
vehicle as it passed and the owners would be billed 
by mail for the miles of road they used, he said.
     The recommendation is tied to a 1994 law 
sponsored by Lieder. The law requires the 
Metropolitan Council and the Minnesota Department 
of Transportation to study putting optical scanners 
in Minnesota gas stations to read mileage 
information from a microchip connected to a 
vehicle's odometer.
     The vehicle's owner would be charged a tax on 
miles of road driven, under Lieder's proposal. A gas 
tax (currently used to upkeep roads) is unfair, he 
has said, because older cars use more gas than do 
newer models.
     Similar microchip technology could be used to 
determine how many miles of expressway or 
freeway a vehicle has used during a billing period, 
Lieder told committee members.
     The council did not determine how much money 
the toll-like system could raise but said it should 
provide incentives for travelers to use mass 
transportation.
     The council's gas tax hike proposal was met with 
skepticism by some lawmakers.
     "I see this report as adding nothing to the 
debate about major transportation projects," said 
Rep. Tom Osthoff (DFL-St. Paul). "They've come back 
with a report that says just raise the gas tax a 
nickel. That does us no service. We need a 20-cent 
or 25-cent raise just to keep the infrastructure we 
have now," he said.
     Another council recommendation also raised 
eyebrows.
     This one would allow the Metropolitan Council to 
impose up to a one-half cent sales tax in the 
metropolitan area to fund improvements to the 
busing system. The tax would take the place of 
most of the state dollars the Metropolitan Council 
receives from the Legislature for transit and would 
replace the property tax the council currently levies 
for transit needs.
     But Rep. Jean Wagenius (DFL-Mpls) said the 
council's proposal would unfairly impose double 
taxation -- a gas tax and a sales tax -- on 
metropolitan residents to pay for transportation 
needs.

Electric bus project

     The world's first bus powered by electric strips 
embedded in the road may soon be running on the 
St. Cloud State University campus.
     The measure, sponsored by Rep. Sharon Marko 
(DFL-Newport), would allocate $625,000 from the 
state's general fund to set up a one-half-mile 
electric bus route on the St. Cloud State University 
campus. The route would demonstrate a road-
powered electric vehicle, or RPEV, Marko told 
members of the House Transportation and Transit 
Committee Feb. 17. 
     Members approved the bill.
     The 1994 Legislature appropriated $200,000 to 
the Minnesota Department of Transportation 
(MnDOT) to examine the efforts of the Saints Road 
Project. The St. Cloud-based group has already 
constructed prototype vehicles -- including a full-
size passenger bus -- that collect power from 
sections of the road that become energized as 
vehicles pass over them. The method is a visual 
improvement over the overhead electric lines now 
used by electrical buses, said Nick Musachio, who 
designed the technology.
     The Saints Road Project would convert buses to 
run along power strips laid on specific routes. The 
buses could use batteries when making short forays 
off the track, and could also switch to gasoline 
power when necessary.
     The bill also would earmark an additional 
$100,000 for the Saints Road Project to study the 
possibility of building a 45-mile electric bus 
corridor linking Minneapolis and St. Paul with the 
southern suburbs. The bus would make stops at the 
airport and the Mall of America in Bloomington, 
Musachio said.
     Also, $25,000 of the appropriation would be 
used to set up a consortium of Midwest groups and 
businesses interested in electric vehicles.
     But Bob Benke, director of MnDOT research 
administration, said the state should not 
appropriate more money to the Saints Road Project.
     The department expects battery-powered cars 
to be a feasible transportation option in a number 
of years. Such cars would make the buses outdated 
and obsolete, Benke said. Also, the St. Cloud-based 
company has yet to complete a number of tests that 
were mandated as part of the 1994 legislation, 
Benke said.
     "If funding is provided, the Legislature should 
be aware it's being asked to act as a market 
venture capitalist," Benke said.
     But Rep. Carlos Mariani (DFL-St. Paul) said the 
state regularly provides money to aid research to 
enrich the state.
     Should the dollars be allotted, Musachio claims 
the RPEV technology would be the first in the 
world.
     Officials in Phoenix, Ariz., and in Copenhagen, 
Denmark, are already exploring the possibility of 
building such busing systems, Musachio told 
members. He said the technology, developed in 
Minnesota, could eventually be exported 
throughout the world.
     HF395 now moves to the Economic Development, 
Infrastructure and Regulation Finance Committee 
for consideration.

Airport study

     The Metropolitan Airports Commission would 
study whether the Minneapolis-St. Paul 
International Airport's runways should be moved 
to Rosemount, Minn. -- while leaving the terminal 
at its present Bloomington site -- under a bill 
approved by the House Local Government and 
Metropolitan Affairs Committee Feb. 23.
     Under a plan proposed by Rep. Dee Long (DFL-
Mpls), air passengers would drive to the present 
Bloomington airport terminal to check their 
baggage. They would then be shuttled by commuter 
train to the Rosemount site. The University of 
Minnesota owns a parcel of land of about 7,000-
acres in Rosemount that is accessible by railway, 
Long said. 
     "This would involve much less than building a 
full new terminal," Long said.
     In 1989, the Legislature charged the commission 
with studying the feasibility and cost of relocating 
the airport. The commission also was to look at the 
cost of adding additional runways at the existing 
airport.
     The commission has since specified three parcels 
of land, each around 9,500 acres, near Hastings, 
Minn., as acceptable sites for a new airport. 
     But Long said expanding the airport by 
relocating only the runways makes sense. Critics of 
relocating the entire airport have maintained the 
Hastings site would be inconveniently located for 
Twin Cities residents. And incoming business people 
would face a longer commute to area business hubs.
     The plan -- which Long called the "remote 
runway option" -- must address phasing out some 
or all the runways at the present airport. The study 
would determine how many runways should be 
built in Rosemount and how much the remote 
runways would cost.
     The bill includes no cost estimate for the study, 
though Long said the cost would be addressed at 
the bill's next stop, the Transportation and Transit 
Committee.
     Dave Osberg, Hastings city administrator, said 
Dakota County residents don't want to see the 
airport near Hastings. He spoke against Long's 
proposal, saying it would lengthen an already 
lengthy and costly relocation study. 
     The commission's relocation and expansion 
study has cost about $8.3 million through 1994.
     The 1989 law says the commission must report 
its findings to the Legislature before July. 1, 1996. 
The remote runway study also must be finished by 
that date under HF385.

Hats and driver's licenses

     A bill on its way the governor's desk would 
allow those suffering hair loss due to illness or head 
injury to wear a head covering in their driver's 
license photograph.
     The House approved the bill Feb. 23 on a 129-0 
vote.
     House sponsor Rep. Jeff Bertram (DFL-
Paynesville) proposed the bill (HF52/SF33*) after 
learning of a constituent who was told she had to 
take off her turban before her driver's license 
photograph could be taken. She wore the turban to 
cover up hair loss due to chemotherapy treatment 
for cancer.
     "It was very traumatic to her," Bertram said.
     Public safety employees now use their discretion 
in letting people wear hats or a head covering for 
photographs. The bill also would apply to state-
issued identification cards. (See Feb. 17, 1995, 
Session Weekly, page 12)
     Additionally, the bill would allow Minnesotans 
with religious objections to leave their photographs 
off their state identification cards. Current law 
allows the practice for a state driver's license.
     The Senate approved the bill Feb. 9 on a 60-0 
vote.

VETERANS

Persian Gulf bonus

     Minnesotans who served in the Persian Gulf War 
would receive a financial thank you from the state 
under two bills heard Feb. 20 before the House 
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections 
Committee's Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs. 
     Both bills call for voters in the 1996 general 
election to vote on a constitutional amendment 
authorizing the state to sell bonds to pay a bonus to 
Gulf War veterans. Voters must approve the state's 
intent to borrow money long-term through bonding 
if the state uses the money to pay individuals.
     Such bonuses were paid by the state to veterans 
of  World War II and the Vietnam War. A 
constitutional amendment to sell bonds went before 
the voters both times. The state did not put a 
constitutional amendment before the people to pay 
World War I veterans' bonuses. The decision 
remains controversial. Korean War veterans were 
paid by a $15 million state appropriation. The state 
did not bond for the money, so it did not put a 
constitutional amendment before the voters.
     Rep. Tony Kinkel (DFL-Park Rapids) introduced 
the first proposal for a Gulf War bonus in 1991, but 
it did not pass. Three more attempts have since 
been made.
     HF530, sponsored by Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-
North St. Paul), contains no provisions for how the 
bonus payment would be apportioned. If the 
constitutional amendment is approved, the 1997 
Legislature would set the bonus amount and 
eligibility guidelines, McCollum said.
     The second bill, HF566 sponsored by Rep. Mike 
Osskopp (IR-Lake City), does detail how the bonus 
would be paid.
     Under the bill, about 12,600 veterans would 
receive a one-time bonus of up to $600 if they 
received a Southwest Asia Service Medal between 
August 1990 and July 1991. Veterans who received 
the medal served in Iraq or Kuwait during the war.
     Around 28,600 other Minnesota veterans would 
receive up to $300 if they were in the armed 
services from August 1990 to July 1991, were 
ready to be called to war, but did not serve in Iraq 
or Kuwait.
     In total, HF566 could cost the state about $16.1 
million, which the state would bond for, Osskopp 
said. His bill specifies no overall dollar amount to be 
spent on the bonus. The $16.1 million figure is 
"very preliminary," he added.
     The proposed bonus amounts are the same as 
those paid to Vietnam War veterans in 1974, 
Osskopp said. For the state to adjust the Vietnam 
War bonuses to keep up with inflation would have 
been too expensive, he added. 
     Robert David, veterans' service officer for 
Goodhue County, said the bonus would show the 
state's appreciation to its veterans.
     "Nobody is going to get rich off this. But it may 
pay for some school books or some groceries," he 
said.
     The subcommittee will discuss the two bills 
further and may include one or the other in some 
form in the omnibus veterans services bill it is 
assembling. 

New members . . .
Anderson wants to shrink government, help 
business

     "People Running Government -- Not Government 
Running People" reads an eye-popping orange 
campaign business card in Rep. Bruce Anderson's 
wallet.
     "That's what I wanted to express to people," 
Anderson said, adding that more people need to get 
involved in running their government, which has 
become too big and expensive.
     The Independent-Republican from Buffalo 
Township lost his first bid to represent the people 
of District 19B in 1992. But he said he was 
encouraged to try again. So, with the help of his 
wife, Dottie, and some loyal campaign workers, he 
managed to "keep the campaign alive."
     When the votes were tallied last November, 
Anderson had unseated his predecessor, Stephanie 
Klinzing, and won his first elective office.
     "It's an awesome place to be at and it's a 
humbling experience," says Anderson about his new 
job at the Capitol. 
     From his seat on the House Governmental 
Operations Committee and its State Government 
Finance Division, Anderson hopes to do what he can 
to pare down the size of Minnesota government.
     Thirty years ago, "the 3Ms, the Control Datas" 
and other large companies were the major 
Minnesota employers, Anderson points out. "Now 
it's government that's number one. So, we've lost 
our perspective, and we need to get business back 
into the running of the state, rather than 
government running the state." 
     One step to a leaner and more efficient 
government might be found in Nebraska's 
unicameral system, said Anderson. Having only one 
house could reduce the "time wasted in trying to 
get things done and the games people play." He said 
that a unicameral Legislature would eliminate the 
need for the conference committee process where 
House and Senate members meet -- often into the 
wee hours of the morning -- to iron out the their 
differing versions of bills.
     Anderson mentioned that Gov. Arne Carlson, in 
his State of the State Address, proposed letting 
Minnesotans vote on changing to a unicameral 
Legislature.
     To get Minnesota back on track also involves 
reforming the state's welfare system, Anderson 
said. Voters want "less of their hard-earned money 
being spent unwisely on people who can get out 
there and work."
     There are plenty of jobs for those who really 
want to work, said Anderson. He thinks some 
people aren't sincerely motivated and cites the 
story of an Elk River woman. The business owner 
had a newly hired employee who worked for one 
day and then called to say she couldn't return to 
work because she had to watch a certain soap opera 
on TV.
     "People are hearing that [kind of excuse] time 
and time again and they're fed up with it," 
Anderson said. "And they're saying the 
government's just giving our money away to every 
Tom, Dick, and Harry that comes in from Chicago, 
from Texas, from Mexico, from New York -- you 
name it. They're coming in, and they can pick up a 
[welfare] check right now."
     Anderson said his constituents are tired of what 
they perceive as abuse of the welfare system and 
want government to enact "some meaningful 
reform."
     "We can't continue to run on the same spend, 
spend, spend philosophy," Anderson said. "We need 
to realize that folks out here are living on less and 
less with all the taxes that are coming down on 
them, and we can't continue to spend the money 
foolishly." 
     "The burden rests on our shoulders to make 
decisions that affect not only the 4.5 million people 
here in Minnesota, but the future generations," he 
said.
     When the hectic pace of politics and government 
allows, Anderson enjoys going to a health club with 
his wife, four teenaged daughters, and one son. He 
swims, plays a little golf, and is planning a deer 
hunting trip to Wyoming.
      Serving in the Legislature promises to be a "big 
job but I love the challenge," Anderson said. 
     "My intent is to serve my constituents well and 
be available to them."

-- Mordecai Specktor

District 19B

Population: 32,913
Distribution: 59.2 urban; 40.8 percent rural.
Counties: Sherburne, Wright
Largest city: Elk River
Location: east central Minnesota
Unemployment rate: 5.17
Residents living below poverty level: 5.48
1992 presidential election results:
Bush/Quayle     35.06 percent
Clinton/Gore     34.85 percent
Perot/Stockdale     29.21 percent
Other:     0.88 percent

New members. . . 
Tuma to press for education, legislative reform

     Rep. Jim Tuma (IR-Northfield) is the first to 
admit it.
     "I'm an anomaly in many ways," he said.
     The first-term legislator comes from a long line 
of DFLers. His father has been politically active in 
the DFL Party, and Tuma himself sought DFL 
endorsement in 1992 for the legislative seat he 
presently occupies. The endorsement and the race 
went to Kay Brown, who then lost the seat to an IR-
endorsed Tuma this time around.
     "I never changed parties, but the parties 
changed on me," Tuma said. He was always a 
moderate Democrat and now he's stepped over the 
line to become a moderate Republican, he said.
     Voters in his district hold conservative stances 
on many issues, but, because many are farmers, 
they have a hard time shaking the image of 
Republicans as "all big bankers," Tuma said. Their 
idea of a Republican candidate is changing with 
time, he added.
     Tuma's father was initially disappointed when 
his son declared as an IR candidate. He told friends 
and family his son was more an independent 
candidate than a Republican, Tuma said.
     "But then my dad started realizing we aren't all 
rich people, just everyday farmers and small-
business men like himself. He's now one of my 
biggest supporters," Tuma said.
     His father, in many ways, gave Tuma his 
introduction to politics. As a third grader, Tuma was 
discovered to have dyslexia, a learning disability 
that affects reading and spelling ability. His father, 
Leonard, believed the school district wasn't 
addressing his son's learning disability, so he took 
action. He joined the Lakeville School Board.
     When it came time for college, Tuma became a 
political science major at Mankato State University. 
He attended three nominating conventions as a DFL 
delegate, served as a student chair for Tim Penny's 
first campaign for Congress in 1982, and came to 
the State Capitol to intern for then-Sen. Bob Schmitz 
(DFL-Jordan) in 1985.
     Ten years later, Tuma again walks the Capitol 
halls, occasionally bumping into people he 
remembers from his time as an intern. He has a 
number of issues he plans to address. Legislative 
reform is one priority.
     Tuma would like legislators to hold session 
every other year and to take a pay cut. He said the 
Legislature addresses too broad a slate of political 
issues each session. The state frequently passes 
laws relating to social and other issues that would 
be better left for local governments to decide, he 
said.
     "Voters -- taxpayers -- would rather see us 
concentrating on the things we're good at -- like 
roads and education -- and not get into tangential 
issues," Tuma said. "For instance, we're over 
emphasizing social reform through desegregation. 
We're not leaving enough leeway for local 
discretion."
     Tuma is an anomaly in another way. He works in 
Northfield as a workers' compensation lawyer 
representing injured employees. Many IR 
legislators speak about how Minnesota's workers' 
compensation system must be retooled to lower 
workers' compensation insurance costs.
     "But I've had a chance to sit down with 
lawmakers and explain how the system works. The 
reason why I'm needed [as an attorney] is . . . 
because the Legislature tinkers with the system 
every few years and makes it so confusing people 
need a lawyer to figure it out," he said.
     But Tuma's first love remains education. He 
serves on the House Education Committee. He calls 
himself a "special education kid" shaped by his 
childhood educational experience. He wants to be a 
voice for other special education kids, and would 
like to see a low-cost program that would allow 
children with learning disabilities to be taught in 
the same classroom as other children.
     Tuma lives in Northfield with his wife, Wendy, 
and their 22-month-old son, Cal. The couple is 
expecting another child in August.
     He considers his new job training for his 
parental role.
     "The long days here are physically preparing me 
to stay up 24 hours with a new baby," Tuma said.

-- Jean Thilmany

District 25A

Population: 32,603
Distribution: 55.96 percent urban; 44.04 
     percent rural
Counties: Dakota, LeSuer, Rice, Scott
Largest city: Northfield
Location: south central Minnesota
Unemployment rate: 4.02 percent
Residents living below poverty level: 8.51 
     percent
1992 presidential election results:
Bush/Quayle     27.55 percent
Clinton/Gore     46.89 percent
Perot/Stockdale     23.89 percent
Other:     1.67 percent

DO YOU KNOW

     Today's legislators, particularly those serving 
areas far from the Capital City, must spend a great 
deal of time away from their families.
     Such was the case in 1927, when Rep. Chauncey 
Peterson of Duluth and 31 of his colleagues "thought 
they were entitled to at least three trips home 
during the session," wrote J.W. Witham in The 
Minnesota Legislature of 1927.
     So Peterson sponsored HF373 as a way to fund 
member visits to the home district. As introduced, 
the bill set aside a maximum appropriation of 
$10,000 to serve as a reimbursement fund for 
traveling expenses from the Capitol to a member's 
home. The funds were to be available to each 
member, for a maximum of three trips home, until 
the $10,000 kitty had been spent.
     But when the bill was reported back from the 
Committee on General Legislation, the only 
reference to an "allowance for additional mileage" 
was found in the bill's title. The bill itself now 
sought to raise the annual pay of legislators from 
$500 to $750.
     When debated on the House floor, Rep. Hannah 
Kempfer was the only one of the 31 co-sponsors to 
speak against the bill. "She repudiated the measure, 
declaring she had not signed as the co-author of 
such a bill and refused to vote for it," Witham 
wrote.
     Then-Speaker John A. Johnson admitted that 
had anyone questioned the content of the bill it 
never would have been approved, because he 
would have ruled it was "not germane to the 
original bill."
     The bill passed both the House and Senate and 
was promptly vetoed by Gov. Theodore 
Christianson.
     The annual legislative salary stayed at $500 
until 1945, when it was raised to $1,000.

IT'S A FACT

     Minnesota state agencies have offices -- and 
entire buildings -- spread throughout the Capitol 
Hill area. More are located in and around downtown 
St. Paul. Still others are in Minneapolis, Roseville, 
and have divisions, branches, and field offices in all 
corners of the state.
     In 1931, the various departments of state 
government were similarly scattered, "an 
arrangement both inconvenient and expensive," 
according to The Minnesota Capitol, published in 
1939 by Stafford King, then state auditor.
     "To remedy this unsatisfactory situation, the 
Legislature, following the precedents of other 
states," commissioned the State Office Building. 
     At a cost of $1.5 million, the building, located 
just west of the State Capitol, was completed on 
Nov. 15, 1932. The influx of state departments soon 
followed.
     In came the departments of Agriculture, 
Banking, Conservation, Dairy and Food, Education, 
Health, Labor and Industry, and Rural Credit. A 
number of state boards also were housed there, 
including the boards of Barber Examining, 
Compensation Insurance, Live Stock Sanitary, Nurse 
Examining, Parole, and Poultry Improvement.      
     Additionally, the divisions of Closed Banks, 
Insurance, Oil Inspection, and Securities, the Public 
Institutions Department of the Board of Control, the 
Railroad and Warehouse Commission, the Criminal 
Apprehension Bureau, the Surveyor General of Logs 
and Lumber, the Employees' Retirement 
Association, and the Disabled American Veterans' 
and Spanish War Veterans' bureaus also occupied 
the building.
     Today, Minnesota's 134 state representatives, 23 
Independent-Republican senators, and legislative 
staff are housed in the State Office Building. 
     The sixth floor, which "is in reality an attic," 
according to The Minnesota Capitol, now houses the 
House Research Department and the Legislative 
Reference Library. The seventh floor, which 
originally housed "the elevator and ventilation 
machinery," is now home to about 50 employees of 
the Office of the Revisor of Statutes.

In the Hopper . . . Feb. 17 - 23, 1995
Bill Introductions

Monday, Feb. 20

HF720--Bertram (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Liquor retailer liability insurance financial 
responsibility proof requirement eliminated.

HF721--Peterson (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Mourning dove hunting season authorized, 
mourning dove stamps required, fees established, 
and report required.

HF722--Mariani (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Migrant seasonal farmworker statewide 
organization provided financial assistance, 
designation, and recognition.

HF723--Bakk (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Youthful deer hunter license established, doe taking 
authority expanded, pelting fee increased, and 
family hunting license eliminated.

HF724--Kelley (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Social worker home care provider, nursing home, 
and hospital licensure requirements modified.

HF725--Harder (IR)
Agriculture
Grain Standards Act; grain weighing, sampling, and 
analysis law references clarified.

HF726--McElroy (IR)
Housing
Manufactured home park retaliatory conduct 
provisions clarified.

HF727--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Group residential housing supplementary rates 
provided.

HF728--McGuire (DFL)
Judiciary
DWI; snowmobile, motorboat, and all-terrain 
vehicle forfeiture provided for violation of certain 
driving while intoxicated offenses, and vehicle 
forfeiture law expanded.

HF729--Frerichs (IR)
Transportation & Transit
High speed rail corridor through Minnesota, 
Wisconsin, and Illinois feasibility studied by 
Department of Transportation commissioner, and 
money appropriated.

HF730--Winter (DFL)
Taxes
Cigarette tax accelerated payment requirement 
eliminated, and cigarette tax overage offset time 
period extended.

HF731--Bakk (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Mineral resources data classified as nonpublic.

HF732--Pugh (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Copyright enforcement regulation provided for 
certain nondramatic musical works and similar 
works, notices required, practices prohibited, and 
civil remedies provided.

HF733--Bakk (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
High pressure pipe installation licensure 
requirements modified, and penalties provided.

HF734--Entenza (DFL)
Education
Breakfast school program funding continued and 
money appropriated.

HF735--Entenza (DFL)
Judiciary
Concealing identity crime exception provided based 
on religious beliefs or cultural practices.

HF736--Schumacher (DFL)
Housing
Housing and redevelopment authority federal tax 
exempt revenue bond use regulated.

HF737--Tunheim (DFL)
Agriculture
Dead Animal Collection Joint Powers Board 
appropriated money.

HF738--Peterson (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 129, Montevideo, 
authorized to levy for Adult Farm Management 
Program costs.

HF739--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' compensation technical corrections 
provided.

HF740--Luther (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 279, Osseo, 
authorized to levy for provision of instructional 
services to at-risk children, low-income 
concentration grant program provided, and money 
appropriated.

HF741--Luther (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 279, Osseo, 
authorized to levy for provision of instructional 
services to at-risk children, and low-income 
concentration grant program provided.

HF742--Luther (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 279, Osseo, 
authorized to levy for provision of instructional 
services to at-risk children.

HF743--Solberg (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing home swing bed provisions modified.

HF744--Tomassoni (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing home administrator provisions modified.

HF745--Bakk (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Deer baiting allowed during deer archery season.

HF746--Jefferson (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Peace officer state aid regulated, and domestic 
mutual premium report required.

HF747--Paulsen (IR)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Department of Commerce insurance solvency, 
reinsurance, capital stock, general agent 
management, and variable contract information 
confidentiality regulation provided.

HF748--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' Compensation Fraud Investigation Unit 
provisions modified.

HF749--Trimble (DFL)
Housing
Transitional housing services eligibility provisions 
expanded to include follow-up support services.

HF750--Hasskamp (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
POW/MIA memorial highway designated on Trunk 
Highway No. 169 from Elk River to Garrison and 
State Highway No. 18 from Garrison to Brainerd.

HF751--Davids (IR)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Insurance agent life and health policy quotas 
prohibited.

HF752--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Probate code estate asset investment provisions 
modified.

HF753--Jacobs (DFL)
Taxes
Malt liquor and intoxicating malt liquor additional 
excise tax repealed.

HF754--Rest (DFL)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Genetic Discrimination Act adopted.

HF755--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Insurance company gross premium tax rate 
modified for fire, lightning, and sprinkler coverage.

HF756--Workman (IR)
Transportation & Transit
Motor vehicle odometer disclosure requirements 
applied to all motor vehicles regardless of age.

HF757--Cooper (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Physical therapy board established, physical 
therapist licensure requirements provided, and 
money appropriated.

HF758--Jefferson (DFL)
General Legislature, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Voters required to sign polling place rosters on 
election day, and penalty imposed.

HF759--Onnen (IR)
Health & Human Services
Health care providers required to adopt uniform 
billing rates.

HF760--Jefferson (DFL)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Elections held over a period of two consecutive 
days.

HF761--McGuire (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
County offices previously elective filled by 
appointment.

HF762--Erhardt (IR)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Korean War veterans' memorial created on capitol 
mall and money appropriated.

HF763--Farrell (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
St. Paul tax increment financing districts exempted 
from certain aid offsets.

HF764--Davids (IR)
Health & Human Services
Medicare swing bed maximum increase provided.

HF765--Delmont (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Visually handicapped reference changed to visually 
disabled for state services for the blind purposes.

HF766--Ness (IR)
International Trade & Economic Development
Public facilities authority maximum bonding 
amount changed.

HF767--Clark (DFL)
Housing
Family homeless prevention and assistance 
program age limitations changed, rental housing 
program modified, and municipal housing plan 
reporting requirement references corrected.

HF768--Delmont (DFL)
Judiciary
Evidentiary privilege and confidentiality provided 
for public safety peer counseling debriefing 
information, and municipal tort liability provided.

HF769--Vickerman (IR)
Agriculture
Livestock Expansion Loan Program limits changed, 
and demonstration program restrictions provided.

HF770--Hugoson (IR)
Agriculture
Agricultural grain marketing interstate compact 
repealed.

HF771--Farrell (DFL)
Judiciary
Witness and Victim Protection Fund scope clarified, 
and money appropriated.

HF772--Farrell (DFL)
Judiciary
Protected witness name changes classified as 
private data.

HF773--Farrell (DFL)
Judiciary
Crime victim emergency needs fund established, 
and money appropriated.

HF774--Marko (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Prescription drug price negotiation authority 
granted to administration department, statewide 
drug formulary established, and pharmacists 
required to post signs relating to generic drug 
substitution.

HF775--Carruthers (DFL)
Rules & Legislative Administration
Legislature required to adopt budget targets, 
legislative meetings limited, bill introduction 
restrictions provided, and constitutional 
amendment proposed.

HF776--Dawkins (DFL)
Judiciary
Crime victim bill of rights; neighborhood 
associations permitted to request notification of 
certain crimes.

HF777--Winter (DFL)
Taxes
Wind energy conversion system taxation provided.

HF778--Orenstein (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Medical assistance asset and income requirements, 
and Minnesota supplemental aid eligibility 
requirements modified.

HF779--Orfield (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Conservation easement assessment benefit 
determination, zoning and planning, Metropolitan 
Council land use decisions, and metropolitan 
agricultural preserves provisions clarified.

HF780--Brown (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
County recorder real estate fee collection authority 
restricted.

HF781--Abrams (IR)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Health maintainance organization regulatory 
authority transferred to Department of Commerce.

HF782--Munger (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Western Lake Superior sanitary district internal 
revenue code compliance provided.

HF783--Bakk (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources Finance
Northern Counties Land Use Coordinating Board 
appropriated money.

HF784--Weaver (IR)
Judiciary
Controlled substance offense penalty application 
clarified, drivers' license photograph use authorized 
in theft investigations, criminal record 
expungement precluded in diversion cases, victim 
restitution provided, and fine imposed.

HF785--Weaver (IR)
Judiciary
Burglary in the first degree scope expanded.

HF786--Weaver (IR)
Judiciary
Theft statute definition of value modified.


Thursday, Feb. 23

HF787--Munger (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Wetland replacement, protection, and management 
provisions modified.

HF0788--Marko (DFL)
Ways & Means
State government efficiency and openness 
provided, state agency efficiency required and 
mission statements provided, and public 
participation encouraged.

HF789--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Department of Administration commissioner 
opinion issuance authority and data treatment 
clarified, and sunset date eliminated.

HF790--Jaros (DFL)
Taxes
Adult and juvenile correctional facility project tax 
exemption provided for cities and counties, and 
money appropriated.

HF791--Marko (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
St. Croix River toll bridge authorized, and bonds 
issued.

HF792--Dauner (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Restaurant seating capacity liquor license 
requirements modified, and local license issuing 
authorities granted power to establish minimum 
restaurant seating capacity.

HF793--Commers (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Deer archery and firearms license combination 
provided, and taking of one deer by each method 
per licensee authorized.

HF794--Clark (DFL)
Economic Development, Infrastructure 
& Regulation Finance
Motor vehicle transfer fee sunset repealed, and fee 
receipts credited to the lead fund.

HF795--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Hazardous waste liability limited to extent of trust 
assets, and trustee compensation payment 
provided.

HF796--Carruthers (DFL)
Ways & Means
License fee refunds required by state agencies if 
licenses are not issued within six weeks from 
application.

HF797--Carruthers (DFL)
Ways & Means
License fee refund required by Department of 
Public Safety if drivers' licenses, permits, or 
identification cards are not issued within six weeks 
from application.

HF798--Clark (DFL)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Human rights information provided to national 
guard by governor related to participation in 
Operation Fuertes Caminos '95 in Guatemala.

HF799--Trimble (DFL)
Governmental Operations
St. Paul Bureau of Health former employee service 
credit purchase permitted.

HF800--Carruthers (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Minimum wage increased.

HF801--Mariani (DFL)
Economic Development, Infrastructure
 & Regulation Finance
Children's Museum appropriated money.

HF802--Greiling (DFL)
Ethics
Ethical Practices Board public official gift 
enforcement authority extended, advisory opinions 
classified as public data, civil penalties provided, 
gift ban exceptions authorized and clarified, and 
money appropriated.

HF803--Van Dellen (IR)
Taxes
Dependent care income tax credit provisions 
modified.

HF804--Ozment (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Sewage sludge definition modified to conform with 
federal language.

HF805--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Pharmaceutical Care Research Project provided 
medical assistance reimbursement, and money 
appropriated.

HF806--Macklin (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Scott County authorized to purchase trust fund land 
from Department of Natural Resources.

HF807--Wagenius (DFL)
Judiciary
Civil Commitment Act examiner qualifications 
modified.

HF808--Marko (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Kids First special license plate issuance authorized 
and fees dedicated.

HF809--Entenza (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Charitable organizations regulated and money 
appropriated.

HF810--Dorn (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Mankato authorized to establish tax increment 
financing districts, and aid offset exemption 
provided.

HF811--Jennings (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Telecommunication Access for Communication 
Impaired persons  (TACIP) Board equipment 
recipient eligibility requirements modified, and 
cellular telephone user TACIP fee imposed.

HF812--Ozment (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Department of Natural Resources authorized 
emergency equipment material and use expanded.

HF813--Brown (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Intermediate care facilities for persons with mental 
retardation or related conditions temporary 
payment rate established.

HF814--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
Sentencing Guidelines Commission mitigated 
sentencing departures restricted.

HF815--Mariani (DFL)
Economic Development, Infrastructure 
& Regulation Finance
Wabasha Bridge in St. Paul removal and 
replacement provided, money appropriated, and 
bonds issued.

HF816--Clark (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Public pension plan membership contractual right 
provided and pension payments guaranteed.

HF817--Marko (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Residential real estate transaction disclosure form 
designed by Department of Commerce 
commissioner and use implemented.

HF818--Haas (IR)
Health & Human Services
MinnesotaCare; private sector administration 
evaluated by Department of Administration 
commissioner.

HF819--Otremba (DFL)
Agriculture
Agricultural improvement loan limits changed, and 
money appropriated.

HF820--Mulder (IR)
Taxes
Wind energy conversion system taxation provided.

HF821--Mahon (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Amtrak; Congress memorialized to fund the Amtrak 
railroad system to ensure continued service to 
Minnesota.

HF822--Mulder (IR)
Education
School district noncompliance with unfunded state 
program mandates authorized.

HF823--Abrams (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Hennepin County authorized to lease hospital or 
nursing home facilities in certain instances.

HF824--Rest (DFL)
Taxes
School board approval required for tax increment 
financing plans and modifications.

HF825--Munger (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Toxic Pollution Prevention Act provisions modified.

HF826--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Probationer detention by peace officers authorized 
based on an order from the chief executive officer 
of a community corrections agency.

HF827--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Consumer owned housing demonstration projects 
authorized for provision of residential services in 
homes owned by persons with developmental 
disabilities, and money appropriated.

HF828--Cooper (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Case management demonstration projects 
authorized to determine effectiveness of alternative 
forms of case management for persons with 
developmental disabilities, and money 
appropriated.

HF829--Carlson (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Crystal and New Hope consolidated volunteer 
firefighters' relief association authorized.

HF830--Greiling (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Administrative rule adoption and review 
procedures revised.

HF831--Perlt (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Motor vehicle deputy registrar appointment 
authority clarified.

HF832--Onnen (IR)
Health & Human Services
Children helped in long-term development  (CHILD) 
program planning required.

HF833--Long (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Metropolitan comprehensive municipal planning 
provisions modified.

HF834--Ozment (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Pollution Control Agency abolished, and 
environmental protection department created.

HF835--Trimble (DFL)
Judiciary
Claims against governmental units liability limits 
increased, and inflation adjustment and medical 
expense exemption provided.

HF836--Osskopp (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources Finance
Cannon Valley Trail improvements provided, and 
bond issuance authorized.

HF837--Clark (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Aging Board appropriated money for Indian elderly 
access program.

HF838--Bishop (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Olmsted County authorized to create a nonprofit 
corporation to own and operate a hospital and 
medical center.

HF839--Weaver (IR)
Governmental Operations
Public employee military leave of absence five- 
year contribution payment limitation removed.

HF840--Kelley (DFL)
Judiciary
Crime victim information gathered and presented at 
bail hearings, hearing notification provided, 
defendant pretrial release notification required, 
child abuse telephone helpline established, and 
money appropriated.

HF841--Kinkel (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 2174, Pine River-
Backus, provided combination and cooperation 
revenue.

HF842--Jennings (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Day training and habilitation services vendor 
appeals authorized.

HF843--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Dental hospitalization and anesthesia coverage for 
dental procedures provided by health plans.

HF844--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Day training and habilitation services variance 
criteria clarified and payment rate continuance 
allowed.

HF845--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
Child support obligation and enforcement 
provisions modified.

HF846--Erhardt (IR)
Taxes
Senior citizen's property tax deferral program 
established, and money appropriated.

HF847--Murphy (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Child sexual abuse victim interview training 
provided to criminal justice officials, and money 
appropriated.

HF848--Luther (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Metropolitan Council transit vehicle security 
measure appropriations provided.

HF849--Seagren (IR)
Education
Education funding provisions modified, special and 
community programs provided, organization and 
cooperation provided, commitment to excellence 
provided, library provisions modified, and state 
agency duties provided.

HF850--Munger (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Water pollution inflow and infiltration revolving 
fund created, and Department of Trade and 
Economic Development and Pollution Control 
Agency rule adoption required.

HF851--Dehler (IR)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Phenylketonuria insurance coverage for dietary 
treatment provisions modified.

HF852--Jennings (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Department of Human Services health care program 
dental care service provisions modified, and money 
appropriated.

HF853--Brown (DFL)
Judiciary
National guard and Department of Military Affairs 
weapons prohibition exemption provided.

HF854--Milbert (DFL)
Taxes
Internal revenue code references updated.

HF855--Erhardt (IR)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Term limits; legislative and executive service 
limited and constitutional amendment proposed.

HF856--Bishop (IR)
Ethics
Ethical Practices Board public official gift 
enforcement authority extended, advisory opinions 
classified as public data, civil penalties provided, 
gift ban exceptions authorized and clarified, and 
money appropriated.

HF857--Kahn (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Emerging communications services act adopted.

HF858--Munger (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources Finance
Duluth; Lake Superior Zoological Gardens 
appropriated money.

HF859--Clark (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Minneapolis authorized to determine method for 
sale of unclaimed property.

HF860--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Adolescent pregnancy prevention equipment 
purchase provided, and money appropriated.

HF861--Mulder (IR)
Education
Independent School District No. 583, Pipestone, 
fund transfer authorized from debt redemption 
fund to capital expenditure fund.

HF862--Mariani (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Midwest Farmworker Employment and Training, 
Inc. financial assistance reference modification 
provided.

HF863--Knight (IR)
Governmental Operations
Legislator defined contribution retirement coverage 
established.

HF864--Jefferson (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Insurance company gross premium tax rate 
modified.

HF865--Dehler (IR)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Brewers and malt liquor wholesalers allowed to 
provide free samples to retailers.

HF866--Osskopp (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Home rule charter and statutory cities authorized to 
make grants to nonprofit community food shelves.

HF867--Orenstein (DFL)
Ways & Means
Customer service office created to provide 
assistance to state government service users.

HF868--Johnson, A. (DFL)
Education
Children's services assessment and case 
management procedures report required.

HF869--Clark (DFL)
International Trade & Economic Development
Businesses receiving state financial assistance 
required to pay a living wage and increase 
employment.

HF870--Ness (IR)
Education
School district capital expenditure revenue tranfers 
between funds authorized in certain cases.

HF871--Brown (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Concrete and masonry contractors required to be 
licensed as residential contractors.

HF872--Huntley (DFL)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Long-term care insurance sales regulated, and 
technical modifications provided.

HF873--Van Dellen (IR)
International Trade & Economic Development
Advantage Minnesota Inc., economic development 
corporate structure modified.

HF874--Cooper (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Health insurance counseling and assistance program 
established, and money appropriated.

HF875--Greiling (DFL)
Rules & Legislative Administration
Legislative committee and division chair rotation 
required.

HF876--Dorn (DFL)
Education
Mankato model school for truants appropriated 
money.

HF877--Simoneau (DFL)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Automobile insurance premium reduction provided 
for vehicles utilizing antitheft alarms or devices.

HF878--Dehler (IR)
Transportation & Transit
Firearms safety certification designated on driver's 
license.

HF879--Jennings (DFL)
Financial Institutions & Insurance
Credit insurance unearned premium prompt refund 
required upon early loan repayment.

HF880--Jennings (DFL)
Judiciary
Maintenance and support payment child equal right 
to support provided.

HF881--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Dangerous and career offender sentencing law 
scope expanded for murder, criminal sexual 
conduct, burglary, and harassment and stalking 
crimes, repeat sex offender sentence stay authority 
limited, and restitution laws expanded.

HF882--Mahon (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Employer wage payment provisions modified.

HF883--Goodno (IR)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Dog and cat sales regulated, and purchaser rights 
modified.

HF884--Simoneau (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing home moratorium exception added, 
moratorium exception medical assistance 
reimbursement provisions modified, and money 
appropriated.

HF885--Lourey (DFL)
International Trade & Economic Development
Microenterprise support program established, and 
money appropriated.

HF886--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Dram shop action liability imputed.

HF887--Rice (DFL)
Economic Development, Infrastructure 
& Regulation Finance
St. Paul teacher training institute city authority 
expanded.

HF888--Lieder (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' compensation insurance and benefits 
regulated, and money appropriated.

HF889--McGuire (DFL)
Judiciary
Uniform conflict of laws-limitations act adopted.

HF890--Molnau (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Wetland replacement, protection, and management 
provisions modified.

HF891--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Public employee and employer retirement 
contributions and annuities increased.

HF892--Tomassoni (DFL)
Education
School bus safety provisions modified, penalties 
provided, and money appropriated.

HF893--Wejcman (DFL)
Judiciary
Crime information systems office established in the 
Department of Public Safety.

MINNESOTA INDEX

Minnesota motor vehicle crash facts, 1993

Nationwide, number of deaths caused by motor 
vehicles     39,850
     as a percent of all accidental deaths      46.7
Minnesota motor vehicle fatalities     538
     percent decline since 1992     7
Percent of fatal crashes occurring in rural areas     
71
Percent of drivers in fatal crashes who were male     
76
Ratio of men to women killed in crashes     2:1
Fatalities in 1968, highest in Minnesota history     
1,060
Counties without a fatality (Cook, Lake of the 
Woods)     2
Minnesotans with a driver's license     3,223,153
Registered vehicles     3,480,507
Number of crashes     100,907
     percent increase over 1992     4
Crashes per hour, 1993     11.5
Percent of crashes where only property damage 
was involved     70
In all crashes, ranking of driver inattention and 
distraction among 
     factors listed by police as contributing to a 
motor vehicle accident     1
In fatal crashes, ranking of illegal or unsafe speed 
among factors 
     listed by police as contributing to a motor 
vehicle accident     1
Of all licensed drivers, those involved in crashes     
1 in 19
     teenage drivers involved in crashes      1 in 8
     drivers in their 40s involved in crashes     1 in 
25
Vehicle miles traveled on Minnesota roads, in 
billions     42.3
Rank of the 1 a.m. to 2 a.m. time period among 
times most common 
     for a fatal crash, 1970s     1
     in 1993     9
     Rank of between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m., 1993     1
Deer hit in a motor vehicle crash     6,522
     other animals causing a crash     533
Percent of those injured in crashes who were 
wearing seat belts, 1986     23
     in 1993     59
Statewide, percent of Minnesotans wearing seat 
belts, 1986     20
     in 1993     55
Airbags that were activated, 1993     598
Motorcycle crashes, 1993     1,245
     in 1980, (record high)     3,308
Motorcycle fatalities     34
     number of those who were wearing a helmet     
2

Sources: Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts, 
Minnesota Department of Public Safety; Accident 
Facts, 1994 Edition, National Safety Council.