SESSION WEEKLY A NON-PARTISAN PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 17, 1995 VOLUME 12, NUMBER 11 WEEK IN REVIEW. . . MARCH 9 - 16, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS Wetlands Conservation Act . . . Farmers, counties urge easing of 1991 wetlands law Counties would have more authority to determine what local wetlands should be saved -- and many northern counties would be allowed to fill more wetlands -- under a bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee March 15 that would relax standards set forth in the 1991 Wetlands Conservation Act. "This has been a real thorn in the side of people in agriculture for many years," said bill sponsor Rep. Jim Tunheim (DFL-Kennedy). "Hopefully, this is something we can all live with." Approval of the bill (HF622) came after several days of testimony before the Agriculture Committee, where farmers, county officials, and others outlined problems with the law. "We're putting a cattail ahead of a person's life," said Crow Wing County Commissioner Art Wagner, referring to the money his county spends on replacing wetlands that he argued could be better spent on safety improvements for roads. Wagner, like many others, complained that the law mandating the preservation of wetlands doesn't make a lot of sense in much of northern Minnesota. Lake County, in the northeastern corner of the state, for example, still has 98 percent of the wetlands it had when Europeans arrived on the scene. (This standard is referred to as "presettlement wetlands.") "Obviously, we haven't been destroying a lot of them," said Lake County Commissioner Sharon Hahn. The measure would allow local governments to adopt their own "comprehensive wetland protection and management plan" in lieu of the rules adopted by the Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), which currently oversees the law. And it would significantly increase the size of the wetlands that would be exempt from the law. Currently, wetlands that are less than 400 square feet in size can be destroyed without being replaced elsewhere. Under Tunheim's bill, that cap would be raised to 1,000 square feet in counties with less than 50 percent of their presettlement wetlands, 5,000 square feet in counties with 50 to 80 percent of their presettlement wetlands, and 10,000 square feet in counties with more than 80 percent of these wetlands. The original wetlands law was adopted because of growing awareness of the role of wetlands in serving as a natural filter to cleanse water in lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers. Another key provision of the bill would require that the state Office of the Attorney General represent local governments in cases where landowners file lawsuits over the "taking" of wetland property. That sticky legal issue was one reason why five northern Minnesota counties -- Beltrami, Koochiching, Lake, Marshall, and Pennington -- have refused to abide by the 1991 law because they say it unfairly discriminates against counties with many wetlands. Those five counties have formed a joint powers board which helped draft HF622. Tunheim unsuccessfully attempted to amend the bill to require that the state be liable -- instead of counties -- for damages awarded to landowners who sued over the implementation of the wetlands law. Although BWSR representatives objected to several sections of the bill, they conceded that changes in the law are needed. Greg Larson of BWSR said the many different state and federal agencies that have authority over wetlands have created a sort of paper-shuffling "purgatory" for landowners that "they can't get out of." And he conceded that the 400-square-foot threshold for exemption from the law was too low and that the current "one size fits all" wetlands law needs to be changed. "We believe there is some middle ground," added BWSR Executive Director Ron Harnack, referring to other wetlands bills introduced by Reps. Carol Molnau (IR-Chaska) and Willard Munger (DFL-Duluth). Munger is chair of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, which is the next stop for HF622. "I envision a compromise on this issue," said Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. Steve Wenzel (DFL-Little Falls). --Grant Moos AGRICULTURE Farmer-lender mediation The farmer-lender mediation program -- borne out of the farm crisis of the mid-1980s -- would continue for another two years, under a bill approved by the House Agriculture Committee March 13. If signed into law, it would mark the sixth time the program has been extended since it was originally created in 1986 to help farmers and bankers work through their mutual economic problems. The measure (HF363) would authorize that $400,000 in state money be spent over the next two-year spending period to help pay for the program that employed 35 mediators in the 1994- 95 biennium. The program, which is operated by the Minnesota Extension Service, mediated 1,251 disputes between October 1993 and October 1994. Of those, 47 percent of the debtors agreed to pay their delinquent loans, according to the Minnesota Extension Service. "It brings the family, along with the lenders, together," said the bill's sponsor, Rep. Ted Winter (DFL-Fulda). "This is a face-the-wall situation for a lot of farmers." Added Brent Waddell, an attorney for the Legal Services Advocacy Project in St. Paul, "Mediation is a fast growing alternative to legal action. . . . To let the farmer-lender mediation program sunset would clearly be a step backward." Others, however, weren't so sure. "It's day has come and should [be allowed to] sunset," said Jerry Schoenfeld, a lobbyist for the Independent Community Bankers of Minnesota. Schoenfeld, a former House member and a key architect of agricultural law in the 1980s, said that 13,000 farmers descended on the Capitol at the peak the farm crisis in 1986. At an earlier agricultural committee meeting March 6, Schoenfeld questioned whether there were any farmers -- other than committee members -- in the room to voice support for the program. Schoenfeld explained that farmers now have several more safeguards in law to protect their farms than were available in 1986. And he argued that these safeguards -- in addition to the mediation program -- actually add costs to farmers because bankers charge higher interest rates for farm operating loans. The measure also calls on the Minnesota Extension Service to study how the program could mesh with a new federal law that mandates the mediation of wetlands, pesticides and other disputes involving farmers. Winter's bill originally called for making the mediation program permanent, but that provision was eliminated when some members objected. HF363 now moves to the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee for further review. BONDING New building for MnDOT A bill that would authorize $9 million in state bonds so the Minnesota Department of Transportation could purchase the Roseville building that now serves as its Metropolitan Division headquarters won approval from the House Transportation Finance Division March 14. Most MnDOT Metropolitan Division employees have office space at the Water's Edge building in Roseville, near the Rosedale Center off Highway 36, said Rep. Bernie Lieder (DFL-Crookston) who sponsors HF1024. Other occupants share the top floor of the building, he said. The lease expires in September and the department would like to purchase the building to use as its metropolitan headquarters. The other occupants would then lease from MnDOT, Lieder said. It would cost $11 million for MnDOT to purchase and maintain the building over a 10-year period and $14 million to continue renting, Lieder said. The Water's Edge building has recently been appraised at $8.9 million, he added. "We're in continued negotiations with the owners. It makes me nervous when there's that much difference between appraisal and asking price," Lieder said. MnDOT officials are also currently negotiating with Roseville city officials about the potential property tax loss for the city should the building be sold to the state, Lieder added. The bill now moves to the Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance Committee. If approved, the bill also must stop at the Capital Investment Committee, whose members toured the building March 14. BUDGET Budget resolution adopted The House Way and Means Committee approved a budget resolution March 14 that calls for $18.3 billion in state spending over the next biennium. The amount is roughly $220 million more than Gov. Arne Carlson has detailed in his budget proposal. Carlson's budget would stash $220 million in a rainy day fund, in anticipation of fewer federal dollars being funneled to Minnesota. Current estimates indicate Minnesota could lose about $1.8 billion in federal money over the next six years, Carlson has said. House Speaker Irv Anderson (DFL-Int'l Falls) spoke against the rainy day fund amendment offered by House Minority Leader Steve Sviggum (IR-Kenyon). "If the federal government can't manage its own affairs, why should we be expected to bail them out," he asked committee members. Sviggum said by failing to plan for federal cuts "we are sticking our heads in the sand. . . [and] ignoring the storm that is approaching." The amendment failed on a party-line vote. House DFL leaders released a detailed budget proposal March 15 which would shave $118.5 million from the governor's budget recommendations. Those dollars -- combined with the $220 million DFLers refuse to set aside for potential federal cuts -- would go toward increased education spending and to local governments. House DFLers propose to spend $240 million more than the governor has recommended for K-12 education, $29 million more for higher education and $57 million more for aid to local governments. (Carlson's budget would cut anticipated local government aid by $57 million for fiscal year 1995.) Carlson has proposed spending $5.7 billion for K- 12 education and about $2.1 billion for higher education. To finance the extra spending, the DFL budget proposal would cut the governor's budget in the following places: -- $60 million from health and human services programs; -- $18 million from state government; -- $15 million from criminal justice programs; -- $10 million from economic development programs; -- $6 million from environmental programs; and -- $5 million from transportation programs. Specific program cuts were not outlined by DFLers, and Rep. Loren Solberg (DFL-Bovey), chair of the House Ways and Means Committee, admitted the task won't be easy. The House finance committees and divisions are charged with slashing the budgets under their purview, Solberg said. BUSINESS Corporate welfare A bill to reform "corporate welfare" won approval March 16 from the House International Trade and Economic Development Committee. HF869 would require businesses that receive state money for economic development or job creation to meet certain standards concerning employee salaries and the addition of new jobs. "This is so we know what we're getting for our dollar, so we have some idea whether it was a good investment," said bill sponsor Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Mpls). The bill requires companies receiving more than $25,000 from the state in the form of grants, loans, or some tax breaks, including tax increment financing, to pay employees enough to at least meet the federal poverty level for a family of four. That amounts to about $14,900 a year, Clark said. The wage standards would apply only to employees hired after the state money is received, she said. The bill was amended to require a wage no lower than the poverty level instead of the hazily defined "livable wage" originally proposed. (See March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 4) The companies also would have to show a net job growth or the retention of jobs that would have been lost without help from the state. Businesses that fail to meet the wage and job standards would face state penalties. Companies receiving grants, loans, or tax increment financing to redevelop blighted areas would be exempt under an amendment attached to the bill. Small businesses -- those with no more than 20 employees and gross annual revenues of less than $1 million -- also would be exempt. Under the bill, the legislative auditor would be required to report every two years on the jobs created and wages paid by companies receiving any form of tax reduction or waiver. The bill, which passed on a 10-9 vote, drew opposition from several committee members, including Rep. Mike Osskopp (IR-Lake City), who said the bill would cost Minnesotans jobs and cause businesses to leave the state "We can call this the western Wisconsin, northern Iowa, and eastern Dakotas employment enhancement bill," Osskopp said. But Rep. Alice Johnson (DFL-Spring Lake Park) defended the bill. "I don't think it's wrong to ask for accountability for the welfare we give to businesses," she said. The bill now goes to the House Taxes Committee. Tobacco proposal fails A bill that would have required retail shops statewide to purchase a license to sell tobacco products, and slapped steep fines on business owners for repeat tobacco sales to minors, failed to pass a House panel March 14. The vote on HF903 before the House Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs Committee was 12- 12. The measure, sponsored by Rep. Ann Rest (DFL- New Hope), would have fined a store owner $50 for a first offense of selling tobacco to a minor. A second offense would have brought a $200 fine, and a third violation within two years would have meant a $400 fine. Four-time violators would have lost their tobacco retailer's license for a minimum of 30 days. Under current law, only a store employee who sells tobacco to a minor can be charged with a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in jail and a $3,000 fine; a store owner has no liability. The committee previously approved a bill (HF108) that would require store owners to instruct their employees about the law prohibiting tobacco sales to minors. (See March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 4) HF108 also would require cities and counties to conduct "sting" operations (send underage teens into stores to try and purchase cigarettes) to test compliance with current state law barring tobacco sales to minors. HF903 also would have required that such annual "compliance checks" be conducted at every retail outlet licensed to sell tobacco. Anti-smoking groups argued that HF108 -- which does not hold a store owner liable for illegal tobacco sales -- represented the interests of the tobacco industry and would not have a significant effect in curbing teenage smoking. Those groups campaigned for passage of the more stringent HF903. They were backed by Attorney General Hubert H. Humphrey III, who told lawmakers that store owners need to face "real consequences" if they sell cigarettes to minors. "We should have some shared responsibility here," said Humphrey, by holding both store owners and employees liable for violating state law. Representatives of the Minnesota Grocers Association and the Minnesota Retail Merchants Association argued that the bill would unfairly punish responsible proprietors for the actions of employees. Some lawmakers agreed. Rep. Ron Kraus (IR-Albert Lea), who owns five convenience stores where tobacco is sold, asked fellow legislators to consider the "fairness issue" of punishing absentee owners. "What if the owner is serving in the Legislature and is gone for five months?" he asked. The bill is not expected to be reconsidered by the committee. CONSUMERS Silent movies A bill requiring open- or closed-captioning on all prerecorded videotapes sold or rented in Minnesota won approval from a House panel March 15. The measure would apply to videotaped material released after Dec. 31, 1995. It would be limited to videotaped productions of more than 2,500 copies. Retailers' and rental outlets' existing stock of videos would not be affected by the bill. Minnesota would be the first state to make videotaped movies accessible to those who are deaf or hard of hearing -- 9 percent of the state population -- explained bill sponsor Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL-St. Paul). Only 12 percent of videos now available are close-captioned, according to Doug Bahl, president of the Minnesota Association of Deaf Citizens. "Is that fair?" Bahl asked members of the Consumer Affairs Subcommittee of the Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs Committee. "Children sitting here in the audience don't have full access to educational materials." During a meeting which was interpreted in American Sign Language (ASL) for the dozens of deaf people in the audience, Entenza said that captioning a master videotape involves a minimal cost -- $5,000 for a multimillion dollar feature length film. (Open-captioning is the term for subtitles, like those added to foreign language films. Closed- captioning refers to subtitles -- encoded on a videotape or in a live broadcast -- that can be decoded and switched on or off by a computer chip that is required in all new televisions sold in the U.S.) Those testifying before the committee said the bill would offer incalculable rewards for those who previously have been unable to understand and enjoy movies on videotape. Anne Barlow of Maple Grove told lawmakers that her deaf son would "learn how to read better and faster" with captioned videos. "I want my son to enjoy the same types and the same numbers of videos as everyone else," she said. Displaying "The Secrets of Magic," an instructional videotape she bought for her son, Barlow said, "The secrets of magic remain secret to my son -- it's not captioned." Doug Kelm, representing the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), spoke against the bill. He said that the motion picture industry is sympathetic to the goals of the deaf community and is making progress on a voluntary basis. About 90 percent of new movies on video are now close-captioned, according to Kelm. HF1048 now moves to the full Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs Committee. Cleaning up state debts A bill to give the state more authority to collect overdue student loans, back taxes, fines, and other debts owed to state agencies won approval from the House Governmental Operations Committee March 14. The bill (HF625) would assess an extra penalty to debts referred for collection, which would make debtors rather than the general public pay for the cost of collection. The bill also would allow the state, under some circumstances, to garnish wages until a debt is paid off. Currently, the state and other creditors can garnish a person's wages for up to 70 days. Under the bill, the state could garnish wages until the debt is paid as long as there are no other creditors garnishing the wages. Debtors who prove the garnishment is a hardship and that they need more money for necessities such as shelter, food, and work transportation, could reduce a garnishment. In addition, the legislation would allow state agencies to charge interest on debts, a practice most state agencies already carry out. The bill is designed to bring in more revenue for the state, said bill sponsor Rep. Howard Orenstein (DFL-St. Paul). He assured members that collection agents would provide adequate notice before actions are taken or penalties are enforced. Under current law, the Department of Finance is responsible for state debt but the Department of Revenue, other state agencies, and private collection agencies help to bring in past due bills. In 1994, the Minnesota Collection Enterprise (MCE) was established to coordinate a statewide effort on bill collections. As of Sept. 30, 1994, the state was owed $641 million to the general fund and $587 million to other state accounts, according to the MCE. The MCE estimates that over the next two-year budgeting period, the bill would help it collect an additional $21 million, said Jerry McClure, MCE director and director of collections for the Department of Revenue. The penalties would vary. Beginning July 1, 1995, overdue bills would see an additional 15 percent of the total debt tacked on as a penalty. It could be as high as 25 percent of the total debt if the state has to serve a summons and complaint or enter into a court judgment against the debtor. The penalty would be withdrawn in some cases if the debtor meets certain federal poverty guidelines, or if, within 60 days after being contacted, the debtor has just cause for not paying. A provision to add counties and cities to the list of agencies that may refer debts to the state for collection was deleted from the bill. The bill now moves to the Judiciary Committee. CRIME Protecting witnesses Known criminals still walk the streets because witnesses are afraid to identify or testify against them, a House panel was told March 13. "We have a number of cases every year that simply can't go forward," said Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman. "Far too many witnesses are afraid . . . too many simply just don't show up." Three bills designed to better protect witnesses in hopes of securing their help to prosecute offenders won approval from the House Judiciary Committee. According to Minneapolis police Sgt. Pete Jackson, one of the first questions a victim or potential witness asks of him is "what can you do to protect me?" Since witnesses often come from the same neighborhood as the offender, they fear retribution, Freeman said. Having the financial means to temporarily remove the witness from the neighborhood to secure a statement or trial testimony would take more offenders off the streets, Freeman said. HF771 would earmark an unspecified amount of state money to keep witnesses safe and available to testify at trial. The funds would pay to repair broken locks, restore phone service, or lease short- term security alarms. They also could be used for short-term housing or relocation services. Last year, Gov. Arne Carlson vetoed $200,000 earmarked for the creation of a witness and victim protection fund HF772 would allow the court to seal the records in name change proceedings if the change was made to protect a crime victim or witness. It would also close a loophole in the current witness tampering statute. Current law only makes it a crime to threaten to retaliate should a witness decide to testify, but not for carrying out the threat and causing injury. HF773 would allocate an unspecified amount of money for the emergency needs of crime victims. Such funds could be used for replacing property stolen in a crime, or for transportation to locations related to the victims' needs, such as a hospital or clinic, court, or police station. Rep. Jim Farrell (DFL-St. Paul), sponsor of all three bills, told members he had three crime witnesses slotted to testify before the committee, "but all three disappeared. . . they were afraid to come here," he said. HF771 and HF773 now move to the Judiciary Finance Committee. HF772 will be incorporated into the year's omnibus data practices bill. Resurrecting vetoed projects Two bills that would resurrect projects vetoed in 1994 by Gov. Arne Carlson won approval from the House Judiciary Committee March 13. HF179 would extend the state's current "sentence to service" program to include graffiti removal teams. A $60,000 appropriation vetoed last year would have funded two supervisory positions for the graffiti squad. HF371 would establish three two-year pilot centers designed to help truant youth. Their purpose would be to coordinate the efforts of schools, parents, police, community members, and social service agencies. A total of $200,000 in grants to local law enforcement agencies to develop three truancy service centers was vetoed last year. "The degree to which we can prevent truancy is largely the degree to which we can prevent delinquency," said Rep. Wes Skoglund (DFL-Mpls). Both proposals, sponsored by Skoglund, now move to the Judiciary Finance Committee. No dollar amounts have as yet been attached to the proposals. ELECTIONS Equalizing campaign spending Major party candidates for a state office would not be bound by campaign spending limits when running against an independent candidate who plans to exceed the spending limits, under a bill approved by the House Elections Division March 9. Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls), who sponsors HF667, said it would close a loophole in current campaign finance law which affected her personally in the 1994 election. Currently, a candidate is held to campaign spending limits only if he or she is a member of a major political party and accepts a public subsidy. Independent candidates can spend as they wish and don't qualify for public subsidies. Under state law, only major party candidates -- either DFLers or IRs -- are eligible for the subsidy. (Also, the Independence Party is now considered a major party and will be eligible to receive the subsidy in the 1996 election.) But if, for example, a DFL candidate's IR opponent doesn't accept the subsidy and ignores the spending limits, the DFL candidate can also ignore limits -- even if he or she has already accepted the public subsidy. Under current law, this only applies when both candidates are from a major party. The hitch came for Long because her opponent did not attach herself to a major party. Because Long's opponent ran as an independent, her spending levels did not trigger the clause that would have allowed Long to ignore spending limits. HF667 would change current state law to say that the candidate not agreeing to spending limits need not be from a major political party in order for the opponent to also ignore the limits. Long accepted a $10,000 public subsidy for her 1994 campaign so she remained bound by a spending limit of about $21,000. Her independent opponent spent about $50,000. Another provision of HF667 says that all candidates who raise or spend $1,500 before the September primary would be subject to the same restrictions as major-party candidates. The bill will be heard next by the full House General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections Committee. A possible June primary A bill that would move the state primary election from September to the second Tuesday in June won approval March 13 from the House General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections Committee. Proponents want to reduce the amount of party infighting and focus on general election opponents earlier in the election season. The bill (HF142) originally called for an August primary date, but members of the committee's Elections Division changed it to the third Tuesday in June. (See March 3, 1995, Session Weekly, page 8) Election administrators preferred the second Tuesday in June because fewer voters will be on summer vacation. The committee adopted the change. (Party caucuses still would be held on the second Tuesday in March as is done now. ) The bill also calls for major party candidates for congressional or state constitutional offices to receive at least 20 percent of the vote on any ballot for that office at the party-endorsing convention. Only then could their names be placed on a state primary election ballot. If such a candidate didn't make the 20 percent cut, he or she could still make the ballot by submitting a petition signed by the number of eligible voters equal to 10 percent of people voting on the nomination for that office at the last state primary. The provision would expire following the 1996 general election. "I'm not convinced this is a good idea. We can try it out and see, and if it works out, we can bring it back," Rep. Tom Osthoff (DFL-St. Paul) said. Another provision of the bill calls for the elimination of the presidential primary election, now held in April. The move is expected to save about $3.1 million, said Secretary of State Joan Growe. The bill goes now to the House floor. Election day campaigning A bill that would allow candidates to campaign on election day won approval from the House General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections Committee March 13. The proposal (HF289/SF315*) sponsored by Rep. Richard Jefferson (DFL-Mpls) would make a number of changes to current election law, including repealing a provision prohibiting candidates from campaigning on election day. (See March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 8) The state Office of the Attorney General has said the prohibition is virtually unenforceable and is most likely unconstitutional, said Joe Mansky, director of the Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of State. Minnesota's county attorneys, who are required to prosecute anyone who campaigns on election day, have asked for the law change, Jefferson said. Although the bill is moving through the House under the Senate file number, it contains the House language. The Senate version of the elections bill does not contain the provision against campaigning on election day. The bill next will be heard on the House floor. Absentee ballots Any eligible voter could cast an absentee ballot up to 30 days before any election, under a bill approved March 13 by the House General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections Committee. Currently, absentee ballots can be requested only by voters who will be absent from their precinct on election day, are hospitalized, ill, disabled, or can't vote on election day for religious reasons. (See March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 7) The bill (HF167/SF35*) would allow voters statewide to cast ballots in person at their county auditor's office, or a site designated by the auditor's office, during the 30 days before an election. Also under the bill, those in hospitals, nursing homes, or in another health care facility could authorize an agent to deliver their ballot to the auditor's office. Rep. Richard Jefferson (DFL-Mpls) sponsors the bill, which now goes to the House floor for consideration. ENVIRONMENT Used motor oil disposal Gas stations and repair shops performing oil changes and businesses selling motor oil would have to accept used oil and oil filters from the public, under a bill approved by the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee March 10. Any retail outlet selling more than 3,000 gallons of motor oil per year -- or about 33 quarts per day -- would have to accept used motor oil. Gas stations and repair shops would have to take up to five gallons of used oil and five used oil filters per person per day, under the proposal. Businesses either would have to set up their own collection facility or contract with another business -- less than one mile away -- to accept used oil and filters. Businesses could charge up to 50 cents per used oil filter to help cover their costs. Making businesses accept used motor oil "would increase the number of collection sites . . . and distribute responsibility to those who benefit from the sale of oil," said bill sponsor Rep. Robert Leighton (DFL-Austin). Under current law, a retailer selling motor oil is required only to post a notice advising consumers of a location within 10 miles where they can dispose of used oil. Leighton explained that an environmental hazard has been created by those changing their own oil who are improperly disposing of the used oil. About 775,000 gallons of used motor oil -- 11 percent of the total oil disposed of by individuals in the state -- was poured down drains or dumped on the ground in 1992, according to a study by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). Such disposal is illegal. Used oil should be taken to an oil recycling facility. The MPCA study says that "just one gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water." Speaking in support of the bill, Sharon Meyer of the MPCA Hazardous Waste Division told lawmakers that the proposal would provide "predictable, convenient opportunities" for individuals to dispose of used oil and filters. Dale Feste, who runs an auto repair shop in Hopkins and represents the Automotive Service Association, told members that repair shops should not have to accept used oil from individuals. He said that he comes to work on Monday and finds containers of used motor oil on the doorstep to his shop. Feste said it's impossible to know what other chemicals have been dumped in with the used oil. For example, if a person has added bug spray or acetone to the oil, "now it's a hazardous waste" and requires special handling, explained Feste. The bill provides that persons who accept contaminated motor oil must dispose of it as a hazardous waste, and the MPCA will reimburse 75 percent of the disposal cost. HF1087 now moves to the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. ETHICS Ethics law conundrum Two bills that would revise the 1994 ethics law that banned most gifts to lawmakers were heard before the House Ethics Committee March 14. Among the more significant changes sought in the law is a proposal that would allow lawmakers to accept coffee and refreshments from lobbyists that do not exceed $3 in value. The other bill would allow legislators to receive "anything that does not exceed $5." The bills, one sponsored by Rep. Dave Bishop (IR-Rochester) in the House and Sen. Roger Moe (DFL-Erskine) in the Senate, and the other by Rep. Mindy Greiling (DFL-Roseville) in the House and Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) in the Senate, are expected to be considered again by the committee March 27. In the months since the passage of Minnesota's new ethics law, the Ethical Practices Board has issued about three dozen opinions at the request of lobbyists, special interest groups that hire lobbyists, and public officials who want to make sure of the boundaries set forth in the new law. The dilemmas range from whether pamphlets or booklets given to legislators are prohibited to whether a wildlife portrait on loan to a lawmaker from a hunting association can be loaned for display in a legislator's office. (The Ethical Practices Board said yes to one booklet but no to the wildlife portrait.) Since the passage of the law, there have been several questions over just what is, and what isn't, prohibited. Rep. Mary Jo McGuire (DFL-Falcon Heights) shared a story about how she was invited to speak at a luncheon in Greater Minnesota about a bill she had sponsored. She wondered whether it was permissible for her, or other lawmakers in a similar situation, to carpool with someone who is either a lobbyist or belongs to a group that employs a lobbyist. Both bills, HF856 sponsored by Bishop, and HF802 sponsored by Greiling, seek many of the same changes. Among other things, both would: -- Require all advisory opinions offered by the Ethical Practices Board to be public. Under the current law, the specifics of advisory opinions are not public data unless the individual or group requesting the opinion signs a waiver. But the board is still required to hear all requests in a public meeting which makes maintaining confidentiality difficult. -- Remove "promise of future employment" from the definition of a gift. Because many corporations, private non-profits, schools, and other local governments have lobbyists or belong to a group that uses lobbyists, some have interpreted the law to mean that elected officials and staff must resign or be fired before they can even begin to look for a new job. -- Allow lawmakers to accept some refreshments. Greiling's bill specifically exempts coffee and refreshments that do not exceed $3. Bishop's bill exempts "anything that does not exceed $5." -- Allow lawmakers to receive reimbursement for reasonable travel and lodging expenses when they give a speech or answer questions as part of an organization's event. Greiling's bill would limit the provision to travel costs within the state. -- Allow officials to participate in gifts to family members when the gift is provided by that family member's employer. Some officials and staff couldn't participate in their spouse's company picnics because the company either uses a lobbyist or belongs to a group that does. -- Better define "local officials" subject to the law. It would limit the definition to those officials who have the authority to make, or to vote on, final recommendations and decisions on spending or investing public money. -- Extend the enforcement for both the local and state officials gift ban to the Ethical Practices Board and allow the board to impose a $1,000 civil penalty for violations of the law. Under current law, there is no penalty for state officials but local officials face a misdemeanor for violating the law. The 1994 law banned lawmakers from accepting any gift from lobbyists. Such gifts include money, property, a service, a loan, or a promise of future employment. Although not specifically listed, food and beverages were also considered gifts and prohibited. The same goes for tickets to sporting events and other entertainment. In addition to elected officials such as representatives, senators, and the governor, other public officials and all employees of the Legislature also are forbidden from accepting gifts from lobbyists. Many local elected officials in the seven- county metropolitan area are also covered under the law. There are a few exceptions to the ban on gifts. For instance, a lawmaker may accept a plaque or similar memento recognizing service, or a meal after he or she has appeared at a meeting to give a speech or answer questions on an issue. FAMILY 'Positive family values' A resolution calling on television programmers to promote "positive family values" and reduce portrayals of sex and violence was approved by the House Regulated Industries and Energy Committee March 13. The resolution contends that television programs showing "violence and sexually explicit material contribute to a rise in the incidence of sexual crimes, violent assaults, and family breakdowns." Television networks also encourage an "acceptance of divorce" through programs displaying a "liberalized attitude toward divorce," according to the resolution. Networks are directed by the resolution to "actively reduce the amount of violence-laden, sexually explicit material" on TV and to produce "television material that promotes positive family values and helps to strengthen the family." Bill sponsor Rep. Eileen Tompkins (IR-Apple Valley) told lawmakers that television is not the only cause of social problems "but is certainly part of the problem." She said that television contributes to "promiscuity and unfaithfulness in marriage," which have a "devastating" impact on children. "We have to have a moral rudder, which we don't seem to have anymore," said Tompkins. Rep. Steve Kelley (DFL-Hopkins) questioned the meaning of the phrase "wholesome family values," which appeared in the original text of the resolution. Kelley was concerned that such language would imply that children of divorce living with a single parent did not belong to "real families." He suggested that the resolution instead call for the promotion of "strong family relationships." Committee chair Rep. Steve Trimble (DFL-St. Paul) broke the linguistic impasse by suggesting that members could all agree that television should promote "positive family values." The resolution directs the Minnesota Secretary of State to send copies of the resolution to the "presidents of the television networks." HF396 now goes to the House floor. GAME & FISH Enticing deer A bill that would have allowed bow hunters to set out fruit and grain to attract deer -- a practice called "deer baiting" -- was rejected by the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee March 10. Up to 10 gallons of "grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, hay, or other foods" could be set out in a hunting spot "for the purpose of attracting and enticing deer," under the proposal sponsored by Rep. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook). The reason for setting out "biodegradable bait" is to bring deer "in close enough to get a clean shot," according to Bakk, who pointed out that HF745 would have allowed deer baiting only during the archery season. Bakk said that Wisconsin allows deer baiting and has not experienced significant problems. He also said there are current programs that pay farmers to leave standing rows of corn to feed wildlife, which is really a form of baiting. But the Department of Natural Resource (DNR) remains "strongly opposed" to baiting as a method for taking deer, according to Tim Bremicker, director of the DNR's wildlife section. "Once it starts, baiting increases," said Bremicker, noting that in Michigan "it's a large commercial industry." He said that the deer baiting issue is "extremely divisive . . . extremely controversial" in both Wisconsin and Michigan. Bremicker said that baiting affects the movement of deer, creates conflicts among hunters defending their personal bait sites, and increases the use of vehicles on public lands. The Minnesota Deer Hunters Association, which has 20,000 members, supports the current ban on deer baiting, which was instituted in 1991. Open season on Wil E. Coyote Four more of the state's fur-bearing animals would fall under the regulatory authority of the state Department of Natural Resources, under an omnibus game and fish bill approved by the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee March 10. The least weasel, short-tailed weasel, long-tailed weasel, and spotted skunk would be included under the DNR's umbrella, meaning that the department could regulate and set hunting seasons for these small game species in the same way it does for many others. But lawmakers drew the line at adding the coyote and the striped skunk to the DNR's list. Those animals were deleted from the list in an amendment offered by Rep. Tim Finseth (IR- Angus). That leaves the coyote and striped skunk as "unprotected wild animals," meaning they can still be hunted or trapped at anytime in Minnesota. Elevating the striped skunk from its unprotected status is "ridiculous. They're a nuisance up north," said Rep. Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook). He said that skunks are "destroying the duck population" by eating duck eggs they find along shorelines. DNR fur-bearer specialist Mike DonCarlos acknowledged that the number of coyotes and striped skunks are not dwindling in Minnesota. But he said bringing them under the DNR's purview now would help should the need to protect them arise in the future. There is, however, concern about the spotted skunk and the least weasel, DonCarlos said after the meeting. The DNR is proposing that its department rules be amended to classify the spotted skunk as a "threatened species," and the least weasel a "special concern" species. Both classifications would provide those animals greater protection. The game and fish bill, sponsored by Rep. Bob Milbert (DFL-South St. Paul), also would: -- allow an ice angler to stray further away from a "tip-up," which is a mechanical device that raises a small red flag when a fish tugs on the line. Under current law, a person has to be within 80 feet of a tip-up. A successful amendment offered by Bakk would allow winter anglers to be within "unaided visual contact" of the tip-up. Bakk said this would allow Minnesota anglers to build a bonfire on the shore for warmth and still be fishing within the law; -- allow an angler to buy a 24-hour fishing license for a specified future date. Under current law, the 24-hour license is issued only for the day it is purchased. It costs $7.50; and -- require residents 13 and older to have a trapping license. Under current law, those 14 and older must obtain a license. HF683 now moves to the House floor. GOVERNMENT Committee chair terms limited A change in the permanent rules of the House will limit the number of terms a representative may serve as chairperson of most committees. An amendment by Rep. Tim Pawlenty (IR- Eagan) limits members to three consecutive terms, or six years, as the chair of the same standing committee or a committee "with substantially the same jurisdiction." Pawlenty said long-time committee chairs gain too much power and that limiting their time in control would allow "some fresh perspective." But Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) said committee chairs are appointed to their positions because of knowledge and understanding of the issues. "No one on either side would tell you experience is an evil thing," he said. The limits will not apply to the chairs of the Ways and Means Committee or the Rules and Legislative Administration Committee. Time served as a committee chair before the beginning of the current session does not count, under the new limits. Pawlenty's amendment, adopted on a 95-37 vote, was among changes to the House rules approved by members March 13. Other changes will ban committee meetings between midnight and 7 a.m. and allow the House to invite the governor to appear to answer direct questions from members. The governor can decline the invitation. About 30 proposed rules changes, offered largely by Independent-Republicans, were rejected during debate on the House floor. The failed amendments included proposals to guarantee minority party representation on committees, boards, commissions, and task forces in proportion to the party's number of House members and to guarantee minority party representation in conference committees. Members also voted down an amendment by Rep. Erik Paulsen (IR-Eden Prairie) to require a three-fifths vote, or "super majority," for all income tax or sales tax hikes. Minority Leader Steve Sviggum (IR-Kenyon) said the adoption of the rules changes, while including some "positive steps," represents "a number of greatly missed opportunities" to improve the input of the minority party. Paying for treaty lawsuit State taxpayers are on a course to spend millions of dollars in the next few years on federal court fights over American Indian hunting and fishing rights. So far, the state is losing the legal battle. A federal court ruled in August 1994 that the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians retains its rights under an 1837 treaty to hunt, fish, and gather in a 12- county area of east-central Minnesota that includes Lake Mille Lacs, the state's premier walleye lake. The state had argued that the Mille Lacs band's hunting and fishing rights under the treaty were no longer valid. Assistant Attorney General Scott Strand told the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee March 14 that Minnesota has spent $2 million so far defending itself against the 1990 lawsuit and could spend millions more as the litigation continues. The money paid so far has gone for attorneys, historical and anthropological research, and other expenses involved in the court case. The Mille Lacs band's lawsuit calls for the state to stop enforcing its hunting and fishing laws in a vast area of east-central Minnesota ceded by the Ojibwe Indians. The case went to trial in a St. Paul federal court after the 1993 Legislature declined to ratify a negotiated settlement of hunting and fishing rights worked out between the Mille Lacs band and the state of Minnesota. The proposed agreement called for the state to give the band 15,000 acres of land and $8.6 million in exchange for relinquishing commercial harvesting rights in much of the ceded territory. The Legislature then provided $1 million to the Office of the Attorney General to defend the state against the lawsuit brought by the band in federal court. The attorney general's office spent that money and requested another $790,000 to cover the costs of litigating the Mille Lacs lawsuit and a separate similar lawsuit brought by the Fond du Lac band. That money would be made available as part of a "deficiency" bill (HF355) awaiting action on the House floor. (See Feb. 24, 1995, Session Weekly, page 7) The governor's budget request for the next two- year spending cycle proposes that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) receive an additional $1 million in "treaty litigation expenses" to fund appeals of the Mille Lacs band lawsuit, and to prepare for a second trial in late 1996 to determine how natural resources will be allocated between the Mille Lacs band and the state, and to what extent the state can exercise its conservation and public safety functions in the ceded territory. (The governor has also recommended that the DNR receive an additional $808,000 over the next two years to survey fish and wildlife resources "in the counties covered by the 1837 Treaty.") At a March 8 committee meeting, Rod Nargang, DNR deputy commissioner, said that the state intends to fight the treaty rights lawsuits "to the limit." He said that Wisconsin spent $17 million over 14 years litigating hunting and fishing rights lawsuits with Ojibwe bands in that state. With the state's present and proposed legal bill in the Mille Lacs and Fond du Lac cases approaching $4 million, some lawmakers were not pleased with the prospect of continued spending to challenge Indian treaty rights claims in federal court. "Where we come from, we call it pouring money down a rat hole," said Committee Chair Rep. Chuck Brown (DFL-Appleton). HEALTH Amending MinnesotaCare Minnesotans who can afford to buy health insurance but refuse to do so would be penalized under a bill heard by members of the House Health and Human Services Committee March 14. The bill (HF1077), sponsored by Rep. Roger Cooper (DFL-Bird Island), also would redefine the universal health coverage mandate now in law. Under that law, all Minnesotans must have health insurance by July 1, 1997. The bill would do away with the mandated date and say universal coverage has been achieved "when every Minnesotan has access to the full range of health care services. . . ." To encourage all Minnesotans to be insured, the bill proposes to penalize those with annual incomes above 275 percent of the federal poverty guideline who don't have health insurance. (That's $37,592 for a family of four.) Those people would face a reduced tax deduction -- with a maximum penalty of $2,000 for an individual and $5,000 for a household. The bill would also delay the implementation of the regulated all-payer option (RAPO) portion of the current MinnesotaCare law until the year 2000. The RAPO, now set to be implemented by July 1, 1997, would require the state to set prices and fees for services charged by health care insurers, including the government. It also would require insurers and providers to operate under uniform rules. In addition to suspending RAPO until July 1, 2000, the bill would require the commissioner of health to report to the Legislature by Feb. 1, 1998, on whether RAPO should be implemented. Two bills heard by the committee in February seek to repeal RAPO entirely. (See Feb. 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 8) Rep. Todd Van Dellen (IR-Plymouth) sponsors HF255 and Rep. Thomas Huntley (DFL-Duluth) sponsors HF254. The Van Dellen bill also would repeal the universal coverage mandate. The Huntley-sponsored bill would keep the universal coverage mandate but calls for an additional 40-cent-per-pack cigarette tax to help fund MinnesotaCare. The bill put forth by Cooper also would ensure that integrated service networks are solvent before they begin operating. An integrated service network is a non-profit organization that agrees to provide health care in exchange for a fixed charge. The 1994 MinnesotaCare Act calls for ISNs to begin operating on July 1, 1996. To become licensed, HF1077 calls for an ISN to have a minimum $1.5 million net worth or a specific sum equal to a portion of all expected expenses for the first year. An ISN must also maintain a $1 million net worth after the first year of operation, under the bill. The Van Dellen bill would allow ISNs to operate for profit. HF254, HF255, and HF1077 next will be heard by the MinnesotaCare Finance Division of the House Health and Human Services Committee. Protecting vulnerable adults A bill that would increase criminal penalties for those who neglect or abuse vulnerable adults won approval from the House Health and Human Services Committee March 14. The bill (HF598) amends the 15-year-old law that protects adults who are vulnerable to abuse because they suffer from a physical or mental disability or because they're dependent on care givers or institutionalized services. The bill strengthens provisions under which someone can be prosecuted for neglecting or abusing a vulnerable adult, said Rep. Lee Greenfield (DFL-Mpls), who sponsors the bill. Under current law, a person who intentionally fails to supply food, clothing, shelter, or other necessities to a vulnerable adult may be charged with criminal neglect, a gross misdemeanor offense. The bill would change the definition of criminal neglect to include someone acting with "conscious disregard for human life." Such a crime would be a felony offense, Greenfield said. It would also make someone who financially exploits a vulnerable adult guilty of a felony offense. Currently, it is a gross misdemeanor. The bill also would streamline the current mandated reporting system, Greenfield said. People such as health care providers who suspect a vulnerable adult is being abused are legally mandated to report the suspected abuse to the state. Those reports are sometimes investigated by more than one agency, which leads to needless duplication, Greenfield said. The bill would ensure that only "the most appropriate" agency would conduct an investigation, Greenfield said. The bill now goes to the Judiciary Committee. HIGHER EDUCATION Eliminating HECB The House Education Committee March 14 approved a proposal to eliminate the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB). A bill (HF307) sponsored by Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona) would transfer many of the board's duties to the new Higher Education Services Office. Pelowski said the bill would save $3.7 million in next biennium and would eliminate 27 of the 67 HECB employees. The remaining staff members would be transferred to the HESO. The HECB currently administers the state's financial aid programs, compiles financial aid and enrollment records, and negotiates tuition reciprocity agreements between states. The board is also charged with setting the state's higher education policy and recommending programs to cut. The bill also would create an 11-member Higher Education Administrators Council (HEAC) made up of campus presidents, the president of the private college council, the commissioner of education and others. The HEAC would be required to consult with a newly established student advisory council to appoint the HESO director and communicate with the Legislature and the governor. The council would replace a current board made up of 10 citizens and a single student. Student groups from state universities, community colleges, and technical colleges support the bill. Chris Lynch, president of the Minnesota Community College Student Association, told committee members the bill would take "the politics out of student financial aid and make the process much more open and direct." But Duane Scribner, past president and a 12- year member of the Higher Education Coordinating Board, said "not having turf to defend" makes the views of the HECB valuable. "Your choices are diminished if you cannot hear our independent citizen voice at all," Scribner said. Members of the new Higher Education Administrators Council likely would lobby for their individual schools or systems, he added. The HECB was created in 1966 to be an impartial office to distribute financial aid to students. The House last year approved a proposal to eliminate the board, but the provision was deleted in conference committee. (See March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 11) HF307 next will be considered by the House Ways and Means Committee. HOUSING Landlords pay utility bills Landlords who own multi-unit apartment buildings and measure tenants' utility use with a single meter would be required to pay the utility bills, under a measure approved by the House March 15. Beginning with leases signed after Aug. 1, 1995, landlords would either have to install separate utility meters for each apartment or become the utility company's customer of record, pay the bill, divide it up among the tenants, and figure it into the rent. The bill (HF323), sponsored by Rep. Andy Dawkins (DFL-St. Paul), passed on a 120-9 vote. In some buildings with only one meter, tenants are now required to pay the electricity and other utility bills for all tenants. Later, they must seek out the other tenants to get reimbursed. Some tenants also are now being charged to light and heat the common areas of a building, such as lights in the hallways and parking lots. The problem, Dawkins said, is that the tenant who pays the utility bill has no recourse if the other tenants refuse to pay their share. The utility company will come after the individual whose name appears on the bill. A landlord, on the other hand, can pay the bill and then figure it into each tenant's rent. (See Feb. 24, 1995, Session Weekly, page 9) A similar bill is pending in the Senate. METRO AFFAIRS Affordable housing A bill promising a "new approach" to problems with affordable housing shortages in Twin Cities suburbs failed to survive the House Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Committee. The bill (HF1156), sponsored by committee chair Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls), failed on a 11-11 vote. Long's bill would have captured a portion of the property taxes on high-value homes in metropolitan communities and allowed the cities to use the funds to pursue affordable housing goals. "This makes the state a constructive player in an area where I think there has been too much name calling and throwing of bricks," Long said before her bill was defeated. Under the bill, each city would have been required to negotiate affordable housing goals with the Metropolitan Council. The property-tax money would have gone into a regional pool only if the city refused to work toward the housing goals it negotiated. The bill also included a provision that would tap an existing commercial and industrial tax surcharge on the Mall of America to help finance the clean up of polluted land. This, Long argued, would revitalize the tax base in urban areas by encouraging more development. The proposal also called for the creation of alternative development projects to slow low- density suburban sprawl. Much of the opposition to Long's bill focused on the effects it would have had on mosquito control efforts in the seven-county metro area. The bill would have slashed the budget of the Metropolitan Mosquito Control Commission by 83 percent, or about $8.3 million annually. The role of the commission would have been reduced to disease control only, ending efforts to control the mosquito population. But that money saved from cutting the mosquito control program would have been used instead to help fund alternative development projects. While Long's bill has stalled in the House, similar legislation, sponsored by Sen. Ted Mondale (DFL-St. Louis Park), passed the Senate Metropolitan and Local Government Committee and is pending in the Jobs, Energy and Community Development Committee. TAXES Spreading tax dollars A bill to shift property tax dollars from some wealthy suburbs to aid struggling inner ring suburbs and the core cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul won approval from the House Taxes Committee March 14. The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Myron Orfield (DFL-Mpls) was approved on a party-line vote, 13- 10. (See March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 3) The bill's threefold purpose is to achieve greater equity in basic public services provided by metro area communities, ease competition for tax base, and make land-use planning more possible, Orfield said. HF431 would accomplish this by shifting property tax revenue generated from the value of homes greater than $200,000 into a pool for metro redistribution. (Local communities would keep the tax revenue generated on the first $200,000 of a homesteaded property's market value.) An estimated $44 million would be redistributed, under the bill, which Orfield termed a "gentle enhancement" of the 1971 fiscal disparities law. Under that law, about $270 million in commercial industrial property tax revenue is pooled each year and shared among seven-county metro area communities. Under the Orfield proposal, those cities receiving funds from the new redistribution program in its first year must use half of the windfall for tax relief, rather than on increased spending. Many northern metro area suburbs would be the biggest beneficiaries of the Orfield bill. That means property taxes would drop in 85 percent of the metro area, but taxes would likely increase in the remaining 15 percent of the region. Bob Erickson, representing the Municipal Legislative Commission, a coalition of 12 cities that stand to lose revenue under the bill, called it "inequitable and inefficient." He noted that the cities he represents may have higher property tax bases, but they get less local government aid from the state as a result. "The cities I represent have 12 percent of the state's population, but get only 0.5 percent of the state's local government aid," Erickson said. Those cities also pay a larger portion of their income in property taxes than do those in many of the northern suburbs, said Rep. H. Todd Van Dellen (IR-Plymouth). But the bill's supporters see a bigger picture. "This is not a north versus south or us versus them issue," said Al Tinklenberg, mayor of Blaine and head of the North Metro Mayors Association. "This [bill] is for the well-being and vitality of the region as a whole." HF431 now moves to the House floor. TRANSPORTATION City bus safety Security cameras and Plexiglas shields to protect drivers would be installed on city buses with funds included in a bill approved March 16 by the House Transportation and Transit Committee. Bill sponsor Rep. Darlene Luther (DFL-Brooklyn Park) told members of the panel's Transportation Safety Subcommittee March 10 that the growing violence on Metropolitan Council Transit Operations (MCTO, formerly MTC) buses demands action. "Drivers and passengers have every right to ride these buses free from physical assault and harassment," she said. The bill includes $354,000 to install safety devices on 59 buses. Combined with the planned purchase this year of similarly equipped buses, there would then be cameras and shields on 150 of the approximately 1,000-bus fleet. These buses would run on the six Twin Cities routes considered to be the most dangerous. The shields would protect drivers from blind attacks from the rear or side, and the cameras would record the behavior of passengers. The recent assault of a 20-year-old passenger in Minneapolis adds urgency to the bill, but Luther said the need for safety improvements existed "long before" the incident. Latell Chaney, who is deaf, lost his sight in one eye and suffered damage to the other in a Feb. 26 attack by a group of men whom police believe mistook his sign language for gang signs or obscene gestures. One of the men broke a bottle over Chaney's head and gouged his eyes with the sharp edges. Luther said the idea for the bill came from one of her neighbors, Al Peterson, a bus driver who was assaulted on the job twice within an eight-month span in 1993. Peterson was one of three bus drivers who testified in support of the bill. All three are long- time drivers, and all three have been assaulted in the past few years. The drivers said threats are commonplace and that they are increasingly likely to get spit on, punched, or worse. "It's gotten to the point where you don't know whether or not you're going to come home from work anymore," Peterson said. In January the MCTO began a 90-day test of video surveillance on select buses, and officials said results so far are promising. Videotaping bus passengers has reduced the number who fail to pay the proper fare or refuse to pay at all, a common starting point for bus drivers' troubles, and has improved conduct on the buses. "The behavior is substantially different on a bus with cameras than on a bus without cameras," said Tom Sather, general manager for MCTO. And the tapes will improve chances to identify and apprehend people who do commit crimes on the bus, Sather said. HF848 now goes to the Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance Committee. Rescuing rail travel A resolution asking Congress to continue funding the Amtrak passenger rail service was passed March 15 by the House. The vote was 121-7. Congress is discussing severe cuts to the federally subsidized Amtrak budget. Rep. Mark Mahon (DFL-Bloomington), who sponsored HF821, said the nation's only passenger rail service would not be viable without federal funding. "No passenger rail service in the world makes money," he said. Last year, Amtrak received a $952 million subsidy from the federal government. One Amtrak route passes through St. Paul on a line running between Seattle and Chicago. About 160,000 people take the train each year in Minnesota.(See March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 13) The resolution now goes to the Senate. Dedicated highways The House gave final approval March 15 to two bills that would designate portions of two Minnesota highways as memorials -- one to Minnesota's veterans and the other to POW/MIAs. HF413, sponsored by Rep. Steve Wenzel (DFL- Little Falls) would designate Highway 115 as the "Veterans Memorial Highway." The 15-mile highway in central Minnesota runs along the south side of the Camp Ripley Military Reserve adjacent to the future site of the Minnesota veterans memorial cemetery. The vote was 128-2. HF750, sponsored by Rep. Kris Hasskamp (DFL- Crosby), would designate the nearly 100-mile stretch of Highway 169 and Highway 18 from Elk River to Brainerd as the "POW/MIA Memorial Highway." (Highway 169 intersects with Highway 18 in Garrison, Minn.) The vote was 130-0. Signs designating the highways would be placed at the beginning and end of the routes and -- in the case of the POW/MIA Memorial Highway -- at major intersections with other highways. Those signs cost about $50 apiece, with money coming from the state trunk highway fund. Both bills now move to the Senate. New members . . . From heavy lifting to art, Schumacher has done it all When Rep. Leslie Schumacher traveled the campaign trail in rural Sherburne County, district farmers asked to look at her hands. "They know hard work. . . . I had farmers who looked at my hands to see if I had dirt under my nails, if my hands had calluses." They did. Schumacher (DFL-Princeton), who has co-owned a trucking company with her husband and hauled freight, knows hard work, too. "I worked for 10 years in a field dominated by men and during that time my hide toughened. . . . I wasn't too shy to unload my own freight." "There's something about being a truck driver pushing 20,000 pounds of freight that gains you a level of confidence." Her trucking career gave way to local politics -- a position on the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners -- and now the Minnesota House of Representatives. Schumacher is busy learning about the Legislature and a different kind of hard work. As a first-term lawmaker she's trying to understand all of Minnesota's laws, rules, and programs. Everything from agriculture and education to health care and taxes. "I want to know it all now," she said. "I have this sense of running in a race. That's part of the reason I'm not sleeping." The 39-year-old mother of two said there are many issues she plans to focus on during her tenure including reducing the state's unfunded mandates placed on local governments. She also wants to examine the state's property tax system and how it affects senior citizens on fixed incomes and other property owners as well. Schumacher is considered a backer of local governments. In a recent debate on a bill that would freeze salaries of top county administrators, the first-term lawmaker spoke out against the measure. Not because she wanted county officials to earn more, but because she saw the Legislature micromanaging. The Legislature, she said, forgets that counties already have boards to set county policies. They don't need the state to do it for them. Schumacher, who served on the Sherburne County Board of Commissioners for four years, said she noticed right away the difference between local governments and the Legislature. "Local government is extremely independent. You're one of five [on a county board]. What you do has more effect. . . . Down here, you are one of 134. There is more team-playing. You can't get things done independently here. You have to work as a team." Because the margin between the DFL majority party and the IR minority party is very close, "I sense the need to get along," she said. "No one can be left out right now." Schumacher was raised in New Hope which taught her well about growth and prepared her for Sherburne County's boom. She was born in the fifth house built in one of the first housing developments in what was then the Village of New Hope. But by the time she graduated from Armstrong High School, she had been in seven different schools in the district while living in the same house. In addition to her past work as a trucker and in politics, Schumacher is also a freelance artist who creates pet portraits, wildlife art, and carvings. Schumacher wanted to be a veterinarian when she was little. "And I grew up to be an animal artist. As soon as I found out I had to put them to sleep on occasion, I decided it wasn't the route for me. I'd rather shoot them with a camera." In 1982, she married and moved to her husband's farm in Mille Lacs County. Five years later, they moved to their current home in Santiago Township. Her political career followed. Schumacher said she uses a sense of humor in life and in politics. A few years ago, she was quoted in a St. Cloud newspaper story on women in male- dominated local politics. She joked: "There's a lot of old-school politicking that goes on here. I tend to think that if I could join the other four [male] commissioners in the bathroom, I'd be better informed." She wrote a letter to the editor sharing the good-humored response of her fellow commissioners. ". . . my board has informed me that they intend to place a sign on the bathroom door alerting me to when it is safe to enter." When it is all said and done, Schumacher said she will know she's done a good job representing District 17B if she has conducted herself in an "ethical, honest and forthright manner." And, she added, retained "the credibility to this House seat that [former Rep. Jerry] Bauerly left it in." -- K. Darcy Hanzlik District 17B Population: 32,739 Distribution: 18.38 percent urban; 81.62 percent rural Counties: Benton, Sherburne Largest city: St. Cloud Location: central Minnesota Unemployment rate: 6.28 percent Residents living below poverty level: 9.33 percent 1992 presidential election results: Bush/Quayle 31.22 percent Clinton/Gore 33.04 percent Perot/Stockdale 28.06 percent Other: 7.68 percent New members . . . 'Well done is better than well said,' says Kraus Coming or going, Rep. Ron Kraus gets a helpful reminder from one of America's founding fathers. A tiny piece of paper taped just below his office light switch bears a simple but meaningful quote from Ben Franklin: "Well done is better than well said." And that, says Kraus (IR-Albert Lea), is how he intends to represent his constituents in District 27A in southern Minnesota. He aims to serve with an open ear and a determination to act on the will of the people, and to be "a real watchdog" over the taxes they pay and how that money is spent. And he is looking to help education thrive and to bolster employment in the state. "If government had $3 to spend, I'd spend the first dollar on education, I'd spend another dollar to create real, meaningful jobs and I'd give the third dollar back to the taxpayers because they're better at spending it than we are," Kraus said. The owner of five convenience stores and six Dairy Queen restaurants in southern Minnesota and northern Iowa, Kraus was elected in 1994 to fill the seat left open by former Rep. Bob Haukoos (IR- Albert Lea), who retired after eight terms in the House. Before making his first run for state office, Kraus served as a member of the Albert Lea Planning Commission and the Community Foundation Board, and he was chairman of the board for the Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce. He and his wife, Kathy, have two sons: John, 11; and Chad, 13. Business and politics have long been among Kraus' passions, and he sees some clear similarities between the two. "Retail is not a business of brick and mortar," Kraus said. "Retail is a business of relationships, and politics is a lot like that. It's listening and doing your best to work with people. In one case, you've got customers; in the other, you've got constituents." Communication is the key to Kraus' plans to serve constituents in the 16 communities in his district. He writes a weekly column for three newspapers to let people know where he stands, does a weekly radio show, and uses a toll-free phone line and frequent town hall meetings to get input straight from the people. "I encourage people's participation. It's really hard to represent somebody who is silent," Kraus said. "I want them to let me know what they're thinking." Still, the Waltham native doesn't expect to have every constituent agree with him on every vote. "I think the biggest compliment for one in public office is when people say, 'I don't always agree with you, but I always trust you,'" he said. The similarity between politics and business seems especially clear this year, Kraus said. With no room for more government or more taxes, he believes the state, like many businesses, must find a way to do more with less. "The challenge of government is to make things work without raising prices," he said. One thing Kraus said the state must do is to provide people the chance to get a quality education. "A dollar well spent on education is more than a dollar saved later," he said. "Education will allow a person to find meaningful employment, and a person with a good job doesn't need much government." Realizing the importance of education, Kraus said, will help reduce the need for costly government services to help people who can't afford essentials including food, housing, transportation, and health care. Supporting business and fostering job growth also is crucial to reducing the burden on government, Kraus added. He would like nothing more than to see the Legislature hold a session exclusively to consider matters relating to job creation. That way, lawmakers could focus on what they can do to help businesses succeed and, in the process, create good jobs for Minnesotans, Kraus said "Government's role is to create an atmosphere for others to find solutions," he said. "Government's role is never to be the solution to a problem." During his first year in a place where "we hold meetings about meetings," Kraus plans to mind Ben Franklin's advice and push for results. "I'm hoping that we really do get a lot accomplished," Kraus said. "I think the voters are expecting their money's worth now more than ever." -- Nick Healy District 27A Population: 33,060 Distribution: 55.38 percent urban, 44.62 percent rural County: Freeborn Largest city: Albert Lea Location: south central Minnesota Unemployment rate: 8.54 percent Residents living below poverty level: 10.25 percent 1992 presidential election results: Bush/Quayle 28.31 percent Clinton/Gore 43.17 percent Perot/Stockdale 27.14 percent Other: 1.38 percent In the Hopper . . . March 10 - 16, 1995 Bill Introductions Monday, March 13 HF1261--Kinkel (DFL) Transportation and Transit Single strand barriers prohibited across roads, driveways, and trails, and penalty imposed. HF1262--Olson, E. (DFL) Judiciary Property entry by government officials regulated and notice requirement provided. HF1263--Macklin (IR) Health & Human Services Supervised visitation facilities for children provisions modified. HF1264--Entenza (DFL) Judiciary Child support payment failure provided drivers' license suspension penalty, and money appropriated. HF1265--Sviggum (IR) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Government Innovation Board abolished, and Strategic and Long-Range Planning Office and legislative auditor to monitor local government waiver and combination requests. HF1266--Koppendrayer (IR) Ways & Means Legislative and state agency appropriations reduced and supplemental appropriations provided. HF1267--Osskopp (IR) Agriculture Federal food standard uniformity provided. HF1268--Solberg (DFL) Judiciary Snowmobile operation regulations modified. HF1269--Long (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Contaminated site cleanup loan program established within Metropolitan Council, and money appropriated. HF1270--Tunheim (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Red River Interstate Flood Control Project funding task force established. HF1271--Long (DFL) Judiciary Survival of cause of action for personal injury after death of injured person provided. HF1272--Carlson (DFL) Governmental Operations Minneapolis Teachers Retirement Association former teacher authorized prior service credit purchase. HF1273--Hausman (DFL) Regulated Industries & Energy Wind energy conversion systems property tax imposed and recovery provided. HF1274--Dawkins (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs First Class City Home Rule Charter Commission expenses increased, and home rule charter amendment drafting and election provisions modified. HF1275--Wolf (IR) Environment & Natural Resources Motor Vehicle Inspection Program advertisement disclaimers required. HF1276--Trimble (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Aquatic plant harvesting permit fee limits removed. HF1277--Hausman (DFL) Transportation & Transit County state-aid highway apportionment formula modified, and screening board composition changed. HF1278--Van Engen (IR) Health & Human Services Department of Economic Security rehabilitation programs and services provisions modified. HF1279--Rest (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources State park handicapped access trail plan required. HF1280--Milbert (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Game and fish provisions modified, all-terrain vehicle definition modified, game and fish license revocation provided, special permit issuance provisions modified, one-day fishing licenses provided, migratory game bird provisions modified. HF1281--Pugh (DFL) Governmental Operations Pull-tab and tipboard tax modified, lawful purpose expenditure definition modified, bingo occasion increase authorized, and bingo prize determination provisions clarified. HF1282--Carlson (DFL) Education Education staff development and Parental Involvement Program revenue provisions modified, and money appropriated. HF1283--Wagenius (DFL) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Minneapolis authorized to issue an on-sale wine and 3.2 malt liquor license to a restaurant. HF1284--Peterson (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Swift County authorized to establish a redevelopment tax increment financing district, and state aid offset exemption provided. HF1285--Lourey (DFL) Education Independent School District No. 95, Cromwell, provided an interactive television grant. HF1286--Onnen (IR) Health & Human Services Human services base level funding definition modified, children's mental health provisions modified, Integrated Fund Task Force provisions modified, cost-effective AIDS coverage provided, Indian health facility provisions modified, etc. HF1287--Rostberg (IR) Governmental Operations Minnesota State Retirement System reemployed annuitant provided retroactive earnings limitation exception. HF1288--Girard (IR) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs County record and account examination by certified public accountants authorized. HF1289--Girard (IR) Agriculture Corporate farm limitations modified, authorized farm corporation definition expanded, and enforcement clarification provided. HF1290--Delmont (DFL) Regulated Industries & Energy Emergency 911 telephone system regulated, private switch telephone service requirement imposed, and civil penalty provided. HF1291--Anderson, B. (IR) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Sherburne County ditch conveyence to Elk River provided. HF1292--Van Dellen (IR) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Residential contractor licensure requirement provisions modified for contractors licensed by St. Paul or Minneapolis. HF1293--Mulder (IR) Health & Human Services Rural hospital alternative licensing model study by health commissioner required, and Rural Health Advisory Committee regulatory barrier study required. HF1294--McGuire (DFL) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Motor vehicle broker licensure required, and service provisions modified. HF1295--Ostrom (DFL) Transportation & Transit Alternative fuel vehicle permits eliminated and fee refund provided, and gasoline and special fuel taxes specified. HF1296--Ness (IR) Education Assurance of mastery program funded, and money appropriated. HF1297--Leighton (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Finance Shooting Star Trail land acquisition and construction provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated. HF1298--Macklin (IR) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & Elections Recall provided for elected city officials. HF1299--Huntley (DFL) Education Secondary vocational education aid formula funded, and money appropriated. HF1300--Bertram (DFL) Financial Institutions & Insurance Mortgage prepayment regulated, and waivers provided. HF1301--Rhodes (IR) Health & Human Services Nursing home moratorium provided. HF1302--Finseth (IR) Agriculture Agricultural chemical response definition modified. HF1303--Mariani (DFL) Governmental Operations Spanish-Speaking Affairs Council and Asian-Pacific Minnesotans Council administration department coordination report required, and public agency multi-lingual services provided. HF1304--Finseth (IR) Environment & Natural Resources Natural resources board created to direct and supervise the Department of Natural Resources. HF1305--Osskopp (IR) Health & Human Services Dakota, Fillmore, Olmsted, and Wabasha county intermediate care facilities for persons with developmental disabilities downsized. HF1306--Holsten (IR) Environment & Natural Resources Citizen hunting and fishing rights affirmed and constitutional amendment proposed. HF1307--Ostrom (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Ice fishing houses identified by owners driver's license numbers. HF1308--McCollum (DFL) Financial Institutions & Insurance Rental vehicle automobile insurance rate provisions modified. HF1309--Pugh (DFL) Judiciary Civil action proceedings in forma pauperis modified, action dismissal provided for false allegations of poverty, and hearings and fees provided. HF1310--Van Dellen (IR) Environment & Natural Resources Hennepin County public land sale by Department of Natural Resources commissioner authorized. HF1311--Mariani (DFL) Education Teacher licensure skills test eliminated. HF1312--Mariani (DFL) Education Americans of Mexican origin education act adopted. HF1313--Davids (IR) Health & Human Services Omnibus mortuary science regulation bill. HF1314--Jefferson (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Underground storage tank regulation by local units of government provisions modified. HF1315--McCollum (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs North St. Paul tax increment financing district time limit extension provided. HF1316--Jennings (DFL) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Distilled spirits fill standards regulated. HF1317--McElroy (IR) Health & Human Services Voluntary foster care AFDC payment waiver request provided by Department of Human Services commissioner. HF1318--Garcia (DFL) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Temporary restroom facilities provided at certain construction and engineering project sites. HF1319--Mulder (IR) Environment & Natural Resources Ambient air health risk values for pollutants established. HF1320--Leighton (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Hazardous waste abandonment cause of action provided. HF1321--Lourey (DFL) Taxes Cigarette and tobacco product tax rate increase provided, and proceeds provided for Tobacco Prevention and Control Program. HF1322--Clark (DFL) Economic Development, Infrastructure & Regulation Finance Minnesota Youthbuild Program funded, and money appropriated. HF1323--Hausman (DFL) Education Year-round education funding established for school districts, and bonds issuance authorized. HF1324--Winter (DFL) Labor-Management Relations Mutual employer self-insurance group creation and operation regulated. HF1325--Tomassoni (DFL) Education School district levy authority extended for retired employee health benefit costs, levy equalization provided, and money appropriated. HF1326--Skoglund (DFL) Judiciary Booking photograph release and classification provided. HF1327--Garcia (DFL) Housing Richfield low and moderate income housing nonprofit corporation development authorized. HF1328--Dehler (IR) Governmental Operations Pull-tab device testing cost reimbursement fund account created. HF1329--Dehler (IR) Environment & Natural Resources Turtle taking by hooks authorized. HF1330--Sviggum (IR) Governmental Operations Teacher retirement plans modified to account for certain extracurricular activity management compensation accounts, and rules required. HF1331--Sviggum (IR) Governmental Operations Bond issuance authorized for payment of a judgment against the state, and lottery and health care reimbursement revenues appropriated for payment of debt service. HF1332--Cooper (DFL) Agriculture Pesticide dealer and applicator requirements modified, and bioremediation required in certain cases. HF1333--Kelley (DFL) Regulated Industries & Energy Electric and gas utility intervenor compensation regulated. HF1334--Bertram (DFL) Education Class-size reduction revenue use provisions modified. HF1335--Lynch (IR) Health & Human Services Hearing aid dispensers required to disclose telecoil information. HF1336--Otremba (DFL) Governmental Operations Teachers Retirement Association annuity reduction provisions waived for certain retired members. HF1337--Clark (DFL) Transportation & Transit Motor vehicle sales tax requirement exemption provided. HF1338--Rest (DFL) Judiciary Partnership name and filing requirements modified. Wednesday, March 15 HF1339--Skoglund (DFL) Judiciary Parolee and probationer transfer interstate compact report required by corrections commissioner. HF1340--Bakk (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Deer archery, firearm, and muzzle-loading firearm license established. HF1341--Osthoff (DFL) Transportation & Transit Turn on red arrow traffic signal allowed under certain conditions, residential area speed limits regulated, work zone speed limit violation fine disposition provided, and technical corrections provided. HF1342--Wagenius (DFL) Transportation & Transit Hazardous material transporters regulated, motor carrier manager fingerprints required for criminal background checks, and international registration plan proportional mileage calculation provisions modified. HF1343--Bradley (IR) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & Elections State representatives provided four-year terms of office, and constitutional amendment proposed. HF1344--Dehler (IR) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & Elections Legislature size modified, committee organization and term limits provided, and constitutional amendment proposed. HF1345--Lynch (IR) Education School interpreters appropriated money to upgrade skills. HF1346--Entenza (DFL) Education Adult graduation aid funding provided, and money appropriated. HF1347--Frerichs (IR) Economic Development, Infrastructure & Regulation Finance Displaced Homemaker Program appropriated money. HF1348--Jefferson (DFL) Governmental Operations Public employee normal retirement age of 65 years established. HF1349--Murphy (DFL) Governmental Operations Amateur Sports Commission ice arena authority increased, bond use authorized, sales tax exemption provided, and money appropriated. HF1350--Opatz (DFL) Education Higher education merger technical and statutory provisions modified. HF1351--Molnau (IR) Taxes Green Acres Program applicant income requirements modified, and property classification provided. HF1352--Tompkins (IR) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Sales of goods and services to adults under the age of 21 regulated, and contract voidability provided. HF1353--Daggett (IR) Labor-Management Relations Workers' compensation permanent partial disability provisions modified. HF1354--Abrams (IR) Taxes State auditor tax increment financing approval required. HF1355--Knoblach (IR) Governmental Operations Gambling Control Board, Racing Commission, and Lottery Board abolished, gambling regulation board created, and duties transferred. HF1356--Kelley (DFL) Regulated Industries & Energy Telephone company local exchange service territory sales regulated. HF1357--Lourey (DFL) Health & Human Services Home Health Visiting Program expanded, and money appropriated. HF1358--Winter (DFL) Transportation & Transit Soy-based biodiesel fuel use in State Highway Maintenance Vehicle Pilot Project established. HF1359--Smith (IR) Health & Human Services Public Assistance recipient landlord vendor payments required. HF1360--Skoglund (DFL) Judiciary Peace Officer Standards and Training Board conduct standards review required, conduct model policy development required, and money appropriated. HF1361--Greenfield (DFL) Health & Human Services Hospital peer groups eliminated for payment purposes. HF1362--Delmont (DFL) Education School district debt service equalization and levy provisions modified. HF1363--Pelowski (DFL) Health & Human Services Drug dispensing regulations modified to allow dispensing of drugs prescribed by a doctor licensed in a state bordering Minnesota. HF1364--Mares (IR) Education Service Learning Program transportation funding provided. HF1365--Kalis (DFL) Education School district transportation levy authorized use expanded to include computer equipment for bus routes. HF1366--McGuire (DFL) Judiciary Human rights charging party case file access provided. HF1367--McCollum (DFL) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & Elections Election judges provided without major political party membership. HF1368--Hugoson (IR) Agriculture Fertilizer, soil amendment, and plant amendment law provisions modified, and Association of American Plant Food Control Officials standards adopted. HF1369--Mulder (IR) Health & Human Services Breast feeding encouraged, well-baby designation established, and breast-feeding exempted from indecent exposure laws. HF1370--Dempsey (IR) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs County curfew ordinance curfew age increase provided. HF1371--Opatz (DFL) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Investment securities order flow direction payment disclosure required. HF1372--McGuire (DFL) Labor-Management Relations Labor education women and minorities advancement grant program established. HF1373--Cooper (DFL) Health & Human Services Hospital peer groups eliminated for payment purposes. HF1374--Kinkel (DFL) Education Independent School District No. 2174, Pine River- Backus, fund transfer permitted. HF1375--Tunheim (DFL) Education Adult basic education and adult graduation aid programs funded, and money appropriated. HF1376--Carlson (DFL) Education Metropolitan healthcare foundation nursing grant program established, and money appropriated. HF1377--Dehler (IR) Agriculture Agricultural chemical response reimbursement procedures clarified. HF1378--Garcia (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Minneapolis city engineer granted city parking and traffic authority. HF1379--Murphy (DFL) Education Fond du Lac Community College appropriated money. HF1380--Rest (DFL) Taxes Income tax bond exemption eliminated. HF1381--Delmont (DFL) Governmental Operations Amateur Sports Commission ice arena authority increased, bond use authorized, sales tax exemption provided, and money appropriated. HF1382--Erhardt (IR) Judiciary Motor vehicle record personal information disclosure prohibited, and money appropriated. HF1383--Seagren (IR) Transportation & Transit Motor vehicle reduced registration fee provided. HF1384--Greenfield (DFL) Health & Human Services Intermediate care facility procedures modified, cost-effective service study established, vendor overpayment recovery provisions modified, nursing facility provisions modified, and day training and rehabilitiation vendor payments modified. HF1385--Tunheim (DFL) Judiciary Railroad peace officer appointment, licensure, and compensation provided, and railroad crime designation provided. HF1386--Bakk (DFL) Labor-Management Relations Loggers targeted industry fund sunset repealed. HF1387--Murphy (DFL) Judiciary Finance Community Corrections Act appropriation allocation provided. HF1388--Frerichs (IR) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Prize notices and solicitations regulated, and prize shipping and handling fees prohibited. HF1389--Jennings (DFL) Health & Human Services Hospital peer groups eliminated for payment purposes. HF1390--Broecker (IR) Transportation & Transit Commercial drivers' license separate disqualification review process abolished. HF1391--Leppik (IR) Health & Human Services Abortion informed consent required and waiting period provided. HF1392--Wejcman (DFL) Economic Development, Infrastructure & Regulation Finance Learn to earn summer youth employment demonstration project established, and money appropriated. HF1393--Harder (IR) Education Cooperative Secondary Facilities Program modified, grants authorized, bonds issued, and money appropriated. HF1394--Harder (IR) Education Independent School District Nos. 325, Lakefield, 328, Sioux Valley, 330, Heron Lake-Okabena, 513, Brewster, and 516, Round Lake Cooperative Secondary Facilities Program modified, grants authorized, bonds issued, and money appropriated. HF1395--Sviggum (IR) Agriculture Ethanol and wet and anhydrous alcohol producer payments modified, and money appropriated. HF1396--Johnson, V. (IR) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & Elections Dog, cat, and livestock sales regulated, Animal Health Board duties modified, and penalties provided. HF1397--Bertram (DFL) Judiciary Civil actions involving the state fee and expense provisions modified. HF1398--Winter (DFL) Taxes Wind energy conversion system property tax recovery provided through rate modification. HF1399--Skoglund (DFL) Judiciary Police horse assault penalties provided. HF1400--Murphy (DFL) Taxes Homestead assessment increase by Department of Revenue prohibited. HF1401--Munger (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Ambient air health risk values for pollutants established. HF1402--Seagren (IR) Transportation & Transit Original license plate issuance provided for certain motor vehicles. HF1403--Jefferson (DFL) Governmental Operations Statewide pension plan graded rate salary increase assumptions specified. HF1404--Lieder (DFL) Transportation & Transit Transportation commissioner allowed to accept federal money on behalf of nonpublic organizations for transportation purposes. HF1405--Tomassoni (DFL) Governmental Operations Video lottery terminal operation authorized, education trust fund established, and penalties prescribed. HF1406--McGuire (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Roseville special service district creation authorized, and hazardous substance subdistrict provided aid offset exemption. HF1407--Marko (DFL) Health & Human Services Plumbing Code Advisory Council provisions modified, and work group established. HF1408--Carruthers (DFL) International Trade & Economic Development North Metro Business Development Commission appropriated money for business retention and development activities. HF1409--Tunheim (DFL) Education Independent School District No. 437, Argyle, provided a grant, and money appropriated. HF1410--Tunheim (DFL) Education Independent School District No. 690, Warroad, appropriated money for Angle Inlet School operation. HF1411--Winter (DFL) Agriculture Eurasian wild hog importation, ownership, and possession prohibited. HF1412--Kalis (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Municipal contract award provisions modified. HF1413--Wagenius (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Mercury emissions consumer information act of 1995 adopted. HF1414--Weaver (IR) Governmental Operations Governor authorized use of special counsel in certain cases. HF1415--Goodno (IR) Labor-Management Relations Dislocated worker assessment provisions modified. HF1416--Tuma (IR) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Master electrician licensure eligibility requirements modified. HF1417--Jennings (DFL) Taxes Vitamin and mineral dietary supplements sales tax exemption provided. HF1418--Murphy (DFL) Judiciary Crime prevention early intervention demonstration project established. HF1419--Cooper (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Minnesota River Basin Commission established to coordinate clean-up efforts, and money appropriated. HF1420--Winter (DFL) Judiciary Emergency medical services personnel provided civil action immunity. HF1421--Perlt (DFL) Education Referendum and supplemental revenue reduction provisions modified. HF1422--Winter (DFL) Taxes Horse sales and use tax exemption expanded to include racehorses, feed, and bedding. HF1423--Hausman (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Drycleaner environmental response act adopted, penalties provided, and money appropriated. HF1424--Dorn (DFL) Governmental Operations Teacher Retirement Association member service credit purchase authorized for time spent on an extended leave of absence. HF1425--Bakk (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Tax-forfeited timber payment terms modified. HF1426--Sarna (DFL) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Secured lienholder notification required relating to vehicle towing and storage. HF1427--Jefferson (DFL) Governmental Operations Special School District No. 1, Minneapolis, levy authority reallocation provided, and retirement fund provided supplemental contributions. HF1428--Murphy (DFL) Judiciary Crime prevention early intervention demonstration project established. HF1429--Tomassoni (DFL) Education Athletic participation authorized for students enrolled in nonresident districts. HF1430--Hausman (DFL) Health & Human Services Medical Assistance hospital rate setting procedures adjusted, and money appropriated. HF1431--Bakk (DFL) Regulated Industries & Energy Timber, pulpwood, and firewood measurement standardization provided. HF1432--Winter (DFL) Capital Investment Prairieland Expo facility appropriated money for land acquisition. HF1433--Vickerman (IR) Regulated Industries & Energy Sleepy Eye authorized to discontinue steam heat operation without notifying Department of Trade and Economic Development. HF1434--Dauner (DFL) Transportation & Transit Straw wide load transportation permit issuance provided. HF1435--Pelowski (DFL) Education High School League tournament admissions exempted from sales tax. HF1436--Simoneau (DFL) Labor-Management Relations Workers' compensation procedures and benefits modified, attorney fee calculation changed, and agreements permitted. HF1437--Goodno (IR) Labor-Management Relations Food processing industry employee recruitment disclosure required, and penalties provided. HF1438--McGuire (DFL) Judiciary Domestic abuse definitions modified and expanded, petition requirements modified, minors allowed to petition on their own behalf for protection, and money appropriated. HF1439--Mahon (DFL) Taxes Bloomington fiscal disparity contribution provisions modified. HF1440--Johnson, V. (IR) General Legislation, Veterans Affairs & Elections Animal Cruelty Prevention Law clarified and modified, and penalties imposed. MINNESOTA INDEX Minnesota Wetlands Acres of Minnesota wetlands, in millions, mid- 1800s 18.5 in 1994 7.5 Nationwide, percent of all wetland acreage lost in the lower 48 states since European settlers arrived 50 Percent of Lake County wetlands lost since European settlers arrived 2 Different types of wetlands 8 State dollars marked for local governments and soil and water conservation districts to administer the Wetlands Protection Act, in millions, FY1994-FY1995 $3.6 Estimated number of land development projects that have been revised because of the Wetlands Conservation Act to avoid impacting a wetland, FY1994-FY1995 3,000 Projects halted by cease and desist orders issued by DNR conservation officers enforcing the Wetlands Conservation Act, 1994 300 Number of wetlands restored by the Reinvest in Minnesota (RIM) program since its 1986 inception 541 Acres covered by those wetlands 5,750 Dollars marked for the RIM program, in millions, FY1993-1994 $6.86 Funds the state has garnered through the federal North American Wetland Conservation Act $700,000 Additional acres protected under the state's Permanent Wetlands Preserves program, founded in 1992 11,225 State bonding dollars authorized in 1992 to pay landowners to enroll their land in the Permanent Wetlands Preserves program, in millions $7 Number of state and local government staffers who have taken a basic four-day course to identify and differentiate among types of wetlands 350 Total wetland acreage protected or replaced, Scott County, highest in Minnesota, 1994 665 Counties protecting or replacing no wetlands, 1994 11 Highest Wetlands Conservation Act administration costs, Stearns County $105,000 Lowest administration costs, Lake County $0 Statewide, administration costs, in millions $2.25 Statewide, landowners inquiring to state or local officials regarding the Wetlands Conservation Act, 1994 13,333 Sources: Minnesota Wetland Report, 1994, Biennial Report to the Minnesota Legislature, FY1994-95, Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources.