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

MARCH 3, 1995
VOLUME 12, NUMBER 9


WEEK IN REVIEW. . . FEB. 23 - MAR. 2, 1995
HIGHLIGHTS

Revised budget forecast. . . 
Revenues bright, but Carlson braces for federal cuts

     Cuts to more state programs and a revenue 
forecast $129 million brighter than previously 
thought would help give Minnesota schools an extra 
$100 million over the next two years and create a 
$220 million rainy day account to brace for federal 
cuts.
     "This is a true rainy day fund, because believe 
me it is going to rain," said Gov. Arne Carlson Feb. 
28 during his supplemental budget address.
     He also told the audience gathered at the World 
Trade Center that he plans to call lawmakers back 
for a special session in October of this year. At that 
time, the state should have a better idea how much 
in federal cuts the state will face in order to help fix 
the federal deficit.
     Current estimates indicate that Minnesota could 
lose about $1.8 billion in federal money over the 
next six years. Combine that with a Minnesota 
economy that is expected to slow down, and the 
governor says the state's headed for a big problem.
     "Prudent people spend wisely," Carlson said, 
explaining the need for a $220 million rainy day 
account.
     An October special session also will fit with the 
completion of a four-year strategic state finance 
plan that Carlson has proposed. The governor has 
asked Vin Weber, a former IR congressman, and 
John Brandl, a former DFL legislator, to come up 
with some budget cutting recommendations and to 
find ways to hold the line on education, health care, 
property tax relief, and other spending programs 
without increasing taxes.
     DFL legislators met Carlson's budget proposals 
with little enthusiasm.
     "We might be willing to go along with creating a 
special reserve fund dedicated to K-12 and higher 
education funding for 1998-99 that could only be 
used with legislative approval," said House Speaker 
Irv Anderson in a prepared statement. "But we are 
not bailing out the federal government."      
     Anderson also expressed doubt about the 
proposed finance plan from Weber and Brandl. 
"Will this end up like the CORE Commission -- 
spending $3 million to produce a report [on creating 
government efficiency that] the governor will 
ignore?"
     Specifically, Carlson's state budget proposal 
amounts to about $18 billion for the 1996-1997 
budget period, or $1.2 billion more in spending than 
the 1994-1995 budget cycle.
     His proposal has winners and losers. Education is 
thought to be a winner with an additional $100 
million, about $58.5 million of which would go 
toward reducing class sizes in grades K-6. Schools 
also are slated to receive other extra money 
including $10 million to improve school technology 
and $14 million for school transportation.
     The losers with the budget proposal are those 
people who are poor or disabled and use the state's 
medical assistance programs. Carlson proposes to 
cut more than $39 million from those programs. 
Specifically, a program that provides personal care 
attendants for the disabled would be cut by $11.5 
million, dental coverage for the poor would be cut 
by $11 million, and chemical dependency treatment 
by about $4.6 million.
     Another popular program slated for cuts allows 
families with disabled children the option to pay 
into the state's Medical Assistance (MA) plan, also 
known as Medicaid, for their long-term health 
coverage while still keeping their jobs and homes.
     Under current MA guidelines, most people have 
to impoverish themselves -- quit their jobs to meet 
low-income requirements and sell their homes -- 
before they can qualify for help.
     The state bureaucracy and the Legislature also 
would be cut, under the governor's proposal. The 
Legislature would lose $665,000 and state agencies 
$10.2 million during the current fiscal year. 
Agencies would see another $14.5 million cut 
during the 1996-1997 budget period.
     In his supplemental budget, the governor also 
changed how the state would pay a $320 million 
court settlement levied against it. The Minnesota 
Supreme Court ruled that the state had illegally 
taxed the interest that banks and other 
corporations paid on federal bonds over a four-year 
period in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
     Originally, the governor had proposed to pay 
$160 million in 1996-1997 and another $160 
million in 1998-1999. The dollars would have come 
from the state's general fund.
     Instead, under Carlson's revised budget, the 
state would make a $75 million cash payment in 
fiscal year 1996 and sell state bonds totaling $275 
million to pay off the rest.

-- K. Darcy Hanzlik

A few exceptions

     Although Gov. Arne Carlson's supplemental 
budget request cuts millions from state agencies 
and programs, he does open state coffers for a 
couple of emergencies and development programs. 
They include:

-- $245,000 in fiscal year 1995 to help with the 
recent outbreak of meningitis in Mankato.
-- $14 million in fiscal year 1996 to clean up 
contaminated sites that have significant 
redevelopment potential.
-- $3 million to leverage private dollars for a bio-
medical research center.
-- $450,000 to repay an outstanding loan to 
Norwest Bank for the World Trade Center in St. 
Paul.
-- $140,000 to repair a fire damaged building and 
equipment at O'Brien State Park near Marine on St. 
Croix.

AGRICULTURE

A horse is a horse, of course

     We all may have thought a horse is a horse, of 
course, of course. But nothing is ever that simple.
     The House Agriculture Committee approved a 
measure Feb. 27 that would exempt from the state's 
sales tax most types of feed and bedding for horses 
that are a little like Mr. Ed of TV fame.
     The bill, if approved, would essentially nullify a 
Department of Revenue ruling that makes a 
distinction over how a horse is used when 
determining whether a sales tax is due.
     Under current Minnesota law and rules, farmers 
don't have to pay the sales tax for such feed and 
bedding when it is clear that the horse is raised for 
sale, kept for agricultural production, or used for 
farm work.
     "In order to qualify for this exemption, the 
person must sell horses in the normal course of 
their business and must hold themselves out to the 
public as being engaged in [the] business of selling 
horses," according to a Sept. 14, 1994, department 
memo.
     But bill sponsor Rep. Ted Winter (DFL-Fulda) 
and others said it doesn't make sense to determine 
a horse's purpose in life in order to assess a tax. In 
other words, a horse is a horse.
     "They [the Department of Revenue] classify a 
horse as a pet . . . but you can't keep it in the 
house," testified Dan Ramberg, who operates 
Woodloch Stables in Hugo, Minn. "It's just mind-
boggling."
     Winter's bill would clear up the issue by adding 
a specific exemption from the sales tax for non-
processed horse feed and bedding such as hay, oats, 
corn, and grass. The exemption doesn't apply to 
commercially processed horse feed and makes no 
distinction over how the horse is used. 
     The current law specifies that such exemptions 
apply only if the material is used in "agricultural or 
industrial production of personal property intended 
to be sold ultimately at retail."
     The laws and rules in question are Minnesota 
Statutes 297A.25, subd. 9, and Minnesota Rules 
8130.5500, subpart 11.
     HF440 now moves to the Taxes Committee for 
further consideration.

State crop insurance

     The state of Minnesota would create a new 
insurance program to entice more farmers to buy 
crop insurance, under a measure that was narrowly 
approved by the House Agriculture Committee Feb. 
27.
     The proposal (HF410)would appropriate 
$250,000 in the current fiscal year to the 
Department of Agriculture to set up a broad outline 
of how the program should operate.
     But the measure would leave it up to private 
insurance companies -- under the state's "captive" 
non-profit insurance umbrella -- to sell the policies 
to farmers and to administer much of the program 
on a day-to-day basis.
     The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ted Winter (DFL-
Fulda), grew out of three major concerns: the 
reticence of farmers to buy crop insurance in the 
first place, inconsistencies in which insurance 
payments were made when there was a crop 
disaster and insurance was purchased, and 
expected cutbacks in the federal crop insurance 
program. 
     Under the proposal, private insurance companies 
would assume at least 80 percent of the total 
insurance risk, but the state would be liable for the 
balance. That is designed to make premiums more 
attractive to farmers.
     The state program is designed to supplement -- 
not replace -- federal crop insurance. But it would 
also be set up to cover losses not covered by federal 
insurance programs, such as when a farmer is 
unable to plant.
     Any profits the state realizes would be plowed 
back into the program to further subsidize 
insurance premiums.
     The proposal, however, proved controversial 
with House members.
     "Sanity and a state-run insurance company don't 
go together at all," said Rep. Greg Davids (IR-
Preston), who owns an insurance agency. "I'm 
concerned about the 20 percent [state liability] . . . 
why the state would take that risk."
     And Rep. Gene Hugoson (IR-Granada) questioned 
why the state should invest $250,000 to get the 
program started when it is private insurance 
companies that stand to gain financially.
     A key concern for several members was a 
provision in the bill that would allow private 
insurance companies to invest a portion of their 
portfolios in grain futures and commodities options 
-- investments that some argue are very risky.
     "This is something for the private sector," said 
Davids. 
     But Rep. Winter said that with recent changes in 
the Chicago Board of Trade, the program will be 
more advantageous and workable for farmers in 
Minnesota.
     Winter argued that something needs to be done 
to provide better insurance for farmers -- 
particularly in cases similar to ones created by the 
flood of 1993 and the drought of 1988.
     Although disaster relief bills were approved 
following both of those natural disasters, it wasn't 
enough. And the funds that were approved were 
difficult to administer, said bill proponents, adding 
that such one-time appropriations will be less likely 
in the future.
     A similar state-run insurance proposal was 
included in the 1994 farm relief bill but was 
deleted on the House floor. This proposal has a long 
legislative journey to get that far.
     The bill must travel through the Financial 
Institutions and Insurance Committee, Commerce, 
Tourism and Consumer Affairs Committee, 
Environment and Natural Resources Finance 
Committee, and the Ways and Means Committee 
before reaching the floor.
     Officials from both Crabtree Risk Engineers of 
Northbrook, Ill., and Jardine Insurance Brokers of 
Chicago, Ill., were at the meeting to outline the 
proposal.
     HF410 now moves to the House Financial 
Institutions and Insurance Committee for further 
consideration.

CRIME

Diverting lawbreakers

     A 1994 law that requires Minnesota county 
attorneys to establish pre-trial diversion programs 
for juveniles should be scrapped, according to the 
group representing the state's county attorneys.
     The law requires that a report be filed with the 
Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) 
on every person who is diverted to a community 
corrections program prior to trial.
     But these reports are "going into a box on the 
floor" at the BCA, according to Bill Jeronimus, staff 
attorney for the Minnesota County Attorneys 
Association. He testified before the House Judiciary 
Finance Committee March 2.
     In a letter distributed to lawmakers, Winona 
County Attorney Julius Gernes explained that the 
BCA does not store data on individuals unless it has 
fingerprints to positively connect the information to 
a person.
     Gernes also questioned who would use the 
collected data or if it would be useful for making 
future policy. He said the law creates "significant 
additional work" both for county attorneys and the 
BCA.
     "There may be good reasons for this legislation, 
but none come to mind," Gernes said.
     The overburdened criminal justice system gets 
some relief through diversion programs, which are 
usually used for first-time, non-violent offenders 
who are offered the chance to participate in a 
community-based corrections program instead of 
going to court.
     Diversion programs have been created in 21 
counties, according to Jeronimus.
     Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman told 
committee members that offering diversion to 
someone is the decision of the county attorney, who 
determines what charges will be filed against a 
person who has been arrested.
     Diversion programs look at the offender's need 
for chemical dependency treatment or other 
behavioral therapy that might be needed.
     "The goal is to fashion an individualized plan for 
each case," said Patty Moses, who directs Hennepin 
County's juvenile diversion program.

Probation caseloads rising

     Minnesota needs an additional 564 probation 
officers to handle the 90,000 adults and juveniles 
currently on probation, according to the Probation 
Standards Task Force's recently published report, 
Probation in Minnesota: Putting the Pieces Together.
     The task force's findings were discussed during 
an interactive television hearing that brought 
probation officers in Hibbing, St. Peter, and St. Paul 
together with the House Judiciary Finance 
Committee.
     Members were told that the proposed hirings 
would cost $41 million over the next two-year 
spending cycle. But county corrections officials 
pointed out that even "intensive" probation 
supervision -- at $13 per day per offender -- is a 
bargain compared to the $72 per day cost of 
keeping someone locked up. 
     The governor has recommended $15 million for 
probation caseload reduction in the 1996-97 
budget.
     "Probation is the brightest hope for corrections. 
It is far more economical to fund probation than to 
fund prisons," said Steve Holmquist, director of 
community corrections for Stearns County.
     Speaking from the courthouse in Hibbing, Jackie 
Frost, a probation officer in Virginia, said she has 
140 clients who have been convicted of 
misdemeanors and gross misdemeanors.
     "We're just not meeting the probationers needs" 
due to the large caseload, Frost said. "We're not 
supervising like we should."
     Probation officers explained that they meet one-
on-one or in groups with clients, appear in court, 
conduct pre-sentence investigation interviews, 
track clients' compliance with court-ordered 
restitution and treatment, and spend almost half of 
their time completing paperwork.
     "Our primary job is to protect the public," 
explained Stu Von Wald, a probation officer in Rice 
County, who spoke to the committee from the St. 
Peter Regional Treatment 
Center.
     But such a task is increasingly difficult with 
expanding caseloads.
     Lana Bjorgum, an Itasca County probation officer 
speaking from Hibbing, said her large caseload 
prevents her "from doing essential field work," 
including meeting with clients in their homes.
     She begged lawmakers not "to pass a whole lot 
of new laws. We're just getting caught up."
     An automated probation reporting system was 
touted as offering some relief from heavy caseloads. 
Mike Tate, a Duluth probation officer speaking from 
Hibbing, said that the pilot program, which verifies 
the identities of clients who check in from a 
computerized kiosk, has increased his efficiency "by 
30 or 40 percent."
     The 1993 Legislature appropriated $100,000 to 
St. Louis County to demonstrate the feasibility of 
the automated probation reporting system. 
     Decisions about funding county corrections 
officers will be made later this session.

Fighting sex crimes

     Patterned sex offenders could face up to 40 
years in prison, under a bill heard by the House 
Judiciary Committee March 1.
     Under Minnesota law, a patterned sex offender 
is a repeat offender or someone who has been 
determined likely to re-offend in the future.
     Current law mandates that a judge sentence a 
patterned sex offender to twice the penalty called 
for under the state's sentencing guidelines for the 
crime they were convicted of.
     This measure would allow judges to impose a 
prison term of up to 40 years -- regardless of the 
penalty called for under the state's sentencing 
guidelines. 
     The 40-year maximum prison term would also 
apply to a first-time offender who planned the 
crime in advance.
     And for the first time, crimes committed in 
other states would apply to the state's patterned 
sex offender law. Currently, only prior sex offenses 
in Minnesota can be considered.
     The bill (HF177) was one of two proposals heard 
that were drafted by the 1994 Sexual Predators 
Task Force.
     The second, HF178, would require those 
convicted of sex offenses in other states to register 
in Minnesota upon arrival. Such offenders would 
need to register for 10 years after they enter 
Minnesota.
     Minnesota now requires all felony-level sex 
offenders to register their address with a probation 
officer for at least 10 years following release from a 
Minnesota prison.
     Failure to register is now a gross misdemeanor. 
Under the bill, a second conviction for failure to 
report would be a felony offense.
Other bills discussed by the committee were:
-- HF176, which would extend the statute of 
limitations for criminal sexual conduct crimes from 
seven to nine years;
-- HF633, which would increase, to a gross 
misdemeanor from a misdemeanor, the penalty for 
the crime of indecent exposure in the presence of a 
minor under age 16; and
-- HF911, which would "stop time" on any statute of 
limitations while DNA testing is being conducted. A 
man was actually cleared of a possible rape charge 
because the limitation period expired while 
authorities waited for DNA test results, Rep. Wes 
Skoglund (DFL-Mpls) told members.
     Skoglund, chief sponsor of all five proposals, said 
the bills would resurface at a later date, possibly as 
a single piece of legislation. He welcomed the 
suggestions of committee members. 
     Rep. Tom Van Engen (IR-Willmar) suggested the 
state get a mandatory DNA sample from any sex 
offender convicted in another state who wishes to 
relocate in Minnesota. Currently, all sex offenders 
convicted of crimes in Minnesota must submit a 
DNA sample.
     Rep. Tom Pugh (DFL-South St. Paul) suggested 
making sex offender registration data available to 
apartment building owners who must conduct a 
background check on prospective landlords should 
HF72 become law. (Such data is now private).
     (See Feb. 24, 1995, Session Weekly, page 9; Feb. 
3, 1995, Session Weekly, page 9; Jan. 27, 1995, 
Session Weekly, page 9).
     Skoglund also will seek to have those convicted 
of federal offenses brought under the state's sex 
offender registration program. Currently, such 
offenders are not required to register.

Community notification

     A bill that would require that neighbors be 
notified when a high-risk sex offender is released 
from prison was heard Feb. 27 by the House 
Judiciary Committee.
     "We can make the community safer while 
balancing the rights of the released offender," said 
Ernest Allen, president of the National Center for 
Missing and Exploited Children.
     The measure would mandate that law 
enforcement officials disclose information about the 
high-risk offender "to those community members 
and establishments to whom, in the agency's 
judgment, the offender may pose a direct or 
potential threat." 
     Offenders considered to be high risk would 
include those who refused or failed treatment and 
have been determined "highly likely to re-offend." 
Violent, repeat offenders who abuse children would 
also trigger a community notification.
     Communities may also be notified of the release 
of other sex offenders at the discretion of the local 
law enforcement agency.
     Patty Wetterling, whose son, Jacob, was 
abducted in 1989 and is still missing, said the bill is 
needed to protect kids from unknown dangers in 
the neighborhood.
     And Clark Hussey, whose son, Grant, was 
abducted and later killed by a neighbor in 1993, 
told members the man who killed his son "was a 
trusted person in the neighborhood. . . .We had no 
idea he was a child molester."
     HF181 is patterned after a Washington state law 
that has been in effect for five years. Fourteen 
states have similar notification laws.
     "It [the bill] is designed to protect kids, not 
punish the offenders," bill sponsor Rep. Dave Bishop 
(IR-Rochester) said.
     Only a small percentage of released offenders 
would trigger the notification. Bishop said he is 
targeting those with the most predatory and 
dangerous backgrounds.
     The state of Washington has released thousands 
of sex offenders in the five years that the law has 
been in effect. In most cases, law enforcement 
officials are the only ones who have been notified. 
According to a December 1993 Washington study, 
members of the community were notified in just 
176 cases. There were 14 cases involving 
harassment of the released offender after the 
community notification.
     The notification would be an extension of the 
state's existing sex offender registration program. 
Currently, all felony-level sex offenders must 
register their address with the state for at least 10 
years after being released from prison. Failure to 
register is a gross misdemeanor. 
     Offenders now register with their probation 
officers. Bishop's bill would require offenders to 
register with the local police or sheriff. 
     Although a federal judge Feb. 28 ruled 
unconstitutional a similar New Jersey law, Bishop 
said "Megan's Law" -- as it is known in New Jersey 
-- is much more broad than his proposal. 
     Bishop presented the bill "for discussion 
purposes" and made clear his intentions to amend 
the bill before it is considered further. 
     Since 1980, the number of sex offenders in 
Minnesota prisons has increased 230 percent. 
Today, 1 in 5 prisoners is incarcerated for a sex 
offense.

EDUCATION

School safety

     At least one Minnesota parent thinks a bill 
designed to crack down on truancy and shore up 
school safety goes too far.
     "The gist of this is too punitive," said Steve 
McKeown of Richfield, a single father of 12- and 16-
year-old boys.
     The House Education Committee heard continued 
testimony Feb. 28 and March 2 on a broad bill that 
includes stiffer penalties for truants and their 
parents, and safety measures ranging from criminal 
background checks on teachers and other school 
employees to penalties for parents who fail to 
control their children.
     McKeown criticized what he called "very 
reactionary" anti-truancy ingredients of the bill, 
which would hit parents with up to $700 in fines 
and 90 days in jail if they do not make sure their 
children comply with compulsory attendance laws.
     "We need your support," McKeown said. "We 
don't need to have this sort of coming down on us 
where we're going to be called criminals."
     Another provision of the bill would make 
parents who do not exercise "reasonable care, 
supervision, protection, and control" over their 
children" guilty of a misdemeanor.
     Tom Pritchard, executive director of the 
Minnesota Family Council, said that sending parents 
to jail will do little to help their children.
     "I don't believe criminal sanctions are the way 
to go," Pritchard said.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Jim Farrell (DFL-St. Paul) said 
few parents likely will end up doing time but that 
the bill will give prosecutors and school officials 
another option to pursue.
     "Many times when you're in juvenile court you 
get frustrated that it's the child [in court] and not 
the parent," Farrell said.
     Farrell's bill also includes a locker check policy 
to allow searches of public school lockers at any 
time without notice (the same language is contained 
in an entirely separate bill, HF107, that is also 
pending before the Education Committee).
     HF610 also contains a measure that would allow 
the courts to deny driving privileges to habitual 
truants until they turn 18.
     The committee heard support for the bill from 
the Minnesota Education Association (MEA) and the 
state Board of Teaching.
     Judy Wain, executive secretary of the Board of 
Teaching, spoke in favor of criminal background 
checks for teachers and other school employees and 
said the checks should be conducted in a way to 
uncover criminal convictions in other states as well 
as in Minnesota.
     Cheryl Furrer of the MEA called background 
checks "one way to protect the safety of the 
students" but she expressed concerns about the cost 
of the checks.
     The bill would require applicants for school jobs 
to pay for the background checks.
     The committee has yet to vote on HF610. 
Testimony is expected to continue next week. 

School buses for sale
     
     A bill that would allow advertising on school 
buses is headed to the House Transportation 
Committee after an amendment was added to allow 
ads on the outside as well as the inside.
     When the bill reached the floor Feb. 27, it would 
have only allowed advertisements on the inside of 
school buses. But after the amendment allowing 
advertising on the outside was added, the chair of 
Transportation and Transit Committee -- Rep. Jim 
Tunheim (DFL-Kennedy) -- asked that the bill be 
re-referred to his committee for further review.
     So in a relatively unusual move, the bill was re-
routed there before members got a chance to vote 
on the entire bill. The amendment offered by Rep. 
Bob Milbert (DFL-South St. Paul) to allow ads 
outside the bus passed on a voice vote. 
     Supporters of the measure say outside 
advertising is where the real money will come from 
because the high-visibility ads would bring higher 
ad rates.
     Bill sponsor Rep. David Tomassoni (DFL-
Chisholm) has said advertising would provide 
money for schools at no cost to the state and makes 
sense in an era of impending budget cuts.
     "If you have to go out and pay $100 for a pair of 
Nikes, you might as well get a little bit back into 
your school district," said Tomassoni when the bill 
(HF326) was before the House Education Committee 
Feb. 9. 
     Under the bill, school districts would be allowed 
to set their own standards for ads to be placed on 
buses and to reach their own deals with private bus 
companies.
     The bill would require that all advertising 
proceeds to districts be deposited in their 
transportation accounts. When it comes to ad 
content, the bill only requires that districts devise 
policies and that ads comply with those policies. 
(See Feb. 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 5).

ELECTIONS

Voters' guide

     Minnesota's eligible voters would receive 
booklets in the mail before caucuses and elections 
that would provide short biographies on candidates 
and other voter information, under a bill sponsored 
by Rep. Bernie Lieder (DFL-Crookston).
     The bill stems from a recommendation of The 
Growe Commission on Electoral Reforms. The 
commission has proposed moving the primary to 
August and the precinct caucuses to April. It also 
recommends producing a voters' guide for the 
public, with information on where and how to vote, 
the candidates running for office, and constitutional 
amendments up for public vote.
     The Elections Division of the House General 
Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections 
Committee approved HF621 Feb. 27.
     It calls for the guides to be mailed to voters at 
least 21 days before each election. Each candidate 
may submit a 50-word biographical sketch to be 
included in the guide in addition to their name, 
address, and telephone number.
     The guides also would explain any proposed 
constitutional amendment and detail the effect it 
would have, if passed. It would inform residents on 
how to register to vote, how to vote by absentee 
ballot, and provide a map of election districts and 
telephone numbers of state and county election 
officials.
     A similar bill was considered during the 1993 
Legislative Session.
     Such guides are distributed in California, Oregon, 
and Washington, Secretary of State Joan Growe told 
committee members.
     Election turnout has been declining in recent 
years, partly because voters don't know where to 
vote and don't know who the candidates are, Growe 
added.
     "We always get questions at the secretary of 
state's office. But this year more than ever we've 
gotten questions about the candidates -- on who 
they are. The newspapers do voters' guides, but it's 
sometimes around one issue or not exactly what the 
people want," Growe said.
     The bill does not yet include an 
appropriation. 
     But distributing three separate guides could cost 
about $1.8 million in election years -- $650,000 
each for the primary and general election guides, 
and $525,000 for the caucus guide, Growe said. The 
money would come from the general fund.
     To help offset costs, candidates could pay a 
mandatory fee to have information included in the 
guide. That money would help offset the price of 
the guide, she said. The bill does not, at present, 
include such a provision.
     HF621 next will be heard in the full General 
Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections 
Committee.

June state primary election

     Voters in the state's primary election would turn 
out nearly three months earlier -- on the third 
Tuesday in June instead of in September -- to cast 
their votes, under a bill approved March 2 by the 
House Elections Division of the General Legislation, 
Veterans Affairs and Elections Committee. 
     The precinct party caucuses would still be held 
the second Tuesday in March.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Bernie Lieder (DFL-Crookston) 
said the measure incorporates many suggestions of 
Secretary of State Joan Growe's Commission on 
Electoral Reform, an 18-member commission that 
focused on increasing voter turnout by making 
changes to state election law.
     The commission originally called for the primary 
to be held in August and the caucus on an April 
weekend, but those dates were altered by the 
division members. 
     Moving up the primary elections -- where 
members of the same political party face off to 
determine who advances to meet candidates from 
the opposing party or parties in November -- would 
give candidates more time to debate and the press 
more time to examine the issues, Growe told 
committee members.
     A lengthened campaign season would mean less 
negative campaigning or "campaigning by sound 
bite" because candidates would have more time to 
explain their stances on issues, she said.
     Rep. Tim Commers (IR-Eagan), who offered the 
amendment to change the primary date to June, 
said many people will be on vacation in August. 
     Also, the June primary reduces the amount of 
time from the March precinct caucuses, which 
lessens the time for candidates seeking their 
parties' nomination to engage in political infighting, 
Commers said.
     The bill also calls for the elimination of the 
presidential primary election, which is now held in 
April. Commers also offered the amendment 
supporting that change, stating that Minnesota 
would save $3 million by not holding the 
presidential primary.
     Another provision in the bill calls for the 
Secretary of State to send a voters' guide to each 
Minnesota household with information on where 
and how to vote, the candidates running for office, 
and constitutional amendments up for public vote. 
A separate bill sponsored by Lieder outlines the 
voters' guide proposal. (See related article page 7).
     Also under HF142, major party candidates for 
congressional or state constitutional offices must 
receive at least 20 percent of the vote on any ballot 
for that office at the party endorsing convention 
before their name could be placed on a state 
primary election ballot. 
     If such a candidate didn't receive the 20 
percent, he or she could still make the ballot by 
submitting a petition signed by the number of 
eligible voters equal to 10 percent of persons voting 
on the nomination for that office at the last state 
primary.
     The 20 percent proposal would not apply to 
state legislative candidates.
     The bill will next be heard by the House General 
Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections 
Committee.

ENVIRONMENT

State park boundaries

     Several state parks would have their legal 
boundaries expanded, under a bill approved by the 
House Environment and Natural Resources 
Committee Feb. 24.
     The measure would allow parcels of land to be 
added to Forestville, Gooseberry Falls, and William 
O'Brien state parks.
     In addition, John A. Latsch State Park would be 
created. The land was once a state park; then, for 
reasons unknown, it became a state wayside area.
     "I think it was simply a mistake in 1969," 
explained Bill Morrissey, director of state parks for 
the Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
     Morrissey said that usually a bill is introduced 
each legislative session to modify state park 
boundaries. In some cases, landowners express a 
desire that their land become part of a park, or 
state forest land is added to a park.
     Although the proposal would expand the legal 
boundaries of the state parks, future legislation 
would need to be approved to authorize the sale of 
state bonds to pay for acquiring private land to add 
to the parks, according to Morrissey.
     The bill, which is sponsored by Rep. Thomas 
Bakk (DFL-Cook), would also allow vehicles without 
state park permits to enter Gooseberry Falls State 
Park and park in a new highway rest area that lies 
within the park. Parking would no longer be 
allowed along the highway.
     Morrissey said that parked cars on U.S. Route 61 
by a two-lane bridge near the park's visitors center 
pose a safety hazard. The DNR and the Minnesota 
Department of Transportation have begun work on 
a walkway underneath the bridge that will also be 
handicapped accessible.
     "We're making the view of the falls handicapped 
accessible, too," he said.
     It is hoped the project will be completed in a 
"year or two," said Morrissey. 
     HF479 now moves to the House floor.

Emissions test eliminated

     The metropolitan auto emissions testing 
program could be abolished in 1998, under a bill 
approved by the House Local Government and 
Metropolitan Affairs Committee Feb. 28.
     Sponsored by Rep. Alice Johnson (DFL-Spring 
Lake Park), the bill would exempt cars under six 
years old from emissions testing.
     (See Feb. 24, 1995, Session Weekly, page 6; Feb. 
17, 1995, Session Weekly, page 6; and Jan. 27, 1995 
Session Weekly, page 7.)
     The amendment calling for the testing program 
to end in July 1998 was sponsored by Rep. Eileen 
Tompkins (IR-Apple Valley).
     Tompkins said a University of Minnesota study 
shows the testing program is of dubious help in 
cleaning up metropolitan air.
     "Why shouldn't we do away with it? We're just 
putting money down a rat hole," Tompkins said.
     Under the amendment, the U.S. Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) would have to approve the 
program's intended closure. The Minnesota 
Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) also must show 
that the seven-county metropolitan area is meeting 
federal clean air requirements and will continue to 
do so, said David Thornton, MPCA manager of air 
analysis.
     He said the emissions program may need to 
continue to show that the MPCA plans to meet 
federal clean air requirements in the future. 
     If Minnesota falls below standards set in the 
1990 federal Clean Air Act, the EPA may withhold 
federal highway funds -- potentially $100 million 
annually -- from the state, Thornton added.
     Committee members also voted to remove a 
provision added to HF2 Feb. 17 by the House 
Environment and Natural Resources Committee.
     That amendment, sponsored by Rep. Bill Haas 
(IR-Champlin), would have required an emissions 
test be performed on a vehicle within 30 days of 
the date when its title is transferred.
     Haas said the provision would protect a 
consumer who could buy a used vehicle and then 
possibly have to make expensive repairs in order to 
pass an emissions test.
     "It's just one of those things that seemed like a 
good idea at the time, but nobody wants it now," 
Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls) said.
     The bill next moves to the House Environment 
and Natural Resources Finance Committee.

Gambling department -- again?

     Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) is betting 
lawmakers -- many of whom staked their political 
fortunes to promised cuts in government -- will 
back legislation to merge state gambling agencies.
     Kahn is the sponsor of HF138, a bill that would 
abolish several existing entities and create a state 
department to oversee gambling.
     In a Feb. 24 hearing before the Gambling 
Division of the House Governmental Operations 
Committee, Kahn had a simple message for 
legislators who campaigned on vows to streamline 
government.
     "This is the easiest vote you're ever going to 
make on that subject," Kahn said. Members of the 
division approved the bill.
     Under Kahn's bill, the nine-member Minnesota 
Racing Commission, seven-member Gambling 
Control Board and seven-member Lottery Board 
would be abolished.
     Currently, the boards function independently of 
each other. The racing commission oversees pari-
mutuel horse racing. The Gambling Control Board 
regulates lawful gambling activities, such as bingo 
and pull-tabs. The Lottery Board advises the lottery 
director on games and rules.
     A new gambling department, led by an 
appointee of the governor, would include divisions 
to oversee lawful gambling and pari-mutuel racing 
and to assume the gambling enforcement 
responsibilities of the Department of Public Safety.
     The state lottery and its director would remain 
independent, but the gambling department would 
assume the advisory role of the current Lottery 
Board.
     The consolidation of the gambling agencies, 
according to Kahn, would provide the state a more 
comprehensive approach to gambling issues. And 
the state would enjoy the savings of an unspecified 
amount, she said.
     But some involved with gambling, especially 
those in the horse racing business, opposed the bill.
     The "lean and knowledgeable staff" of the Racing 
Commission enforces complicated regulations to 
ensure "confidence in the integrity of racing," said 
Jim Olson, president of the Minnesota Quarter Horse 
Racing Association.
     And Gerry Herringer, of the Minnesota 
Horsemen's Benevolent Protection Association, said 
horse racing is in a "very fragile" condition in the 
state and needs the "nurturing" of the commission.
     A proposal similar to HF138 passed the House as 
part of a 1994 omnibus gambling bill but was 
eliminated in conference committee. Kahn said she 
expects the current bill to find less Senate 
opposition.
     If it's approved, it would not be the first time 
the state has used a consolidated gambling agency. 
In 1989, lawmakers created the Department of 
Gaming, but it was abolished two years later when 
former commissioner Tony Bouza recommended 
that the Lottery Board, Gambling Control Board, and 
Racing Commission become independent entities.
     HF138 now moves to the full Governmental 
Operations Committee.

HEALTH

Strengthening bones

     A bill to start up a statewide osteoporosis 
prevention and treatment program won approval 
from the House Health and Human Services 
Committee March 2.
     Bill sponsor Rep. Sharon Marko (DFL-Newport) 
estimated the program would cost $200,000 but 
said it would be a good 
investment.
     If people learn how to prevent the disease early, 
fewer will need to use hospitals and nursing homes 
for fractures and other osteoporosis problems. 
Many women entering nursing homes now do so 
because of osteoporosis, Marko said.
     "The financial impact of osteoporosis is vast, let 
alone the human impact," said Dr. David Brown, who 
testified in favor of the bill.
     HF481 would require the Department of Health 
to assess how many Minnesotans have the disease 
which strikes mostly women but also has been 
found in men. The condition is characterized by a 
decrease in bone mass leading to fragile bones that 
can fracture easily.
     The measure also calls on the state Department 
of Health to design a statewide educational program 
about the disease.
     The program would implement strategies for 
raising public awareness on the causes and personal 
risk factors for the disease, as well as how to 
prevent, detect, and treat osteoporosis.
     The Department of Health would be required to 
report to the Legislature by Jan. 31, 1997, on the 
program's accomplishments.
     Rep. Betty McCollum (DFL-North St. Paul) called 
the bill "a great bargain" and reminded committee 
members that very few dollars are spent on 
women's health issues.
     But Rep. Barb Vickerman (IR-Redwood Falls) 
opposed the bill, stating that a bill for a women's 
health center was in the works and that the 
committee should wait to see if osteoporosis is 
taken care of in that bill. 
     HF481 now goes to the House Health and Human 
Services Finance Division.

UMD medical school

     The University of Minnesota-Duluth School of 
Medicine is pitching an idea to expand its two-year 
program to a four-year program that includes 
placing students in rural clinics to learn from 
licensed doctors.
     The MinnesotaCare Division of the House Health 
and Human Services Committee heard the bill 
(HF690) but as yet has made no recommendation.
     The medical school is nationally recognized for 
producing rural doctors, an important key to 
improving health care access in rural Minnesota. 
Currently, the school offers the first two years of 
medical education. Students then transfer to the 
University of Minnesota's Twin Cities campus.
     The goal is to increase the number of physicians 
in rural Minnesota and to further understand the 
health problems in rural areas. The bill, however, 
contains no provision requiring students in the 
program to set up or join a practice in a rural 
community after graduation, said bill sponsor Rep. 
Roger Cooper (DFL-Bird Island).
     Because the UMD medical school places so many 
doctors in rural areas, Cooper said he believes they 
deserve state money to help with the program. "I'm 
going to fight like heck to keep this going."
     Although the bill has no price tag on it yet, 
figures from the medical school show the program 
would be phased in, costing about $1.6 million 
during the upcoming two-year budget period, said 
Dr. Ronald Franks, dean of the medical school. 
Beginning in 1999, the program would be fully 
operational with 100 students and cost about $6.5 
million a year.
     Franks said he would like the state to pick up 
the $1.6 million during the upcoming biennium and 
eventually the yearly recurring costs of $6.5 
million. It is not clear, however, how much of the 
cost the bill would finance. The dollar figure is 
expected to be filled in when the MinnesotaCare 
Division takes up the bill again.
     Another facet of the bill is a substitute doctor 
program to help out in rural areas when a 
community's regular doctor becomes ill or leaves 
for a vacation or for additional training. The 
program would start out in four pilot rural 
communities.
     Sometimes the lack of substitutes in a rural area 
can cause a community's doctor to leave 
permanently because he or she is on call 24-hours a 
day, seven-days a week, all year long, said Rep. 
Becky Lourey (DFL-Kerrick), who is sponsoring this 
portion of HF690.
     The program could use doctors in their 
residency and those who have completed their 
residency but have yet to establish a practice. The 
clinics where they serve as substitutes would pay 
their wages, Lourey said.
     The Department of Health would evaluate the 
program and report back to the Legislature by Jan. 
15, 1996.
     A dollar figure for the substitute program's 
startup costs has not yet been calculated. A similar 
provision in a 1994 bill, however, totaled $137,000, 
Lourey said.
     In 1994 the Legislature appropriated $4 million 
from the sale of bonds to UMD's medical school to 
build additional laboratories and offices.

HOUSING

Homelessness in Willmar

     Come Aug. 1, 1995, Willmar, Minn., may have 
hundreds of homeless on its streets, many of whom 
will be children.
     That's what a group of citizens facing eviction 
from a Willmar mobile home park told the Housing 
Committee Feb. 28.
     Elm Lane Trailer Court is scheduled to close July 
31 leaving many of its residents, most of whom are 
Hispanic, without homes in a city that doesn't have 
enough affordable housing or vacant trailer sites to 
meet the new demand.
     Even if they can find affordable housing, they 
may face discrimination, said Eileen Wallace, 
executive director of the Heartland Community 
Action Agency in Willmar.
     "If you call up with a Spanish accent and a 
Spanish surname, the housing is not available. But if 
you call without an accent and have an Anglo 
surname, then it's available."
     About 95 families currently live in Elm Lane, or 
about 500 people. There used to be about 120 
families but some 25 already have moved out. Of 
those remaining, about 20 will be able to move 
their mobile homes to another trailer park in 
Willmar. But after that, there's no room left.
     The group is asking the Legislature for help. 
Some would like emergency money to help people 
fix up their mobile homes so they meet housing 
codes and can be relocated. Some trailers just need 
the relocation money. Some residents also would 
like the state to step in and help more families 
afford to buy small, first-time homes.
     Housing Committee members listened to 
testimony both from the State Office Building in St. 
Paul and via interactive television from a site in 
Willmar. 
     Wallace told lawmakers that the people who live 
in Elm Lane hold down jobs but that Willmar offers 
them little affordable housing. Developers, she said, 
maintain there isn't enough return on their 
investment to build housing for workers who earn 
$6 or $7 an hour.
     Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. Paul) asked how 
many homes in Willmar could be fixed up and 
resold with low interest rates and minimal down 
payments.
     Testifiers thought there were about 20 to 30 
homes that could be fixed up. 
     Dawkins said that compared to the state's 
buyout of the Target Center basketball arena in 
Minneapolis and the state's financial breaks granted 
to Fingerhut Co. to expand in St. Cloud, fixing up and 
reselling those homes "seems like peanuts and 
small potatoes."
     The mobile home park announced it would close 
in October 1994 after it could not meet city 
ordinances to clean up the park which had become 
known for fights and shootings. The living 
conditions of the park have been described as 
crowded, poor, and unruly.
     The owner, William Begin, has said he gave up 
trying to run the place and wants to sell it. Begin, 
who illegally sold many of the mobile homes to the 
residents without a license and sometimes without 
giving them a title, was fined $15,000 by the Office 
of the Attorney General, said Russ Adams of the All 
Parks Alliance for Change mobile home park 
advocacy group. The $15,000 will be used to help 
families relocate.
     The Willmar City Council did reach an agreement 
with Begin to pay $150 for each family to relocate 
and an additional $300 if they could relocate their 
trailer to another mobile home park, but, Adams 
said, not too many people are counting on that 
money.
     Martina Diaz was an Elm Lane resident until 
about a week ago, when she moved into a Willmar 
house.
     "I am worried about my people who are still 
residents of Elm Lane. July is just around the 
corner," Diaz said.
     "They're tired of meetings. They're tired of 
waiting and still don't have an answer. . . . There 
has to be a way out."
     It is unclear what action, if any, lawmakers will 
take.

HUMAN SERVICES

Welfare reform passes

     The House gave final approval to a welfare 
reform bill March 2 after another attempt to attach 
a controversial abortion waiting-period proposal 
was thwarted. The vote was 125-8.
     Under the threat of a veto by Gov. Arne Carlson, 
language that would require a 24-hour waiting 
period for abortions was removed from the bill Feb. 
23 by the House Ways and Means Committee.
     But when the bill came up for debate on the 
floor, Rep. Tony Onnen (IR-Cokato) renewed the 
effort to include the waiting period. His proposed 
amendment touched off an emotional debate.
     Rep. Steve Wenzel (DFL-Little Falls) said the 
"informed consent" abortion proposal has the 
support of Minnesotans and he urged members not 
to let the threat of a veto affect their vote.
     "Let the legislative process take its course," 
Wenzel said. "We have our job to do, and the 
governor has his rights by the constitution."
     Rep. Charlie Weaver (IR-Anoka) said he 
supports a mandatory abortion waiting period, but 
he urged members to vote against the amendment.
     "In my view, this amendment guarantees the 
death of the right to know as well as welfare 
reform," he said. The amendment failed by a vote of 
58-75.
     The abortion waiting period was only one of a 
long string of proposed amendments to the reform 
bill.
     An amendment was adopted that would require 
welfare applicants without children to live in the 
state for 60 days before they can receive General 
Assistance benefits. The measure, sponsored by 
Rep. Jim Knoblach (IR-St. Cloud), makes several 
exceptions, including allowing benefits for people 
who were born in the state and people who have, in 
the past, lived in the state for a year.
     House members also approved an amendment 
that would cut off Aid to Families with Dependent 
Children (AFDC) benefits after two years. Families 
would be allowed no more than two years of 
benefits within a four-year period, but their 
eligibility for medical benefits would continue after 
their AFDC benefits expire.
     The amendment, proposed by Rep. Todd Van 
Dellen (IR-Plymouth), makes exceptions in some 
cases, including those involving parents who are 
minors and people needed in the home to care for 
children under 3 years old.
     The House rejected several proposed 
amendments, including a measure offered by Rep. 
Erik Paulsen (IR-Eden Prairie) that would have 
denied increases in AFDC benefits to parents who 
have additional children.
     In all, HF5 totals about $52 million but with cuts 
in public assistance benefits and the elimination of 
a $24 million state jobs program, the net price tag 
falls to $23.7 million for fiscal years 1996-1997.
     The bill would require teenaged mothers to live 
at home or with a supervising adult, and it requests 
the elimination of federal rules that some argue 
discourage welfare recipients from seeking 
employment.
     And the bill would establish a Work First pilot 
program, which would set out tough penalties, such 
as losing benefits, if participants do not stick to a 
contract to search for a job and accept work. The 
program would be tested in Clay and Itasca 
counties.
     To remove a barrier keeping people from 
returning to work, the bill, sponsored by Rep. Bob 
Anderson (DFL-Ottertail), includes $18 million for 
child care for low- and moderate-income families.
     The Senate's welfare reform measure is pending 
in the Senate Finance Committee.
     (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; Feb. 24, 1995, Session Weekly, 
page 9.)

INSURANCE

Coverage for good genes

     Insurance companies should not be allowed to 
use genetic information to decide who will receive 
insurance coverage, said Dr. Paul Billings, an 
associate professor of medicine at Stanford 
University.
     Speaking to the House Financial Institutions and 
Insurance Committee March 1, Billings said the 
current "genetic revolution" is providing 
information people should be able to use to protect 
themselves.
     "I would not like to see third parties use that 
information to exclude people," he said.
     Billings is director of the Council for Responsible 
Genetics and a member of the Genetic Screening 
Study Group, two non-profit groups devoted to 
investigating the use of genetic information. He has 
spent 15 years researching genetics and its social 
impact.
     He supports HF278, a bill that would bar 
Minnesota insurance companies from requiring 
applicants for health or life insurance policies to 
take genetic tests, or from refusing coverage based 
on information revealed by a voluntary test.
     No date has been set for a hearing on the bill, 
which is sponsored by Rep. Charlie Weaver (IR-
Anoka).
     Scientists in the rapidly developing field of 
genetics can identify at least 4,000 human genes 
and the indicators of 500 to 1,000 medical 
disorders, according to Billings. A complete map of 
all 100,000 human genes should be finished soon.
     Recently, genes have been identified for such 
maladies as Huntington's Disease, colon cancer, and 
breast cancer. But the presence of a genetic 
indicator for a disease does not necessarily mean a 
person will contract the illness and does not 
provide any information about its onset or severity, 
Billings said.
     The problem, according to Billings, is that 
insurance companies already have refused coverage 
to people on grounds of their genetic makeup and 
the future could bring more such "genetic 
discrimination."
     Billings also said the full potential of genetic 
research cannot be realized if people avoid testing 
out of fear they'll lose their insurance.
     Donald Chambers, an official for the American 
Council of Life Insurance, told the committee life 
insurance providers must have access to genetic 
information to fairly decide who to cover and how 
to set rates.
     "Insurers cannot afford to be denied the right to 
access existing medical information," he said, 
disputing claims that genetic testing leads to 
"cherry picking" clients, or granting coverage only 
to low-risk applicants.
     He said people with "genetic disadvantages" 
could conceal their condition and buy costly policies 
if insurance companies are denied access to genetic 
information. And that could serve a costly blow to 
companies and other customers.
     "Testing serves as a truth serum, if you will," 
Chambers said.

LAW

Prisoner name changes

     The House gave final approval to a bill March 2 
to limit the number of taxpayer-financed name 
changes by inmates in the state prison system. The 
vote was 132-0. 
     The bill (HF125) would limit prisoners to one 
name change during their confinement. And it 
would be paid for at public expense only when 
"failure to allow the name change would infringe on 
the constitutional rights of an inmate." Religious 
reasons would qualify as such a case.
     Rep. Dave Bishop (IR-Rochester) said the bill he 
sponsored would eliminate the cost to the public of 
"clearly frivolous" name changes. 
     Between 1990 and February 1995, 305 name 
changes were made by inmates. There currently is 
no limit on the number of changes a prisoner may 
request, and some have changed their name as 
many as three times.
     Each change costs between $400 and $500, 
according to the Department of Corrections. (See 
Feb. 24, 1995, Session Weekly, page 11)
     Similar legislation is pending in the Senate.

METRO AFFAIRS

Calling all cars

     All Metro area public safety personnel 
eventually would be linked by a digital radio 
communications system, under a bill approved by 
the Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs 
Committee March 2. 
     The bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve Kelley (DFL-
Hopkins), would call for the Federal 
Communications Commission (FCC) to make 
available a block of radio channels in the 800 
megahertz range, Kelley said. The channels would 
then be "trunked," or connected, so that several 
police, ambulance, or fire personnel could talk 
simultaneously across a number of channels. 
     "Right now, it's possible to connect all the 
agencies on the radio, but it's cumbersome," Kelley 
said. 
     Currently, individual police departments, for 
example, communicate on separate radio bands, 
which sometimes creates problems when different 
departments need to talk back and forth.
     Such a problem occurred last summer during a 
massive search -- involving several law 
enforcement departments -- for the man who 
fatally shot two St. Paul police officers.
     The bill would create what Kelley called the 
"backbone network" for the communications 
system. It would authorize about $30 million in 
state bonds to build the radio towers and computer 
system necessary to link the public safety 
communications systems of local governments. Each 
local government could then determine whether 
they would use the trunked channels or rely on 
their current method of radio communication.
     "So we're not creating a monolith all at once," 
Kelley said.
     Of the $30 million in bonds, half would be let by 
the Metropolitan Council. Those Metropolitan 
Council bonds would be repaid by an unspecified 
increase in the four-cent 911-emergency surcharge 
that each Minnesota phone customer now pays. 
     Since the Department of Administration has 
already proposed raising the fee, legislative 
approval for the hike is not needed, Kelley said. 
     Rep. Mike Osskopp (IR-Lake City) said the 
additional 911-surcharge forces non-metropolitan 
area residents to fund a service which benefits only 
the Twin Cities area. And some other lawmakers 
agreed.
     Mancel Mitchell, St. Louis Park chief of police, 
said the metropolitan area faces a "critical need" for 
such a new system. He served on the board that 
spent four years planning the radio system 
proposal.
     "We're now building and laying communication 
systems one on top of another. Trunking increases 
capacity five or six times and insures access on a 
frequency," Mitchell said.
     Paul Malone, a city council member from Arden 
Hills, Minn.,  spoke against the bill.
     "The notion that the area's existing public safety 
frequencies are hopelessly jammed is untrue. 
Although a few become busy from time to time, 
most are quite quiet," he said.
     In addition, most local agencies now use cellular 
phones to augment their communications systems, 
which are cheap and effective, he added. 
     The bill now moves to the House Governmental 
Operations Committee.

TRANSPORTATION

Commuter bus project

     Commuters who live in Minneapolis or St. Paul 
but work in the  suburbs could one day hop a bus 
to work with the help of a bill sponsored by Rep. 
Edwina Garcia (DFL-Richfield).
     The House Transportation and Transit 
Committee approved the bill March 1.
     HF342 would establish a 13-member advisory 
committee which would work with the Metropolitan 
Council in implementing a council pilot project. The 
project -- now being carried out by the 
Metropolitan Council -- sets up several express bus 
routes between eight southern Twin Cities suburbs 
and from downtown Minneapolis and St. Paul to 
those suburbs during morning and evening rush 
hours.
     Garcia said residents who live in suburbs such as 
Burnsville, Richfield, Apple Valley, and Edina find 
bus routes run mainly to Minneapolis and St. Paul. 
Few buses -- especially "express" buses that travel 
on highways and interstates -- operate between 
suburbs. Also, during morning and evening 
commuting hours, buses mainly shuttle commuters 
from the suburbs to downtown Minneapolis and St. 
Paul. Those who wish to take mass transportation 
the opposite way during those hours find few 
routes available, Garcia said.
     The Metropolitan Council expects its pilot project 
to cost around $3 million. A federal grant takes care 
of $2.5 million of that, said Nacho Diaz, manager of 
the Metropolitan Council's Office of Transportation 
and Transit Development. The council also has 
asked for a $622,000 state appropriation to fund 
the remaining project costs. That request comes as 
part of the council's $93.3 million transportation 
funding request for the 1996-97 biennium, Diaz 
said.
     The Metropolitan Council's transportation 
program will work with independent busing 
systems, such as Southwest Metro Transit and 
Minnesota Valley Transit, in carrying out the 
project, Garcia said.
     The Economic Development, Infrastructure and 
Regulation Committee will hear the bill next.

New members . . . 
House tries Harder to make government efficient

     Rep. Elaine Harder took on a challenging task in 
her first run for public office.
     Harder (IR-Jackson) entered the race for the 
District 22B seat prepared to face a powerful four-
term DFL incumbent, former Assistant Majority 
Leader Katy Olson.
     Harder's battle plans changed when Olson 
announced her retirement at the end of the 1994 
session. Instead of running against her opponent's 
record, Harder focused on putting forth a clear 
agenda to voters in her conservative-leaning 
southwestern Minnesota district.
     She engineered a campaign that included six 
county fairs and 18 parades to win the three-way 
race. "The timing was excellent," Harder said. 
"People were ready for the kind of message I was 
bringing to them."
     Harder supports term limits for legislators and 
efforts to reduce the size of government and to hold 
the line on taxes or make cuts. But she does not 
want those cuts to hurt the public education 
system, an area in which she believes the state 
should provide more funding.
     Harder said she learned many of her political 
values while growing up on a Westbrook farm, 
which sits just outside the district she represents.
     She left the farm to attend Mankato State 
University and has built a diverse resumŽ since 
graduating with a bachelor's degree in secondary 
education.
     Harder has worked as a home economics 
teacher, a sales representative for a printing and 
office supplies company, a sales and marketing 
agent for her family's purebred and feeder cattle 
company, and, most recently, as a 4-H youth 
development agent with the University of 
Minnesota Extension Service in Cottonwood County.
     Her involvement in 4-H in Cottonwood County 
stretches back to her youth. In fact, that's how she 
met her husband, Ron.
     The couple experienced life on the campaign 
trail when Ron ran unsuccessfully for the state 
Senate in 1990. 
     That campaign ignited political fires in Harder 
that eventually led her into a run for the House.
     Running for office was another step in a new 
direction in a life of community involvement. In the 
past, Harder had served as Jackson County Fair 
Board secretary, working with farm and 4-H 
families and youth. In connection with the fair, she 
was one of the original volunteers in establishing 
the Pioneer Village, a project that developed over 
nearly two decades. Harder's work involved 
collecting items of historical significance, which are 
now on display in the village.
     She and her husband, who have two children, 
own and operate an insurance agency in Jackson, 
and, in what free time there is, she enjoys 
photography and singing in her church choir.
     During her early days in office, Harder is 
concerned about some of the demands placed on 
state government.
     Sitting on House committees, Harder has found 
herself "frustrated with the concept that for every 
problem, government is expected to have a 
financial answer," she said. 
     Harder said she would like to focus on making 
government more efficient by eliminating 
duplications, such as having some 20 agencies 
dealing with some aspect of violence prevention.
     "I know it will be painful when we cut," Harder 
said. "We're talking about people's jobs. We're 
talking about people's services. People realize it's 
necessary, but it's going to be difficult."

-- Nick Healy

District 22B

Population: 32,898
Distribution: 23.84 percent urban, 76.16 percent 
rural
Counties: Brown, Cottonwood, Jackson, Martin, 
Redwood, Watonwan
Largest city: Windom
Location: southwestern Minnesota
Unemployment rate: 4.32 percent
Residents living below poverty level: 13.21 percent
1992 presidential election results:
Bush/Quayle     34.09 percent
Clinton/Gore     36.79 percent
Perot/Stockdale     27.78 percent
Other:     1.34 percent

New members . . . 
Boudreau brings inside experience to welfare 
debate 

     Rep. Lynda Boudreau may be a rookie at the 
Legislature, but she's no stranger to the welfare 
system, the center of one of this session's most 
pressing issues.
     Boudreau (IR-Faribault) has an up-close view of 
welfare in her job as a family health aide with the 
Rice County Public Health Nursing Services and the 
Women, Infants and Children programs.
     The decade-long experience helped shape her 
stance on welfare reform and her overall political 
ideology.
     "My philosophy is [that] if you are provided the 
tools, you can learn to use them to get a job done," 
she said. "We are all capable of doing many things. 
We just need some direction and encouragement."
     Her involvement in Independent-Republican 
politics started, oddly enough, after she attended a 
DFL caucus in the late 1980s. As a member of the 
International Brotherhood of Teamsters union and a 
county employee, Boudreau doesn't seem a natural 
for the conservative movement, but she found 
things more comfortable on the right. 
     "It seemed natural to adopt the philosophy of 
personal responsibility and fiscal conservatism," she 
said. "I don't believe in being wasteful, lazy, or 
apathetic."
     Boudreau quickly became active with her local 
IRs. She was soon selected to sit on the board of the 
county IR committee, and while still "very green," 
found herself running caucuses in her district.
     But the thrill of a political victory is what thrust 
Boudreau headlong into IR politics. The thrill came 
when she helped in the campaign to get Sen. 
Thomas Neuville (IR-Northfield) elected in 1990.
     "It was amazing to see that the process can be so 
rewarding," Boudreau said.
     At the prodding of fellow party members, 
Boudreau decided to make her first run for public 
office in 1994 to fill an open seat. (DFLer Peter 
Rodosovich decided not to seek a seventh term.)
     "It was not something I'd really considered 
doing, but I was somewhat intrigued and 
challenged to organize my own campaign," she said.
     A lifelong resident of Faribault, she grew up in 
the same neighborhood as her husband, Jim, a 
professional tree trimmer. The couple, married for 
24 years, has three children: an 18-year-old son 
and daughters, 20 and 23 years old.
     Boudreau's involvement in her community made 
her a familiar face to many voters.
     Stints as a volunteer Girl Scout leader and 4-H 
Club leader and Crisis Pregnancy Center counselor 
are included on her list. She also was a religious 
education teacher, a softball coach, a church cantor 
and choir member, a Faribault Senior High School 
parent adviser and a Booster Club parent.
     Boudreau's personal endeavors further 
enhanced her visibility in the community. Among 
other things, she is a reserve officer for the 
Faribault police department and a bow hunting 
education instructor for the Department of Natural 
Resources. She continues to play on a women's 
softball team -- her 25th year, and in the fall, she 
enjoys archery hunting.
     Her political beliefs, including support of term 
limits for legislators, often fall in line with many 
basic conservative tenets.
     Boudreau is an avid supporter of welfare 
reform, but she does so with the passionate and 
informed opinions of an insider. "I work in the 
system. I can tell you it needs to be reformed to 
provide incentives to work," she said.
     "I often see a lack of motivation and feelings of 
hopelessness."
     Part of her job for Rice County calls on Boudreau 
to teach single parents -- some on welfare and 
some self-supporting -- how to be good parents.
     She supports measures in a reform bill (HF5) 
that would require welfare mothers who are minors 
to live with their parents and set work 
requirements for welfare recipients.
     She offered an amendment to the bill that would 
remove fertility drugs from medical benefits for 
welfare recipients and successfully offered another 
ammendment that would remove sex change 
surgery benefits from General Assistance Medical 
Care.
     "We're giving people tools, and they should be 
utilizing them," Boudreau said. "If they choose not 
to, we're going to give them that little extra nudge."

-- Nick Healy

District 25B

Population: 32,664
Distribution: 52.31 percent urban; 47.69 percent 
rural
Counties: Le Sueur, Rice, Waseca
Largest city: Faribault
Location: southeastern Minnesota 
Unemployment rate: 4.64 percent
Residents living below poverty level: 9.13 percent
1992 presidential election results:
Bush/Quayle     31.16 percent
Clinton/Gore     39.72 percent
Perot/Stockdale     27.15 percent
Other:     1.97 percent

IT'S A FACT

     Gov. Arne Carlson has proposed that the state 
pay $183.7 million in the next fiscal year for the 
state's correctional institutions. 
     That's a far cry from the $3.3 million the state 
paid in fiscal year 1955.
     Back then the state had only five correctional 
institutions -- about half the number that exist 
today -- to support, and they were dramatically 
different.
     Further, there were only about 1,200 inmates in 
1955 -- about a quarter of the 4,765 adult and 
juvenile inmates that are incarcerated today.
     Delinquent boys were then sent to the "training 
school at Red Wing," which had a dairy farm, 
elementary school, and a few high school courses. 
Training was offered in blacksmithing, meatcutting, 
and pipefitting, among other skills.
     When the boys are discharged from the school, 
"most of them are prepared to live a normal life in 
society," wrote Joseph Kise in his 1959 book, 
Minnesota's Government. 
     Today, only the state's toughest youthful 
offenders are sent to the Red Wing facility. Before 
they arrive, each juvenile has committed an 
average of 13 prior offenses. According to a recent 
Legislative Auditor's report, up to 75 percent will 
reoffend upon release.
     In the 1950s, the Home School for Girls at Sauk 
Centre offered opportunities in "gardening, beauty 
culture, sewing, business relations and other 
vocations."
     There were 196 girls at the school in August 
1957. "Only a few of the girls have been sent back 
after they are released. The officers and employees 
try to make the place congenial and homelike."
     And while the crime problem facing the state 
was not as severe as it is today, the 34-year-old 
opinion of Kise is echoed today: "These institutions 
cost the State of Minnesota millions and millions of 
dollars each year. In addition, much money is spent 
in local communities for the upkeep of county and 
city jails. From a strictly economic viewpoint, these 
facts show that it pays to spend money for 
preventive measures. The public is learning that an 
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure."

In the Hopper . . . Feb. 24 - March 2, 1995
Bill Introductions

Monday, Feb. 27

HF894--Clark (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Aging Board appropriated money for Indian Elderly 
Access Program.

HF895--Vickerman (IR)
Agriculture
Agricultural processing facility tax increment 
financing districts provided aid reduction 
exemption.

HF896--Brown (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Government Innovation and Cooperation Board 
authority and procedures clarified, cooperation 
planning grant application procedures established, 
and money appropriated.

HF897--Pugh (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Rule of 85 reinstated, Public Employees Retirement 
Association member early retirement provisions 
modified, and reporting requirements eliminated.

HF898--Carruthers (DFL)
Judiciary
Soft body armor peace officer reimbursement 
provisions modified, and public safety officer's 
death benefit modified.

HF899--Kinkel (DFL)
Education
Semester system established by Higher Education 
Board, undergraduate state funding expenditures 
restricted, Akita Program efficiency increased, and 
campus efficiency increased.

HF900--Broecker (IR)
Judiciary
Disabled parking certificate holders allowed to 
make names and addresses private.

HF901--Swenson, D. (IR)
Transportation & Transit
DWI related laws and consequences included in 
drivers' education programs, driver's license 
application pamphlet, driver's license examination, 
and driver's manual.

HF902--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
DWI related offenses and driving without a license 
offenses provided license plate impoundment and 
vehicle forfeiture penalties after second violation.

HF903--Rest (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Tobacco retail license established, vendor 
compliance checks provided, and mandatory 
penalties provided for sales to minors.

HF904--Tomassoni (DFL)
Judiciary
Sport shooting ranges in compliance with accepted 
operating practices provided liability protection, 
and rulemaking required.

HF905--Pelowski (DFL)
Education
Kindergarten student transportation aid provisions 
modified.

HF906--Onnen (IR)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' compensation benefit claim dispute 
review board established.

HF907--Bertram (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Nursing facility resident classification error 
correction provided.

HF908--Lourey (DFL)
Economic Development, Infrastructure & 
Regulation Finance
Foodshelf Program appropriated money.

HF909--Olson, E. (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Wetland management and protection provisions 
modified.

HF910--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Children and education services department 
established, and money appropriated.

HF911--Skoglund (DFL)
Judiciary
DNA crime evidence analysis statute of limitations 
provisions modified.

HF912--Osskopp (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Lake City tax increment financing district duration 
extended.

HF913--Davids (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
Preston tax-forfeited land sale authorized.

HF914--Peterson (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 128, Milan, 
provided an operating debt reduction grant, and 
money appropriated.

HF915--Rukavina (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Prescription drug price negotiation authority 
granted to Department of Administration 
commissioner, statewide drug formulary 
established, and pharmacists required to post signs 
relating to generic drug substitution.

HF916--Murphy (DFL)
Taxes
Local government aid distribution increase 
provided to certain cities.

HF917--Hugoson (IR)
Agriculture
Wholesale food processor, manufacturer, packager, 
and salvage food processor permits, certification 
and training required.

HF918--Winter (DFL)
Agriculture
Agricultural commodity supply management, 
orderly marketing, administration, and enforcement 
provided, minimum prices established for dairy and 
grain products, and money appropriated.

HF919--Swenson, D. (IR)
Governmental Operations
Lottery advertising restricted.

HF920--Mariani (DFL)
Education
American Indian tribal history, government, and 
culture included in staff development and teacher 
preparation curriculum, and graduation rule to 
include an understanding of American Indians.

HF921--Goodno (IR)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' compensation benefits and procedures 
modified, and penalties provided.

HF922--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
WIC; Women, Infants, and Children Program 
appropriated money for modernization, outreach, 
and education.

HF923--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Correctional employees contribution rates and 
annuity formulas modified.

HF924--Winter (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Groundwater exploration matching grant program 
established and money appropriated.

HF925--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Teacher retirement association members permitted 
to terminate membership in association.

HF926--Davids (IR)
Education
Independent School District No. 238, Mabel-Canton, 
debt service aid eligibilty provided.

HF927--Bishop (IR)
Judiciary
Domestic abuse hearing requirement eliminated in 
certain cases, and notices provided.

HF928--Harder (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Lakefield tax increment financing districts 
established, state aid offset exemption provided, 
and regional tax capacity defined.

HF929--Boudreau (IR)
Judiciary
Law enforcement agency forfeited firearms use 
restricted and sale authorized.

HF930--Kelley (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Independent public pay telephone service 
providers granted access to telephone lines, and flat 
access rate provided.

HF931--Wagenius (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Highway user tax distribution fund used for public 
highways, bicycle and pedestrian paths, and public 
transit, fund apportionment provided, and 
constitutional amendment proposed.

HF932--Jaros (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Duluth fire and police joint consolidation account 
benefit recomputations and adjustments provided 
for certain eligible retirees.

HF933--Farrell (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Prescription drug price negotiation authority 
granted to administration commissioner, statewide 
drug formulary established, and pharmacists 
required to post signs relating to generic drug 
substitution.

HF934--Delmont (DFL)
Regulated Industries & Energy
Liquor sale practices restricted between 9 p.m. and 
1 a.m. to prohibit discounted prices, multiple 
drinks, and increased alcohol volume or 
percentage.

HF935--Farrell (DFL)
Judiciary
Child support and enforcement provisions modified.

HF936--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
Dram Shop Act extended imposing civil third-party 
liability for damages caused by intoxication of 
persons under 21, subrogation claims prohibited, 
and certain insurance exclusions prohibited.

HF937--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
Failure to stop and give notification at the site of a 
traffic accident crime sentencing guidelines severity 
level increased.

HF938--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
DWI; maximum allowable blood alcohol level 
lowered for operation of motor vehicles, 
snowmobiles, and motorboats.

HF939--Swenson, H. (IR)
Health & Human Services
County welfare agency barred from court action to 
obtain child support in certain circumstances.

HF940--Macklin (IR)
Health & Human Services
Welfare fraud provisions extended to family 
investment plan, AFDC lien enforcement method 
provided, and AFDC voluntary vendor payments 
authorized.

HF941--Osskopp (IR)
Environment & Natural Resources
NSP; Radioactive waste management facility dry 
cask storage alternative site requirement 
eliminated.

HF942--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
Teacher, coach, and other professional school staff 
criminal background checks required prior to 
employment.

HF943--Winter (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Metropolitan Council diesel-powered transit buses 
to be installed with ethanol additive systems.

HF944--Tomassoni (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Workers' compensation premium collection, 
employment classification, and procedure and 
benefit data classified, and penalties provided.

HF945--Swenson, D. (IR)
Judiciary
Driving without a valid license and failure to 
provide or show proof of insurance crimes provided 
vehicle license plate impoundment penalty.

HF946--Rest (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Certified public accountant certification and 
licensure education requirements modified.

HF947--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Department of Corrections and Department of 
Human Services security unit employees provided 
correctional employees retirement plan coverage.

HF948--Leppik (IR)
Health & Human Services
Women's health institute established, and money 
appropriated.

HF949--Wagenius (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Carbon dioxide emission analysis included in the 
environmental review of proposed state projects.

HF950--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
U.S. Army zinc cadmium sulfide aerial spraying 
report required and attorney general review 
required.

HF951--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Mental health professional defined for medical 
assistance coverage purposes.

HF952--Luther (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Professional sports team and olympic special license 
plate issuance authorized, fees dedicated to the 
amateur sports commission account, and money 
appropriated.

HF953--Milbert (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Walleye and Northern Pike size limits modified.

HF954--Jefferson (DFL)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Campaigning on election day prohibition repealed.

HF955--Dehler (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Morrison County bond issuance authorized for 
fairgrounds improvements, and referendum 
required.

HF956--Dehler (IR)
Housing
Stearns County Housing and Redevelopment 
Authority federal tax exempt revenue bond use 
regulated.

HF957--Goodno (IR)
Regulated Industries & Energy
WAPA; President and Congress memorialized to 
abandon the proposed sale of the Western Area 
Power Administration.

HF958--Dehler (IR)
Governmental Operations
Legislators' retirement law clarification provided.

HF959--Murphy (DFL)
Taxes
Property tax value increase prohibited for 
homesteads owned by persons 65 years of age or 
older with certain income requirements.

HF960--Bettermann (IR)
Education
School district aid receipt effect clarified.

HF961--Opatz (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Health promotion and disease prevention state 
agency program for state employees extended, and 
money appropriated.

HF962--Hugoson (IR)
Education
Independent School District No. 2536, Granada-
Huntley-East Chain, allowed to make a fund 
transfer.

HF963--Smith (IR)
Education
University of Minnesota Board of Regents U.S. 
citizenship required.

HF964--Murphy (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 94, Cloquet, time 
and technology enhanced curriculum school pilot 
project funding continued, and money appropriated.

HF965--Finseth (IR)
Education
Independent School District No. 595, East Grand 
Forks, authorized to use capital expenditure 
facilities revenue to acquire and construct 
buildings.

HF966--Entenza (DFL)
Judiciary
Child support and enforcement provisions modified, 
and money appropriated.

HF967--Sviggum (IR)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Canada; Fish importation from Canada to Minnesota 
restrictions removed.

HF968--Smith (IR)
Governmental Operations
Teacher Retirement Association member service 
credit purchase for previously exempt service 
authorized.

HF969--Murphy (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Criminal background check fee authorized and fund 
dedication provided.

HF970--Bertram (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Public Employees Retirement Association police and 
fire fund early retirement reduction factors 
changed.

HF971--Tunheim (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Manufacturer motor vehicle test license plate 
issuance authorized.


Thursday, March 2

HF972--Clark (DFL)
Housing
Lead abatement law technical recodification 
provided.

HF973--Rukavina (DFL)
Labor-Management Relations
Boiler inspection provisions modified.

HF974--Vickerman (IR)
Health & Human Services
Department of Health environmental laboratory 
certification fee payment time schedules modified.

HF975--Boudreau (IR)
Health & Human Services
Home care  Hospice Program home care service 
definition modified.

HF976--Orenstein (DFL)
Ways & Means
Human resources, gainsharing, and procurement 
pilot projects established to improve state agency 
efficiency and effectiveness.

HF977--Kelley (DFL)
Education
Library accessibility grant requirements modified, 
internet revenue and access grants established, on-
line service provider contracts provided, and 
money appropriated.

HF978--Solberg (DFL)
Judiciary
Law enforcement agency use of forfeited weapons 
provisions modified.

HF979--Osthoff (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Port development assistance provided, grant and 
loan application provisions specified, port 
development project cost payment provided, and 
money appropriated.

HF980--Skoglund (DFL)
Judiciary
Manslaughter in the first degree definition 
modified.

HF981--Skoglund (DFL)
Judiciary
Manslaughter in the first degree reasonable person 
standard clarified, and murder in the first degree 
acts clarified.

HF982--Rest (DFL)
Taxes
Wholesale drug distributor payments from federal 
agencies and instrumentalities exempted from gross 
revenue tax.

HF983--Lourey (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Emergency medical services advisory council, 
maternal aid child health advisory task force, and 
state community health advisory committee 
reinstatement provided.

HF984--Wejcman (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Minneapolis authorized to issue an on-sale 
intoxicating liquor license to the local branch of the 
American Association of University Women.

HF985--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Akeley land conveyance from Department of 
Natural Resources commissioner required.

HF986--Wenzel (DFL)
Education
Independent School District No. 482, Little Falls, 
fund transfer authorized.

HF987--Murphy (DFL)
Judiciary
Criminal arraignment and first court appearance 
interactive video system use provided.

HF988--Perlt (DFL)
Education
New housing developer school impact fee 
permitted.

HF989--Murphy (DFL)
Education
Student operated business grant program 
established, and money appropriated.

HF990--Entenza (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Disabled and handicapped assistive device 
warranties provided.

HF991--Sviggum (IR)
Education
School district architectural barrier removal levy 
restrictions modifed.

HF992--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
Computer matching agreement requirement sunset 
eliminated.

HF993--Jaros (DFL)
International Trade & Economic Development
International council established to coordinate the 
international activities of state government.

HF994--Pugh (DFL)
Judiciary
National Guard and Department of Military Affairs 
weapons prohibition exemption provided.

HF995--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Police state aid excess aid amounts disposition 
provided to fund an additional amortization aid 
program.

HF996--Solberg (DFL)
Education
Terminated education support employees of 
dissolved districts provided employment.

HF997--Delmont (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Legislative joint administrative services provided, 
and legislative commissions and programs 
abolished.

HF998--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Day care program licensure required for provision 
of services to preschool and school age children.

HF999--Greiling (DFL)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs 
& Elections
Ethical Practices Board definitions clarified, 
enforcement powers strengthened, lobbyist activity 
disclosure requirements expanded, contribution 
report requirements modified, campaign finance 
requirements modified, and penalties
provided.

HF1000--Johnson, A. (DFL)
Education
Late activity bus provisions clarified.

HF1001--Rukavina (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Women in Military Service Memorial at Arlington 
National Cemetery contribution appropriation 
provided.

HF1002--Rukavina (DFL)
Governmental Operations
State accounting procedures modified, dollar 
threshold for gifts to the state changed, state debt 
collection procedures modified, and petroleum tank 
release cleanup account terminology modified,

HF1003--Huntley (DFL)
Health & Human Services
X-ray equipment operator examination and 
certification required, and advisory committee 
established.

HF1004--Sviggum (IR)
Education
School districts authorized to levy for special 
assessments.

HF1005--Onnen (IR)
Health & Human Services
Mental health services pilot projects authorized, 
related condition definition modified, consumer 
support grant program established, home care and 
waivered services assessment provided, and home 
and community-based services modified.

HF1006--Jaros (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Prescription drug price negotiation authority 
granted to administration commissioner, statewide 
drug formulary established, and pharmacists 
required to post signs relating to generic drug 
substitution.

HF1007--Ness (IR)
Education
Advanced placement and international 
baccalaureate programs funded, and money 
appropriated.

HF1008--Bradley (IR)
Judiciary
Child support, custody, and visitation proceeding 
orientation and education program established.

HF1009--McElroy (IR)
Transportation & Transit
Drivers' license reinstatement fee waived in certain 
cases.

HF1010--Kalis (DFL)
Capital Investment
Water and Soil Resources Board project bond 
proceed financing report requirements modified.

HF1011--McElroy (IR)
Transportation & Transit
Radar speed measuring equipment jamming device 
sale, use, and possession prohibited.

HF1012--Dorn (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Gambling Control Board account created for 
payment of pull-tab dispensing test cost 
reimbursement, and money appropriated.

HF1013--Greenfield (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Jerry Haaf memorial drive designated on Trunk 
Highway No. 55 in Minneapolis.

HF1014--Hausman (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Wind energy conversion system siting regulated, 
and rulemaking authorized.

HF1015--Hausman (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Environmental Quality Board Environmental Review 
Program modified.

HF1016--Jaros (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Duluth Teachers Retirement Association 
postretirement benefit increase mechanism 
modified.

HF1017--Huntley (DFL)
Education
Duluth Family Practice Residency Program facility 
capital loan provided, bonds issued, and money 
appropriated.

HF1018--Trimble (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Chlorofluorocarbon state regulation brought into 
compliance with federal law.

HF1019--Trimble (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Native plant program established for highway rest 
areas, and money appropriated.

HF1020--Trimble (DFL)
Agriculture
Aquatic pest control applicator licensure required.

HF1021--Ness (IR)
Health & Human Services
Nursing home geographic group provisions 
modified.

HF1022--Carruthers (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Real property goods warranty transferability 
required.

HF1023--Huntley (DFL)
Education
Rural psychiatry program established at the 
University of Minnesota Duluth campus.

HF1024--Lieder (DFL)
Economic Development, Infrastructure & 
Regulation Finance
Roseville; Water's Edge Building purchased by 
Department of Transportation commissioner, bonds 
issued, and money appropriated.

HF1025--Huntley (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Day training and habilitation services payment rate 
variance provisions modified.

HF1026--Entenza (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Crime Victim and Witness Advisory Council 
expiration date extended.

HF1027--Peterson (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Environmental legal assistance pilot project 
established, and money appropriated.

HF1028--Opatz (DFL)
Health & Human Services
St. Cloud Hospital-Mayo Family Practice Residency 
Program appropriated money.

HF1029--Milbert (DFL)
Taxes
Manufactured home park property tax class rate 
changed.

HF1030--Kahn (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Lieutenant Governor office abolished, and 
constitutional amendment proposed.

HF1031--Van Engen (IR)
Health & Human Services
Regional treatment center fund use designated.

HF1032--Tuma (IR)
Education
Children with specific learning disabilities pilot 
program established.

HF1033--Greiling (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Prescription drug price negotiation authority 
granted to administration commissioner, statewide 
drug formulary established, and pharmacists 
required to post signs relating to generic drug 
substitution.

HF1034--Brown (DFL)
Judiciary Finance
Corrections industries product purchase required 
by state agencies.

HF1035--Wejcman (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Family Preservation Act modified, human services 
interpretive guidelines defined, and foster care 
licensure and Drop-in Child Care Program 
provisions modified.

HF1036--Orenstein (DFL)
Ways & Means
Department of Public Safety, Higher Education 
Coordinating Board, State Racing Commission, 
Gambling Control Board, State Lottery Board, and 
Department of Public Service abolished, duties 
transferred, and new agencies created.

HF1037--Huntley (DFL)
Health & Human Services
Department of Health commissioner public pool 
rules enforcement and fee provisions modified, and 
penalties provided.

HF1038--Delmont (DFL)
Judiciary
Sport shooting ranges exempted from noise 
liability.

HF1039--Milbert (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Dakota County administrator assigned county board 
clerk duties.

HF1040--Kahn (DFL)
Governmental Operations
State university and community college faculty 
retirement provisions modified, part-time faculty 
participation provided, and investment options 
provided.

HF1041--Jennings (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Public building and construction contracts 
regulated, indemnification and insurance 
agreements provided, and mechanics liens 
regulated.

HF1042--Dawkins (DFL)
Governmental Operations
St. Paul Teachers Retirement Fund Association 
articles of incorporation and bylaw amendments 
authorized to provide postretirement adjustments.

HF1043--McElroy (IR)
Governmental Operations
Office of the State Treasurer abolished and 
constitutional amendment proposed.

HF1044--Tomassoni (DFL)
Governmental Operations
School districts authorized to offer early retirement 
incentives, and teachers permitted to purchase 
service credit for teaching service in other states.

HF1045--Marko (DFL)
General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & 
Elections
Vietnam veterans claims assistance provided, and 
money appropriated.

HF1046--Kinkel (DFL)
Education
Teacher licensure alternative measures task force 
established.

HF1047--Bakk (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Landfarming contaminated soil reporting to 
unincorporated townships requirements modified.

HF1048--Entenza (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Videotape distribution, sale, and rental regulated, 
and captioning for deaf or hearing-impaired 
persons required.

HF1049--Mahon (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Emergency rescue vehicles exempted from 
registration tax and fees.

HF1050--Jennings (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Rental-purchase agreement lease services cost 
regulation provided.

HF1051--Koppendrayer (IR)
Education
Education Board eliminated, State Education 
Advisory Council created, and duties transferred.

HF1052--Entenza (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Federal Lien Registration Act provisions modified.

HF1053--Kelso (DFL)
Education
Federal special education references provided, state 
aid provided for certain school district litigation 
costs, and money appropriated.

HF1054--Van Dellen (IR)
Transportation & Transit
Railroad grade crossing repair and safety device 
installation provided by cities and counties, and 
cost apportionment provided.

HF1055--Dauner (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Water and Soil Resources Board secretary position 
eliminated, board members' compensation 
increased, and rule approval procedure, review 
exemption, rule appeals, dispute resolution, and 
levy authority provided.

HF1056--Garcia (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Senior citizen driver's license and identification 
cards to contain transit symbol, employer payroll 
transit program tax imposed, and public transit 
route and schedule change planning and 
consultation required.

HF1057--Hugoson (IR)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
Feedlot local government regulatory authority 
limited.

HF1058--Orenstein (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Housing Finance Agency Civil Service Pilot Project 
waiver requirement clarification provided.

HF1059--Orenstein (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Government Innovation and Cooperation Board to 
study the elimination of unfunded state mandates, 
and money appropriated.

HF1060--Pugh (DFL)
Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs
South St. Paul fire and police department 
employees excluded from civil service.

HF1061--Greenfield (DFL)
Education
STARS telecommunication program to include 
public and private schools as eligible system 
recipients and users.

HF1062--Simoneau (DFL)
Judiciary
Product liability claim state-of-the-art defense 
established.

HF1063--Huntley (DFL)
Environment & Natural Resources
Duluth storm water infiltration and inflow 
prevention demonstration project authorized.

HF1064--Johnson, R. (DFL)
Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs
Automatic sprinkler installation required in existing 
high-rise buildings.

HF1065--Rukavina (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
St. Louis County road and bridge fund accounting 
and expenditure requirements modified.

HF1066--Knoblach (IR)
Capital Investment
Department of Finance commissioner to establish 
listing of state bonds and certificates of 
indebtedness.

HF1067--Van Engen (IR)
Judiciary
Health Care Provider Transition Plan, birth 
registration, immunization and other health related 
data access provisions modified.

HF1068--Abrams (IR)
Governmental Operations
Bipartisan congressional and legislative 
reapportionment commission established, and 
constitutional amendment proposed.

HF1069--Huntley (DFL)
Judiciary
Contract for deed mortagees required to provide 
vendees with default notice.

HF1070--Abrams (IR)
Ways & Means
State agency fee cap provided.

HF1071--Vickerman (IR)
Labor-Management Relations
Workers' compensation rate calculation modified.

HF1072--Vickerman (IR)
Governmental Operations
Springfield hospital and clinic physicians provided 
public employees retirement association 
membership termination.

HF1073--Simoneau (DFL)
Transportation & Transit
Transit and paratransit facilities and equipment 
financing authorized, and metro mobility capital 
cost funding limitations removed.

HF1074--Hausman (DFL)
Governmental Operations
Unicameral legislature provided with 102 to 135 
members, and constitutional amendment proposed.

HF1075--Vickerman (IR)
Judiciary
State adoption exchange listing required for all 
children freed for adoption within 20 days.

HF1076--Rhodes (IR)
Judiciary
Absent parent child support liability and parentage 
recognition provisions modified, administrative 
proceedings added, and child support collection 
provisions expanded.

HF1077--Greenfield (DFL)
Health & Human Services
MinnesotaCare; integrated service network 
requirements established, penalties provided, and 
money appropriated.

MINNESOTA INDEX

Minnesota housing

Number of Minnesota households, 1990     
1,647,853
Households without a telephone     39,548
Households made up of people who live alone     1 
in 4
Percent of households that are renters     28.2
Median rent, statewide     $422
Percentage of change in the number of households 
in 
     Dakota County during the 1980s     53.4
Percentage of change in the number of households 
in 
     Big Stone County during the 1980s     -14.3
Hennepin County homes valued at more than 
$100,000     1 in 4
     In Dakota County     1 in 3
Number of Minnesota households paying more than 
$1,000 monthly rent     3,480
     Number paying less than $250     103,986
     As a percent of all rental households     22.4
Number of Minnesota's 87 counties with no rental 
housing 
     priced over $499 per month, 1990     3
Number of mobile homes and trailers in Minnesota, 
1990     90,546
     In St. Louis County, most in Minnesota     5,052
     In Jackson County, fewest in Minnesota     108
Median household income for mobile home and 
trailer owners     $25,724
     For all other homeowners     $41,988
Reported median purchase price paid by residents 
of a mobile home     $13,553
Median price of an existing single-family home 
     in the 7-county Metro area, 1993     $98,740
Residential building permits issued in the seven-
county Metro area, 1993     15,882
     In 1988     18,850
Funds allocated for the state Transitional Housing 
Program, FY1993-94     $860,000
     Households served by the program, FY1993     
667

Sources: Population Notes, May 1992, Minnesota 
Planning Agency; 1990 Census of Housing, Detailed 
Housing Characteristics: Minnesota, U.S. Department 
of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, 1993; 
Manufactured Homes and Manufactured Home 
Parks, Treatment in Minnesota Law, House Research 
Department; Minnesota Department of Economic 
Security.