Accessibility menu
State Representative Paul Anderson
100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
651-296-4317
For more information contact: House GOP Communications 651-296-5520
GUEST COLUMN
Late sessions and lots of 'hurry up and wait'
The State Capitol is truly a unique place to be during the last week of session. Days are long, and night sessions roll up to – and then past – the midnight hour. Leadership on the floor offers a motion to extend the day past midnight, and away we go. We went to 1:30 in the morning earlier this week, and nearly 1 a.m. last night (this morning, May 13) before we called it a day.
Another trademark of last week-sessions mirrors the old adage of “hurry up and wait.” Recesses are called, during which time leadership from the Legislature meets with the governor or his staff. Oftentimes, those meetings last longer than anticipated. For example, one night earlier this week, we took a recess to grab a bite for supper and were told to be back at 6:30 for the evening session. People slowly trickled back around that time, but it wasn’t until after 8 p.m. that we got the session going again.
One of the bills passed in the House earlier in the week, commonly referred to as the “Game and Fish Bill,” has several provisions that will interest local sportsmen. The quartering of deer that has been tagged properly would now be allowed under a provision of this bill. Along with several other stipulations, the quarters must be presented together when the animal is registered.
The height restriction for permanent deer stands is also removed in this bill. A constructed platform currently may be no higher than 16 feet above the ground. Curiously, there is no height restriction on portable deer stands that are chained, belted or tied with rope to a tree.
Another new aspect of the bill relates to coyote hunting, a sport many now enjoy during the winter months. Language in this bill now gives county commissioners the authority, by resolution, to offer a bounty for the taking of coyotes by all legal means. The resolution may be made applicable to the whole or any part of the county. The bounty must apply during the months specified in the board resolution and be in an amount determined by the county board. Interestingly, the section of the bill where this language appears is called “Coyote Conflict Management Options.”
A topic about which I received several e-mails during the session pertained to legalizing the spearing of fish on Cass Lake. Concerns were raised about the difficulty of discerning “northerns” from muskies. In addition, some were concerned that too many large fish may be taken if spearing were allowed.
As this is written, four days are left in the session. We have passed some major bills this week, although most face the veto pen of Gov. Pawlenty. Legislation containing most of the items that he unallotted, along with a tax increase, was quickly vetoed. I still think that a new bill, one that contains most, if not all, of the unallotted items — but no tax increases — could be passed quickly by the Legislature. Then, we could pass additional cuts that would sunset if and when the additional Medicaid funding comes from Washington.
If those two things were to happen, I think we could still finish our work by week’s end. By law, we must adjourn Monday, although no legislation can be passed on the final day. So, in reality, we need to get our business done by midnight Sunday if we want to avert a special session.
—30—
Rep. Anderson encourages constituents to contact his office with input regarding any state legislative issue. He can be reached on the web at www.house.mn/13A and via email at rep.paul.anderson@house.mn. To contact Anderson by phone, call (651) 296-4317. Mail can be sent to Rep. Paul Anderson, 239 State Office Building, 100 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., St. Paul, Minnesota 55155.
News Items
- Still no budget as session winds down - (Posted: May 10 2013 12:00AM)
- MUCH WORK REMAINS IN SESSION’S WANING WEEKS - (Posted: May 6 2013 12:00AM)
- Results of online survey are telling - (Posted: May 3 2013 12:00AM)
- Archived News Items
- Subscribe to RSS News Feeds
- Read more about RSS.