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State Representative Tom Hackbarth
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-2439
For more information contact: Austin Bleess 651-296-5529
NEWS COLUMN
A MATTER OF PRIORITIES Arts gain ground as time mismanagement stalls dedicated funding
By Tom Hackbarth
State Representative
This was the year. That is what hunters, anglers and those who enjoy the great outdoors were told throughout the campaign and legislative session. Democrats made dedicated funding a priority and vowed that it would pass during the 2007 legislative session.
Session has come to a close and, once again, dedicated funding fails to make the accomplishments list.
As a state representative and avid outdoorsman, I recognize the importance of preserving and enhancing the quality of our fish and wildlife habitats. I have been the chief author of legislation that would dedicate 1/8 of one percent of existing sales tax revenue to game, fish and wildlife habitat.
This legislative session I was greatly disappointed to participate in process that would greatly alter the original intent of this legislation and stall its ultimate passage.
The legislative session began on January 3, 2007. I introduced a dedicated funding bill for game and fish habitat a few days later. My bill never received a hearing. Several other bills regarding this constitutional amendment were also introduced in January and February. None received a hearing.
Two days before the first committee deadline of March 23, House Majority Leader Tony Sertich introduced a dedicated funding bill that provides for clean water, drinking water, parks and trails, and arts and culture heritage.
The Sertich bill actually received its first hearing on April 24, 22 days after the deadline. The bill passed its first committee on April 25 but did not receive its second hearing until May 7.
After several more committee stops, the Sertich bill finally reached the floor on May 19, just three days before the legislature had to adjourn. A conference committee was needed to work out the differences between the House and Senate bills. The committee convened at 12:30 p.m. on the very last day of session, recessed for more than four hours, and then adopted a report after 9:30 p.m. – just 2.5 hours before the session adjourned.
The clock struck midnight without a vote on the final bill.
The Democrats control both the Minnesota House and Senate with an overwhelming majority. The chief author of the bill in each body is the majority leader. We must ask the question: with five months to pass this high priority legislation, why did Democrats wait until 9:30 p.m. on the last day of session to put a bill together and then never provide a copy to House members for a vote?
There is a feeling of desperation among those who have been fighting for dedicated habitat funding since former Senator Bob Lessard carried the bill nearly a decade ago. What began as a concerted effort to provide 1/8 of 1 percent of the sales tax revenue to game, fish and wildlife habitat has turned into a sales tax increase to fund projects that have jumped on the bandwagon now that victory is near.
The allocation of revenue under the new bill provides 33 percent for wetlands, forests and habitat for fish, game and wildlife. It provides another 33 percent for water quality, 14.25 percent for parks and trails, and 19.75 percent for arts, arts education and arts access.
Hunting and fishing habitat support has been losing ground as a percentage of environmental expenditures. Now our critical habitat is receiving even less financial revenue through a dedicated funding amendment.
Arts has continued to gain ground in this amendment, and our habitat is paying the price.
The clock has not run out on dedicated funding. We can still vote on this bill early in the 2008 session and have it on the November ballot. The question we must now ask ourselves is how much more are we willing to give up and at what price to finally see dedicated funding become law.
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