SESSION WEEKLY A NON-PARTISAN PUBLICATION OF THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 7, 1995 VOLUME 12, NUMBER 14 WEEK IN REVIEW. . . MARCH 30 - APRIL 6, 1995 HIGHLIGHTS Government efficiency . . . Six agencies would be abolished in major reshuffle Twenty-six years ago, a blue-ribbon panel recommended that the Department of Public Safety be created to make government more efficient. On April 4, a House panel recommended that the department be abolished -- and its duties transferred to other state agencies -- for the same reason. "Our priorities come from the November election: move dollars from bureaucrats' desks to school desks, and from state office buildings to school buildings," said bill sponsor Rep. Howard Orenstein (DFL-St. Paul). The proposal (HF1036) would eliminate the Department of Public Safety, Department of Public Service, Higher Education Coordinating Board, Minnesota Racing Commission, Gambling Control Board, and State Lottery Board. How much money the bill would save is unclear. Estimates provided by the Department of Revenue range from $5.2 million to $23.6 million in savings over the next biennium. Most of the duties of the abolished agencies would be transferred elsewhere in state government. The Department of Public Safety, for example, would see its duties spread among nine different state agencies. Many of its divisions -- Traffic Safety, Driver and Vehicle Services, Capitol Security, and the State Patrol -- would move to the Department of Transportation. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, originally proposed as an independent executive branch agency, would become a division of the Office of the Attorney General. Orenstein showed members a thick bundle of letters he has received from public safety employees. The content of those letters indicates that "there continues to be management issues within the department." This marks the second consecutive session that a bill has moved forward to eliminate the department. The department was created in 1970 as part of then-Gov. Harold LeVander's plan to reorganize state government. The purpose of the Governor's Committee on Reorganization was to reduce the number of departments in state government, to consolidate divisions with similar functions, and to provide better service to the public. While the Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) would also be eliminated by the proposal -- and 26 of the board's 67 employees along with it -- the Higher Education Services Office (HESO) would be created to absorb its duties. The provisions, formerly included in HF307 sponsored by Rep. Gene Pelowski (DFL-Winona), would save an estimated $3.7 million over the next biennium. 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 also is 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. 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 17, 1995, Session Weekly, page 12; and March 10, 1995, Session Weekly, page 11) The proposal also includes HF138, sponsored by Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls), which would re- establish a state department to oversee state- sanctioned gambling. Although HF138 was defeated by a separate House committee, (see related story, page 8), it is very much alive in Articles 3,4, and 5 of HF1036. Finally, the bill would abolish the Department of Public Service, which is responsible for protecting the public interest in the areas of energy, telecommunications, and weights and measures, and transfer many of its duties to the Office of the Attorney General. Seven of the department's 134 employees would be cut. The department's intervention duties in public utility and telecommunication matters before the Public Utilities Commission would be expanded to include representation of most utility consumers, and transferred to the Office of the Attorney General. All of the department's remaining functions -- save the Weights and Measures Division, which would move to the Department of Agriculture -- would be transferred to the Public Utilities Commission. A similar proposal was debated during the 1993 Legislative Session. Rep. Charlie Weaver (IR-Anoka) agreed that voters did issue a mandate in last November's election, but it wasn't "to move blindly and move boxes . . . and make change for the sake of change." In opposing the bill, Weaver said the need has not been established for many of the changes proposed in the bill. HF1036 now moves to the Ways and Means Committee. --John Tschida Legislative break Thursday, April 13 -- No committee meetings will be held after 4 p.m. Friday, April 14 -- Holiday. The House is closed. Monday, April 17 -- No committee meetings; no floor session Tuesday, April 18 -- Regular schedule of committee meetings; 2:30 p.m. session BUSINESS Dueling phone companies A bill to increase competition among Minnesota telephone companies won approval from the House Regulated Industries and Energy Committee April 3. While the proposal has received scant public attention, it was discussed for 12 hours over six committee hearings. Currently, a phone company applies to the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) for the right to offer phone service within a certain geographical area. Under this "local exchange monopoly," the company is the only one that can provide local phone service. This practice would end, under the bill. HF620, sponsored by Rep. Edgar Olson (DFL- Fosston), would permit many companies to enter the same calling area. The change would give Minnesotans a real choice for basic telephone service. A Minneapolis resident for example, could switch from US West to a cable television operator, a cellular telephone firm, or any company that receives PUC approval to offer local telephone service. The change also would allow all 100 Minnesota phone companies -- including major players like US West and GTE -- to venture into other market areas around the state, after gaining approval from the PUC. (The PUC is a quasi-judicial body that regulates the rates and services of Minnesota telephone, natural gas and electric utilities.) The nuts and bolts as to how this deregulation would take place would be laid out in rules established by the PUC. The rulemaking process would be completed by Aug. 1, 1997. In the interim, the PUC would be allowed to certify a company as a provider of local telephone service. The PUC also would have to determine how a local telephone company would separate or "unbundle" its services so a competitor could connect to its customers to provide a service. (This would be similar to the process -- regulated by the Federal Communications Commission -- that allows long-distance telephone companies to connect to local telephone customers.) This would make it possible, for example, to receive basic phone service from one company, and voice messaging from another. Another section of the bill would create an "alternative regulation" framework for phone companies to choose. Under the proposed system, certain essential services, as defined by the bill -- call tracing, call number-blocking, and 911-service, for example -- would remain regulated by the PUC. But the price of other non-essential services, such as voice mail, would be determined by market competition, rather than requiring the PUC to certify any rate change by a telephone company. If a telephone company opted for this more relaxed regulatory system, its rates for basic residential and business local service could not increase for three years. The bill also would create a Universal Service Fund that would receive contributions from all telephone companies in the state. A study by the Department of Public Service (DPSv) would determine what "essential telephone services" should be available to all state households. The study also would address "whether expenditures from the fund should be used to ensure citizen access to local government and other public access programming." The DPSv would report its recommendations to the Legislature by Feb. 15, 1996. The deregulation bill was crafted and revised over several months of meetings among telephone company representatives, the DPSv and the Office of the Attorney General. Joann Hanson, DPSv assistant commissioner who brokered the discussions, said the bill would "enable customers to have many choices" for telephone services, while maintaining "protective safeguards" for consumers. Hanson said that the measure is important now because of "changing technology and there has been a lot of interest by alternative [local telephone service] providers to enter the field." HF620 now goes to the House floor. Wheelchair warranties Equipment such as wheelchairs or Braille printers that aid people with disabilities would have to come with a year-or-more warranty, under a bill the House approved April 3. The vote was 130-0. Bill sponsor Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL-St. Paul) said the Department of Administration asked him to carry the bill to help curb a specific problem with malfunctioning wheelchairs. "There are a small number of devices that continue to break down. It's a problem in the handicapped community," Entenza said. If manufacturers of "assistive devices" don't provide a warranty with the equipment, the bill would call for a one-year warranty to exist as if the manufacturer had issued one. Under either warranty, the equipment owner could have it repaired by the manufacturer or an authorized dealer if it breaks within one year. The bill also ensures that the owner would get a refund if the device is not repaired within a reasonable amount of time. The measure, however, contains no penalty if a manufacturer decides not to honor the government- imposed warranty. HF990 now moves to the Senate for consideration. CRIME Senior citizen prison Elderly criminals could be cared for with less cost to the state, under a bill heard April 6 by the House Judiciary Finance Committee. The bill (HF1784) calls for the state Department of Corrections to look into transferring elderly prisoners from the medium security prison in Faribault, Minn., to the state-run nursing home in Walker, Minn. The Ah Gwah Ching Center -- a nursing home operated by the Department of Human Services -- has three buildings which potentially could be turned into a medium-security correctional facility to house up to 100 prisoners. That's the number of elderly prisoners who now require ongoing supervision and health care, said bill sponsor Rep. Tony Kinkel (DFL-Park Rapids). Many of those prisoners are serving life terms. Though they are elderly and many are in poor health, they still move about and would require a separate, security building, Kinkel said. The state may be able to save about $10 per prisoner per day by transferring them to the Ah Gwah Ching Center, since the facility is equipped to handle a large number of hard-to-care-for patients, he said. If all prisoners were transferred, the savings would equal about $1,000 each day. The move would also free much-needed prison beds at the Faribault prison, said Dana Baumgartner, the Department of Corrections health care administrator. In addition, patients at the center who also are prisoners may be eligible to receive federal Medicare dollars. Kinkel said he doesn't know if prisoners would receive Medicare if they live in a state-run nursing home. Corrections officials are unsure of the cost savings. "We don't know if this move would be cost- effective because we don't know what the capital costs would be. A medium security facility would need to be fenced, for instance," said James Bruton, Department of Corrections deputy commissioner. "We're just looking for ways to save health care dollars." The state pays about $2,400 annually for each prisoner's health care costs, Bruton said. But that number is about $10,000 annually for elderly prisoners. Bruton said elderly prisoners have been transferred to the Ah Gwah Ching Center in the past, but only when they are very old, ill and frail, and don't pose a threat to anyone. The committee did not formally act on the bill. Impoundment law expanded One-third of chronic DWI offenders continue to drive with little risk of detection because of a loophole in the state's DWI law. A bill to close that loophole won approval from the House Judiciary Committee April 3. Under current law, when a person's driver's license is revoked for a third DWI offense in five years (or a fourth within 15 years), his or her license plates also are impounded as long as the offender's driver's license is suspended. For a third- time offender, that's a minimum of one year. But chronic DWI offenders are smart, said bill sponsor Rep. Wes Skoglund (DFL-Mpls). "They know exactly what they're doing. . . . They lose their license plates, and then they drive their girlfriend's or their spouse's car." About 35 percent of repeat DWI offenders are driving a car in someone else's name, said Steve Simon, a University of Minnesota law professor and recognized authority on DWI issues. Those repeat offenders are most often male, in their late 20s, often divorced, and marginally employed, Simon said. Should they get caught under the influence in someone else's car, those license plates are then impounded. But all the car owner has to do is sign a statement that he or she was unaware of the DWI violation and new plates are issued -- free of charge. HF416/SF308* would still give plates back to the car owner in such a situation, but they would be coded with specific letters, so that law enforcement officials would know the car had been involved in a prior DWI offense. The plates would remain on the car for a minimum of one year. The coded plates would provide law enforcement officers with a "reasonable suspicion" to pull the car over should the driver not be the registered owner of the car, Simon said. From the patrol vehicle, an officer can check the car's registration and the license status of the car owner, which contains a description of the owner. If the driver doesn't match the description, the officer would have cause to stop the car. Simon admitted the law has not been "court- tested." No case law exists in the area. Rep. Dave Bishop (IR-Rochester) had little faith it would be upheld. "When it does go to court, it's going to be thrown out," Bishop said. Simon called the current plate impoundment law -- originally passed in 1990 and the first of its kind in the nation -- "one of the most effective tools the Legislature has adopted in recent years." About 3,700 Minnesota drivers are eligible to have their plates impounded each year, according to Department of Public Safety records. About one- third of those offenders skirt the law because they aren't the car's registered owner. Overall, DWI arrests are down about 27 percent since 1986 (28,310 incidents in 1994 compared to 38,717 in 1986). Offenders with three or more offenses, however, have risen steadily over the same time period. EDUCATION Graduation rule It will cost $64.5 million to implement the state's new high school graduation rule in the first two years it will be in effect, according to a report presented to a House panel. But because a large share of the money could come from existing funds, the total added cost to Minnesota school districts would be about $18 million. The state's graduation rule -- which will go into effect in the fall of 1996 -- will require students to meet certain academic standards before they can receive a high school diploma. A Denver-based consulting firm hired by the Minnesota Department of Education recently completed a preliminary report on the costs to implement the rule in the first two years of the graduation rule. The K-12 Education Finance Division heard details of the Augenblick, Van de Water & Myers report April 4. The report covers expected costs when the standards are applied to ninth graders in 1996-97 and to ninth and tenth graders the following school year. Students will be required to show minimum proficiency in math and reading. Cost estimates include money to prepare Profile of Learning reports, which will detail each student's performance. It also includes money to prepare educators to teach under the new rule, and money to develop a curriculum to ensure daily lessons teach everything for which students will be held accountable. A share of the costs involved with implementing the standards could be offset by federal grants and by using some existing money districts now use for staff training, according to the report. "It isn't a huge cost when you look at what school districts are spending statewide," said John Myers, one of the consultants who prepared the report. Some committee members questioned whether the report considers all the costs that could accompany implementation of the graduation rule. Rep. Myron Orfield (DFL-Mpls) said costs may vary between districts. Poorer districts may have to do more than wealthier districts to bring students up to the standards. An Apple Valley parent criticized the graduation rule as a costly "education fad" that carries no guarantee it will improve the preparation of Minnesota students. "Who will bear the blame when this fails to make a difference?" asked Georgianne Ginder. Brian Bottge, director of the St. Cloud graduation rule pilot program, said performance standards are "here to stay" in education. "Our teachers, some of whom have 20 to 25 years' experience, have never seen this kind of production from our students," he said. ". . . The rule is not floundering." The final report from the consultants is expected in June. The House currently is considering a Department of Education request for $15 million over the next two-year budgeting period for continued planning for the standards. ELECTIONS Mock ballots for kids School kids could show up at the polls during November elections and cast a mock ballot in certain cities and counties, under a bill approved April 6 by the Elections Division of the House General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections Committee. The bill (HF299/SF168*), sponsored by Rep. Mike Jaros (DFL-Duluth), would allow children to cast mock ballots at precincts in cities and counties choosing to participate in a youth elections program. Their ballots -- a different color than official ballots -- would be compiled and counted separately. The measure is designed to educate children about the election process and increase adult voter turnout, Jaros said. In Duluth, where children voted in the November election under a special pilot program, the kids brought their parents to the polls. Jaros said similar programs are now under way in 22 other states. Arizona's program, the first, kicked off in 1988. The bill, if approved, would cost the state nothing, Jaros said. Local governments that agree to let kids in the polling place would have to find private or local funding. Private companies contributed the $25,000 necessary to implement the pilot program during the Duluth general election, he said. Children's ballots are identical to the ballots of their parents with the exception of the color. They could cast votes for all sorts of elected offices, from president to a local soil and water commissioner. The bill passed during the 1994 session but was vetoed by Gov. Arne Carlson. In his veto message, Carlson said the goal of teaching students about elections is "laudable." However, he objected to granting the secretary of state "sole authority to develop this program without . . . guidelines or any guarantee of political neutrality." Under the bill, the secretary of state would authorize individual cities and counties to allow children in the polling place. Jaros said he will offer amendments when the bill is heard by the full General Legislation, Veterans Affairs and Elections Committee which should put the governor's concerns to rest. ENVIRONMENT Nuisance aquatic plants Owners of lake homes might have to pay more to get rid of nuisance aquatic plants growing close to shore, under a bill considered by the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee April 6. The bill (HF1276), sponsored by Rep. Steve Trimble (DFL-St. Paul), would lift the $200 cap on aquatic plant management permits issued by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Lake property owners have been allowed by the DNR to get group permits. The proposed change would make each member of a group pay $20, which is the current cost of an individual permit for using chemicals to eradicate aquatic plants. So, if 20 lake property owners make up a group, their permit would cost $400; a group comprised of 100 would cost $2,000. Before a lot owner or a group of lot owners can arrange for someone to get rid of nuisance shore plants -- either mechanically remove them or kill them with chemicals -- they must apply for and be granted a state permit. The DNR requires a permit to remove 2,500 square feet or more of aquatic vegetation. The current $200 maximum permit fee doesn't cover the agencies costs to analyze the applications, process permits, and monitor the eradication of aquatic plants, said Lee Pfannmuller, chief of the DNR's ecological services section. Fees paid by lake lot owners cover only 30 percent of the DNR's costs; the remaining 70 percent is borne by the Game and Fish Fund which is made up of fishing and hunting license fees and used primarily to fund fish and wildlife programs, she said. Charging more for aquatic plant management permits would bring in an additional $75,000 this year to the Game and Fish Fund, according to Pfannmuller. Owners of lake lots and herbicide applicators, whose businesses might suffer because of increased permit fees, opposed the proposal. At a hearing on the bill before the Environment and Natural Resources Committee March 31, Tom Gertz of the Minnesota Aquatic Management Society, a group of herbicide applicators, presented lawmakers with a chart showing how the legislation would affect lot owners at various lakes. All of the lake groups paid no more than $200 for a permit in 1994. According to Gertz, the permit fees this year would climb to $1,840 for the Bald Eagle Lake group, $3,200 for the group of owners on Kerry Pond, and $2,900 for owners on Lake Owasso, all in Ramsey County. Three types of aquatic plants are typically eradicated: floating-leaf plants like water lilies; emergent plants like cattails; and "potamogetons" or submerged plants like curlyleaf pondweed, an "undesirable exotic" that has become a significant problem in Minnesota, according to Pfannmuller. HF1276 was laid over to be considered next week for inclusion in the omnibus environment and natural resources finance bill. Used oil disposal Retailers selling more than 1,000 motor oil filters each year would have to accept and properly dispose of used oil and oil filters from the public, under a bill approved by the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee April 4. The bill originally specified that any retail outlet selling more than 3,000 gallons of motor oil per year would have to accept used motor oil and filters. (See March 17, 1995, Session Weekly, page 8) But bill sponsor Rep. Robert Leighton (DFL- Austin) said the change was made to "exclude small businesses" that couldn't afford the extra expense of collecting and disposing of used oil and filters. Leighton said he talked with representatives of Ashland Oil, who assured him that none of their SuperAmerica stores would come under the purview of the bill. Businesses either would have to set up their own collection facility or contract with another business -- within two miles in the Twin Cities metropolitan area or within five miles in Greater Minnesota -- to accept used oil and filters. Also, the amended bill explicitly states that retailers "may not charge a fee" to accept used oil and filters. Under the original bill, retailers could charge 50 cents per filter to recover disposal costs. 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 said his bill addresses an environmental hazard created by those changing their own oil and improperly disposing of it. About 775,000 gallons of used motor oil -- 11 percent of the total oil thrown away by individuals in the state -- was illegally poured down drains or dumped on the ground in 1992, according to a study by the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA). The MPCA study says that "just one gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of drinking water." The MPCA supports the bill as a way to encourage proper disposal of used motor oil and filters by creating more convenient drop off spots. However, retail merchants and oil filter manufacturers remain opposed to the proposal. Judy Cook, president of the Minnesota Retail Merchants Association, told lawmakers that the bill "creates a significant burden on retailers who sell oil filters" but have no waste oil collection facilities. Timothy Warren of Allied Signal, Inc., which manufactures Fram oil filters, spoke against the bill. He said "many retailers would opt out of selling oil filters." HF1087 now moves to the House floor. Accessible trails Most state parks would be required to have at least one handicapped-accessible trail under a bill given final passage by the House April 6. The vote was 128-0. HF1279, sponsored by Rep. Ann Rest (DFL-New Hope), would require the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to come up with a five-year-plan for creating or modifying existing trails to ensure at least one trail per park can be used by physically disabled visitors. Such trails would have to have a very slight grade to be wheelchair accessible, Rest said. State parks located in extremely hilly areas would be exempted from the bill. The DNR would be allocated no additional dollars for the project, Rest said. The bill will next be heard by the Senate. GAMBLING 'Video slots' bill fails For the fifth consecutive year, an effort to win the right to install video slot machines in Minnesota bars and restaurants has stalled. A video lottery bill sponsored by Rep. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm) failed to win the approval of the House Governmental Operations Committee. The 7-14 vote by the committee March 31 -- the first deadline bills must meet in order to be considered further this legislative session -- made the chances such legislation will pass the House this year seem remote. HF1405 would have allowed up to 10 video slots in about 3,400 bars and restaurants and devoted a portion of the proceeds to schools and environmental programs. Gamblers would have been allowed to play games such as blackjack, keno, and poker on the video terminals. Tomassoni said the video slots could produce as much as $250 million annually to supplement the budget for Minnesota's schools, which he described as "grossly underfunded." But the bill was criticized by some committee members who argued that the gambling revenue likely would not mean more money for schools. Instead, the money likely would replace -- not supplement -- traditional education funding sources. And others were concerned about allowing even more gambling in the state. "This bill is not about education," said Rep. Bob Johnson (DFL-Bemidji). "This bill is about the expansion of gambling." The liquor industry has lobbied for five consecutive years to win the right to install video lottery machines in bars and restaurants. Bar and restaurant owners say they need the gambling to compete with the American Indian-owned casinos in Minnesota. The casinos, the business owners say, have an unfair competitive advantage and have lured away their customers. Johnson said the casinos cannot be blamed for the decline in bar business. He said people's drinking habits have changed and tougher DWI laws have reduced the amount of drinking in bars. But Tomassoni said the bill provided a way for the state to receive some benefit from the vast gambling industry that flourishes inside its borders. "What I'm doing here is trying to tap into the industry," he said. "I don't think gambling is going away." On the same day Tomassoni's bill was defeated, a Senate proposal (SF402) ran into opposition in the Senate Gaming Regulation Committee and was never put to a vote. Playing the gambling odds Legislation to abolish several state gambling boards was defeated in one committee but survived another April 4. Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Mpls) is trying for the second time in two years to abolish the nine- member Minnesota Racing Commission, seven- member Gambling Control Board, and seven- member State Lottery Board and create a state gambling commissioner to oversee all forms of legalized gambling in Minnesota. (See March 3, 1995, Session Weekly, page 9) The State Government Finance Division of the House Governmental Operations Committee voted the bill (HF138) down April 4 while the Government Efficiency and Oversight Division of the Ways and Means Committee incorporated the proposal into a larger bill (HF1036) to eliminate many state agencies. HF1036 is sponsored by Rep. Howard Orenstein (DFL-St. Paul). Currently, the gambling boards function independently of one another. The racing commission oversees pari-mutuel horse racing. The Gambling Control Board regulates lawful gaming activities, such as bingo and pull-tabs. The State Lottery Board advises the lottery director on games and rules. A new gambling department, led by an appointee of the governor, would include divisions to oversee lawful gambling and pari-mutuel racing. It also would assume the gambling enforcement responsibilities of the Department of Public Safety. The state lottery and its director would remain independent, but the gambling department would assume an advisory role much like the State Lottery Board now holds. The consolidation of the gambling agencies, according to Kahn, would provide the state with a more comprehensive approach to gambling issues. Some lawmakers in the State Government Finance Division, however, saw the bill as tinkering with something that isn't broken. "I just don't see a reason for the bill," said Rep. Bob Johnson (DFL-Bemidji). He questioned whether the bill would actually save money. Some, such as Rep. Tom Osthoff (DFL-St. Paul), questioned the wisdom of creating another department. If a new gambling department is approved, it would not be the first time the state has used a consolidated gambling agency. In 1989, lawmakers created the Department of Gaming, but it was abolished two years later when former commissioner Tony Bouza recommended that the Lottery Board, Gambling Control Board, and Racing Commission become independent entities. Although Kahn's bill does not advance, Orenstein's bill (HF1036) now moves to the Ways and Means Committee. GAME & FISH Super deer license A proposal for a new combination deer license covering both the bow and firearms hunting seasons was approved by a House panel March 31. Under the bill (HF1340) a hunter would pay $33 for a combination bow-firearms license instead of $22 apiece for each license. But a hunter would only be allowed to kill one deer total. Currently, if a hunter buys both a bow and a firearms deer hunting license they can kill two deer, one each season. "It just makes it a little more affordable for those people who want to hunt more than one season," said bill sponsor Rep. Tom Bakk (DFL- Cook). The bill has the support of the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association which represents 20,000 hunters in the state. Tom Kelleher of the association said the bill would keep hunting affordable and open to more people regardless of income. Originally, the bill would have included muzzleloader hunting in the combo license for $33 a year. But officials with the Department of Natural Resources objected. The two-week muzzleloader hunting season is relatively uncrowded -- unlike the other two seasons. Their concern was that many hunters would fail to get a deer in the archery and regular firearms seasons and continue hunting in the muzzleloader season. A large influx of muzzleloader hunters would create trespass problems and result in too many deer being taken, according to Roger Holmes, director of the DNR's Fish and Wildlife Division. "We do not have enough deer to support this proposal," said Holmes. (A muzzleloader is an early 19th century era rifle or musket that is loaded by pouring powder and a lead projectile down the barrel.) After Bakk deleted the muzzleloader season from the "super deer license," members of the Environment and Natural Resources Committee approved the bill 9-7. But even without the muzzleloader provision, the DNR opposed the combined bow and firearms license. Tim Bremicker, chief of the DNR's wildlife section, said that about 50,000 bow hunters -- out of a total of 70,000 -- also buy a firearms license each year. Based on the bill's $11 savings on each license, it would result in a $550,000 revenue loss to the DNR's Game and Fish Fund and a loss to other dedicated accounts for deer management, he said. HF1340 now moves to the Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee. GOVERNMENT Commissioner pay hike A bill to boost the salary cap on top-level state employees -- by nearly $26,000 in some cases -- was heard by the House Governmental Operations Committee April 6. HF1710 incorporates some of the recommendations of the state Compensation Council, an independent body that makes salary recommendations for government officials. The bill would divide state agency heads into two salary ranges, each of which is tied to the governor's salary, currently at $114,506. In the first range, commissioner salaries could not exceed 85 percent of the governor's salary ($97,330); the second range would be capped at 75 percent ($85,880). Currently, state commissioners are divided into three salary ranges, depending on the size of the agency. The ranges are capped at $78,500, $67,500, and $60,000, respectively. According to Bruce Johnson, commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations, commissioner salaries have been capped for the last seven years. But some lawmakers expressed opposition to the proposal. "I can't support this," said Rep. Bob Johnson (DFL-Bemidji). "As we're laying people off due to budget cuts . . . some people are going to get significant raises here. I can't support this." Gov. Arne Carlson has supported increases in commissioner salaries, saying they are necessary to attract top candidates for the top state jobs. The bill also gives the governor the authority to set commissioners' salaries within the specified ranges -- without the approval of the Compensation Council or the Legislature. Under current law, the Compensation Council reviews and can reject or modify the governor's salary recommendations. The Legislature then reviews all council recommendations and can accept, reject, or modify them. The bill also would give some administrative law judges a boost in pay. Under current law, their salary is capped at 90 percent of a district court judge's salary, or $75,144. HF1710 would place all administrative law judges at that salary. Additionally, the bill would set Metropolitan Council board member salaries at $20,000 annually. While that is a council member's current salary, the House voted March 23 to slash the salary to $6,000 per year. An amendment by Rep. Kevin Knight (IR- Bloomington) to cut the salary to $6,000 in HF1710 was withdrawn after a heated debate. The Compensation Council also recommended that state legislators and state constitutional officers receive a 3 percent pay hike in each of the next two years. HF1710 does not include these recommendations. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Greg Davids (IR- Preston), was referred without recommendation to the committee's State Government Finance Division. Changing offensive names The word "squaw" -- a term considered derogatory by some American Indians -- would vanish from some place names in Minnesota, under a bill approved by the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee April 5. New names in their place would be selected by the DNR commissioner in cooperation with county boards, said bill sponsor Rep. Karen Clark (DFL- Mpls). The proposal specifically would change the name of any "geographic feature" containing the word "squaw." It would affect lakes, ponds, islands, bays, and other natural features. Two Cass Lake-Bena High School students are pushing the bill (HF714/SF574*). In February 1994, Angelene Losh and Dawn Litzau began the movement to change the name of Squaw Point, which is on the Leech Lake Indian reservation in northern Minnesota. Litzau, who now lives in Bemidji, told lawmakers that the word "squaw" refers to "female sexual parts. I don't think people can fathom what 'squaw' means to Indian women. People have called me that to put me down." She said that her family comes from the town of Squaw Lake, but "it was traumatic to say where we came from," because the word "squaw" carried "hurtful" connotations. Litzau said the name-change campaign, organized with fellow high school students, met with success Feb. 7 when the Cass County Board of Commissioners unanimously voted to change the name of Squaw Point to Oak Point. She appealed to legislators to help "erase this word from Minnesota, so other people can be proud of where they come from." According to several sources, the word "squaw" is a French corruption of "otsiskwa," an Iroquois word denoting female sexual parts. The Ojibwe word for woman is "ikwe," while the Canadian Cree Indians use the word "sqwi." Some suggest that British and French fur traders mispronounced these words and came up with "squaw." Joe Day, director of the state Indian Affairs Council, said the bill follows previous efforts to get public schools to change nicknames and mascots that depict Indians in a stereotypical and offensive manner. The Indian Affairs Council issued a resolution Feb. 9 supporting the high school students' campaign to change offensive place names, and called the legislation a "positive move forward in the state's efforts in eliminating racism directed at American Indians in Minnesota." The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Skip Finn (DFL-Cass Lake), passed that body March 20 on a 63-0 vote. HF714/SF574* now goes to the House floor. HEALTH MinnesotaCare The state could not set prices and fees for health care services that would be paid by insurance companies, under an amended MinnesotaCare bill approved by the House Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee April 5. The bill no longer includes the regulated all- payer option (RAPO), which was struck from the bill by the House Health and Human Services Committee. RAPO would have allowed the state to standardize insurance prices and ensured health insurance providers operated under uniform rules. Instead, the bill now calls on the Department of Health to recommend to the Legislature the best way to apply health insurance regulations across the board. The bill (HF1077), sponsored by Rep. Roger Cooper (DFL-Bird Island), also redefines the mandate for universal health care coverage now in law. Under that law, all Minnesotans must have health insurance by July 1, 1997. (See March 17, 1995, Session Weekly, page 11) Under the bill, however, universal coverage would be achieved when fewer than 4 percent of the state's population is uninsured. In 1994, it was estimated that 8.9 percent of Minnesotans were uninsured. The measure also calls for a health care commission to report annually to the Legislature on how many Minnesotans have health insurance. "We have to figure out whether we're moving toward our goal of universal coverage and what universal coverage even means," Cooper said. The bill also would ensure that integrated service networks (ISNs) are solvent before they begin operating. An ISN 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 in July 1996. The bill calls on ISNs to deposit $300,000 in a custodial account with the Department of Health, which will oversee the ISNs. An ISN must then deposit $300,000 annually, which would be used to pay costs should the ISN become insolvent. To become licensed, HF1077 calls for an ISN to have a net worth valued at a minimum of $1.5 million or an amount equal to a portion of the expected first year operating expenses. An ISN must also maintain a $1 million net worth after the first year of operation, under the bill. It would also require the ISN to file an audited financial statement yearly with the Department of Health. The bill will next be heard in the Taxes Committee. Breast cancer treatment Corrinne Zweber of Lakeville is waiting for word about her chances. She hopes a bill moving through the House will improve them. Zweber has breast cancer and her insurance company refuses to pay for the treatment her doctors say is best. She's not alone. Next week Zweber will take the insurance company to court to make them pay. She's not alone in that either. Some breast cancer patients whose doctors tell them their best chance of survival is a high-dose chemotherapy treatment accompanied by a bone marrow transplant have battled insurance companies that refuse to pay for the procedure. A bill sponsored by Rep. Dee Long (DFL-Mpls) wouldn't give insurance companies the option. They'd have to pay. HF1742 passed the MinnesotaCare Division of the House Health and Human Services Committee on an 8-2 vote April 6. It now moves to the full committee and then to the Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee. The bill requires health plans -- effective the day following final enactment -- to provide bone marrow transplant coverage to Minnesota residents with breast cancer. It further requires that insurance companies not charge co-payments greater than those that apply to other portions of the policy. Lawmakers heard debate from several doctors, all of whom agreed the treatment should be covered by insurance but some of whom said only patients in a clinical study should be covered. Zweber and others disagree. In a clinical study there is a 50 percent chance you'll be a part of the study that receives the treatment but an equal chance you'll be a part of a "control" group that doesn't receive the treatment. Her insurance company said they'd pay for the treatment if she joined a clinical study but her family said no. "No way. We're not flipping quarters," said her husband, Mark Zweber. "What are we paying premiums for?" Dr. Linda Burns, an assistant professor at the University of Minnesota, called the treatment "investigational" and said she is working with breast cancer patients as part of a national clinical study. The study seeks to determine the effectiveness of a high-dose chemotherapy treatment accompanied by a bone marrow transplant in breast cancer patients. "I ask you not to mislead the women of this state," Burns told committee members. "It is not known" whether the transplant treatment actually is effective. The treatment, Burns said, can be fatal in and of itself. Dr. John Schwerkoske, who has treated roughly 49 cancer patients (half of whom have breast cancer) with the transplant treatment, disagreed. Twenty-five percent are now in remission, he said, cautioning that it will be years before they know for sure if they are cured. "I think it is a better treatment," he said. "We have to leave the decision in patients' hands." Supporters argue that regardless of the conflicting scientific opinions, the issue is a matter of choice for patients. If a doctor and a patient believe this is the best treatment, an insurance company shouldn't have the right to say no. Besides, proponents say, many doctors and studies show that it is an effective treatment, albeit a costly one. Mike Hatch, former head of the Department of Commerce, and now an attorney representing women whose insurance companies refuse to pay for the procedure, said costs can run about $65,000 compared to traditional chemotherapy, administered in low doses over several months, which costs about $45,000. He said he has represented many women in recent years and cited court decisions that have required insurance companies to pay for the procedure. Courts have found the procedure can be effective and is not experimental. Rep. Roger Cooper (DFL-Bird Island) questioned why, if a doctor and a patient determine the transplant procedure is the best method of care, should they have to seek legal action to get coverage? Carolyn Gohlike of Cambridge agrees. She was treated with high-dose chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant for her breast cancer and has been in remission since August. "I thought I was just going to die. That's what happened to my mother," Gohlike said. HIGHER EDUCATION Public colleges for $1 Some of Minnesota's two-year schools could be sold for $1, under a bill debated by a House committee. But such abargains would be available only to communities that have an alternative "public use" in mind for such a college. Bill sponsor Rep. Ron Kraus (IR-Albert Lea) said Minnesota's 55 technical and community colleges are facing a budget squeeze that likely will force some of them to close. HF1591 would allow cities, counties, and school boards to have a role in deciding a new use for a technical or community college campus. The alternatives, Kraus said, are not attractive. The state alone could decide which schools to close, or the state could continue to insufficiently fund two-year schools. "What we're doing now -- starving these institutions and hoping the problem will go away -- is not something I can support," Kraus said. His bill was discussed at an April 6 meeting of the House Capital Investment Committee. Here's how Kraus' bill would work: A community deciding to close its two-year school would have to propose an alternative public use, such as converting it to a high school or senior citizens' center. The city, county or school board would have until Jan. 15, 1996, to apply to the state to purchase the facility for $1. The application would have to be approved by the Finance Department and later passed into law by the Legislature. If the deal is approved, the state would provide funding for converting the school to its new use. Local authorities would receive in the first year an amount equal to the school's 1995 physical plant operating budget. The state would contribute half that amount in the second year. (The funds provided by the state would not include dollars spent on salaries and programming costs for the school.) Some committee members questioned whether the bill would really produce savings for the state. Rep. Loren Solberg (DFL-Bovey) said it may simply shift costs to the remaining technical and community colleges that would have to absorb students cast off from closing facilities. And committee chair Rep. Henry Kalis (DFL- Walters) said he has serious concerns about selling the colleges for just $1. "They belong to the taxpayers and we have to be very cautious with them," he said. The committee did not act on the bill. LABOR Tackling 'corporate welfare' A bill designed to make some businesses receiving state aid pay their newly hired employees at least $7.21 per hour won approval from the House Taxes Committee April 4. "This is about accountability," said bill sponsor Rep. Karen Clark (DFL-Mpls). "It's a very, very modest first step . . . so we know what we're getting for our dollar." Her proposal would require companies receiving more than $25,000 from the state in the form of grants, loans, or some tax breaks, including tax increment financing (TIF), 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, or $7.21 per hour, Clark said. The wage hike would apply to new employees hired by qualifying companies after Aug. 1, 1995. The companies also would have two years to show a net job increase or show that jobs otherwise would have been lost without help from the state. Businesses that fail to do so would have to repay the state aid. And the measure would also impose a penalty on employers that don't abide by the law. Employers that fail to pay the $7.21 minimum wage to new employees would have to pay their local human services office a sum double the difference between that wage and the wage actually paid. Exemptions would exist for companies or programs receiving state aid for reasons other than job or economic development. Tourism loan program recipients, for example, are exempt, as are those benefiting from TIF housing, redevelopment, or hazardous substance districts. Small businesses -- those with no more than 20 employees and gross annual revenues of less than $1 million -- also would be exempt, as would non- profit organizations. An amendment to include non- profits failed on a party-line 11-12 vote. Under HF869, 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, grant, or waiver. The report will answer a question posed by Gordon Voss, a former state representative (one- time chair of the House Taxes Committee) and bill proponent: "Are the [state] expenditures effective for the purposes for which they were given?" Any future tax breaks granted by the Legislature to businesses must also include measurable goals for jobs and wages and require biennial review. Business and retail associations opposed the bill, saying it would cost the state jobs. "Artificially inflating wages above what the market will bear is not the answer," said Judy Cook, president of the Minnesota Retail Merchant's Association. Several IR members also expressed opposition to the bill, including Rep. H. Todd Van Dellen (IR- Plymouth). "This is like putting out a huge 'not welcome' sign for any small or medium-sized business looking to relocate in Minnesota," he said. HF869 now moves to the House floor. LAW Striking a real cord When winter rolls around again and the time comes to restock firewood supplies, consumers may have a protection in place to make sure they're getting the wood pile they pay for. Under a bill approved by the House on April 3, those who buy firewood will know how much wood actually makes up a cord (a common measurement for wood piles) and could request a receipt. The vote was 101-28. Currently, there is no way someone who buys a cord of firewood is assured of receiving a standard cord of firewood. HF1431 would allow anyone who buys firewood to ask for a receipt, which would include the name, address and telephone number of the seller's business or home address. Sellers who don't provide receipts, or who provide incorrect information, could be cited for a misdemeanor violation under the bill. The bill would help consumers who may purchase firewood from someone they find simply by dialing a number posted on a billboard, said the bill's sponsor Rep. Thomas Bakk (DFL-Cook). To further protect consumers, the bill specifies exactly how much wood is contained in a cord of firewood and specifies all firewood must be sold in cords. A cord equals a stack of wood 4-feet by 4- feet by 8-feet. Currently, firewood is sometimes sold in all sorts of measurements such as pulpwood cords or firewood cords, Bakk said. "That causes confusion to the consumers." The bill will next be heard by the Senate. No baby food allowed Flea marketgoers could no longer pick up some food for their newborns while they browse for antiques, under a bill given final passage April 6 by the House. The vote was 128 to 0. Rep. Matt Entenza (DFL-St. Paul), who sponsors HF1091, said some of his constituents have noticed a growing trend: merchants selling baby food from flea market booths. Anyone may rent a table at a flea market and sell items. His bill would not allow merchants at flea markets to sell infant formula, other food intended for a child under two years old, over-the-counter drugs, medical devices, or cosmetics. The sales of such items are unregulated if they're sold at such booths, so the items may not be safe to eat, Entenza said. His bill would make exceptions for authorized manufacturers' representatives who may sell such items from booths they rent. The bill will next be heard by the Senate. Ice house identification In the land of Olsons, Petersons, and Johnsons, where the winter religion is ice fishing, how can you tell one ice house from another? It's not easy -- particularly when the only identifiable landmark on a windswept lake may be a frozen walleye or a block of ice. But a bill (HF1307) given final approval by the House April 6 would allow anglers to paint their drivers' license number -- or their vehicle's license plate number -- on the shack's outside wall. The vote was 127-1. Currently, ice house residents must identify their home-away-from-home by painting their name and home address in letters at least three inches high. But problems ensue when more than one -- or even more than two or three -- Johnsons or Olsons share the same lake, said bill sponsor Rep. Don Ostrom (DFL-St. Peter). The painted names serve to identify fish house owners to the Department of Natural Resources. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration. SPORTS 'Mighty Ducks' bill advances A bill to authorize $5 million in state bonds to build at least 20 indoor ice arenas in Minnesota won approval from a House panel April 3. Under the bill (HF1260), the Minnesota Amateur Sports Commission would use money from the sale of bonds to distribute grants of up to $250,000 each to local communities. Revenue generated from the current sales tax on sports and health club memberships would pay off the bonds. Originally, the bill sought $2.5 million in bonding authority for at least 10 new indoor ice arenas. But a successful amendment by Rep. Tom Rukavina (DFL-Virginia) transferred another $2.5 million -- set aside in the 1994 bonding law for an indoor shooting center on the Iron Range -- to the ice rinks proposal. There is disagreement on where the shooting center should be built so its future is unclear. With the additional funds, the bill would double the money available for ice center grants and subsidize at least 20 new indoor ice arenas, Rukavina said. The State Government Finance Division of the House Governmental Operations Committee approved the bill after adopting the Rukavina amendment. Bill sponsor Bob Milbert (DFL-South St. Paul), also a member of the amateur sports commission, said a study of ice needs in Minnesota discovered more than 90 communities that say they need a new indoor ice arena or repairs for an existing arena. The number of girls and boys participating in winter sports such as hockey and competitive figure skating has increased the demand for ice time. (A 1994 law mandates that all public indoor ice arenas must give female hockey teams "up to 30 percent" of the prime ice time during the 1995 winter season and "up to 50 percent" by the 1996 season.) Milbert said most ice arenas in the state will cost $750,000 to about $1 million to build. Since the maximum grant would amount to $250,000, a community would have to come up with the rest. The bill gives local governments the ability to sell bonds to supplement the state grant for an ice center. Local governments could also sell bonds without voter approval as long as two or more local governments agree and there is expert testimony that the ice arena's revenues will be enough to pay off the bonds without relying on property taxes. In addition, the bill provides a sales tax exemption for building materials used to construct the arenas if a school district is a party to an agreement to build. Another section of the bill would set aside $400,000 from the sale of state bonds to help renovate existing arenas. The proposal, dubbed the 'Mighty Ducks' bill, is named after a Walt Disney movie depicting a team of misfit youth hockey players. Last year, Milbert tried to attach a version of his ice rink proposal to a bill authorizing a public buyout of the Target Center in downtown Minneapolis. Milbert's amendment never survived the final days of the 1994 session. HF1260 now goes to the full Governmental Operations Committee. TRANSPORTATION Plates for vintage cars Vintage car owners would be able to display license plates that would better match the vintage of their cars, under a bill approved March 31 by the House Transportation and Transit Committee. Currently, those who own restored or vintage automobiles can display special "collector license plates" that bear the same year a car was built, but the plates don't look like the original license plates issued that year. Cars with collector plates can only be used to drive to and from collector car shows. Owners of such plates don't need to renew them on an annual basis. However, they may only drive 2,000 miles per year in the cars. But Bob Kruse, who lives in Bloomington, said he wants to use 1968 license plates on a restored 1969 automobile. Because license plates back then were only issued every two years, the license plates resemble plates the car would have had when new, he said. Kruse plans to drive the car to vintage automobile shows, but he also would like to take it for short spins to the grocery store or to visit friends, he said. So Kruse contacted his state representative, Alice Seagren (IR-Bloomington), who sponsors HF1402. He spent a great deal of time restoring the Dodge Charger and said attaching current Minnesota license plates would mar its vintage appearance. "The only comparison I can make to having current license plates on my car is seeing a caveman walking down the street wearing wing- tipped shoes," Kruse said. Under the bill, Kruse and other collector car owners would be allowed to use original-era license plates for cars that are at least 20 years old. The license plate number must not already be issued. Owners of such plates would renew them yearly. To preserve the integrity of the antique license plates, they would not have to display the month and year renewal stickers on the plate's lower corners, though they would have to carry the vehicle license registration in the car with them at all times. "I warned my constituent he may be stopped quite often and asked to show his registration," Seagren said. Rep. Don Frerichs (IR-Rochester) praised the bill as an example of "how the process works" for the individual constituent with a complaint. Private driver data The names and addresses of disabled drivers wouldn't be available to the public, under a bill approved April 5 by the House Transportation and Transit Committee. The bill is necessary to curb some medical equipment vendors from compiling lists of potential customers and contacting them in an attempt to make a sale, said Kurt Strom, an advocate for the State Council on Disabilities. Some disreputable vendors have made such contacts, Strom said. Currently, only medical information on those disabled drivers is private -- which means members of the public don't have access to that data. Social security and vehicle registration numbers and medical data for all licensed drivers also is considered private information. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety compiles the lists when Minnesotans apply for drivers' licenses. The bill (HF144/SF144*) also would ensure that the public wouldn't have access to disabled drivers' names and addresses. Currently, such information is public for all Minnesota drivers, unless an individual requests that it be made private. The bill also would allow disabled drivers to display their handicapped parking certificate on the dashboard if their disability prevents them from hanging it from the rear view mirror as state law currently requires. Next, the House Economic Development, Infrastructure and Regulation Finance Committee will hear the bill. Safe school buses Minnesota school bus drivers convicted of a DWI while on duty would be banned from ever driving a school bus again, under a bill approved March 31 by the House Judiciary Committee. The provision is included in a bill assembled by the School Bus Safety Task Force and sponsored by Rep. David Tomassoni (DFL-Chisholm). Current law calls for a five-year ban in such a case -- the same suspension that is in place for a school bus driver who is convicted of a DWI while in a personal car. An amendment to weaken the "personal car" penalty failed. It would have graduated the bus license suspension depending on the number of DWI offenses (90 days for a first-time offender, for example, or one year for a three-time offender). Additionally, the state would no longer require that school bus drivers learn first aid or take eight hours of annual in-service training. "We're having an absolute terrible time providing training in rural Minnesota, said Joe Beaton of the Minnesota School Bus Driver's Association. "It is hindering the hiring of drivers." Last year, the Legislature passed a comprehensive school bus safety law, which allowed school districts to get a 1 percent boost in their transportation safety aid each year to make their buses safer. The law also called for more school bus driver training. HF892 would leave it up to school districts -- not the state -- to determine how much first aid training drivers should receive. Current law says all drivers have to show they know first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation before they can obtain a school bus driver's license. Some members have called the requirement an unfunded mandate for local school districts. Beaton said school districts face a bus driver shortage because the frequently low-paying and part-time positions require specific training and a criminal background check. Potential bus drivers also must show they understand student behavior, know how to get students on and off the bus in an orderly fashion, and know what to do in emergencies. HF892 would also: -- clarify that school bus drivers are included in the state's Good Samaritan law, which makes them immune from criminal and civil liability when rendering emergency care or assistance while on duty; -- create a mandatory minimum fine of $300 for failure to stop for a school bus with an extended stop arm. Current law calls for a driver's license suspension for a first-time offender. Under the bill, a license would only be suspended for a repeat offender; -- reduce the current five-year bus license cancellation to one year for a driver receiving a fourth moving violation in three years. The bill now moves to the Education Committee. Creating local bus services Cities and towns surrounding the Twin Cities would be able to create their own bus services, under a bill approved March 31 by the Transportation and Transit Committee. HF1549 would allow communities in the Twin Cities metropolitan area -- in which the Metropolitan Council levies a transportation tax -- to use that money for their own bus service. Currently, five companies in the metropolitan area offer "opt-out" transportation services. That means they don't choose to use the Metropolitan Council's coordinating busing system which operates throughout the Twin Cities, suburbs, and adjacent cities and towns. The communities which use opt-out services are still levied a transportation tax by the Metropolitan Council. The council levies the tax on all communities it serves or could potentially serve, said Jim Solem, the council's regional administrator. The agencies that administer opt-out programs, such as the Minnesota Valley Transit Authority which serves riders in Apple Valley, Burnsville, Prior Lake, and other southern suburbs, submit their annual operating budgets to the council for approval. Once approved, the council rebates the agency that budget amount, Solem said. But HF1549 would allow local governments to automatically get back 90 percent of their transportation levy if they choose to operate or use an opt-out service, said bill sponsor Rep. Tom Workman (IR-Chanhassen). If the local government received more money back from the council than necessary to operate the bus service, it would place the money in a special reserve account for future opt-out use. "We have communities that are paying the transportation levy and getting virtually no service," Workman told committee members. To be eligible to take part under Workman's bill, communities must show the Metropolitan Council does not provide them with adequate busing service, though they pay the transportation levy. Potentially eligible cities include Lino Lakes in Anoka County, Vadnais Heights and North Oaks in Ramsey County, Medicine Lake and Osseo in Hennepin County, and Pine Springs and Woodbury in Washington County, according to Workman. But Solem said the bill would splinter transportation busing services and create problems for passengers who wish to travel throughout the metropolitan area. "This would have a big impact on our ability to have a regional transit system," he said. The council is now studying the needs of the metropolitan busing system to better determine a way to serve all communities, he said. Rep. Dan McElroy (IR-Burnsville) said the met council provides a high-cost bus service. Opt-out companies could cut busing costs by using smaller buses, he said. Next, the bill will be heard by the House Local Government and Metropolitan Affairs Committee. New members . . . Rostberg puts 'reap-what-you-sow' lessons to work Growing up on a Kanabec County farm and attending a one-room school, Rep. Jim Rostberg (IR- Isanti) learned how common sense and careful work can bring future rewards. Serving his first term in the House, Rostberg is putting those you-reap-what-you-sow lessons to work on some of the tough issues facing state government. Rostberg wants to improve education and to make sure there will be good jobs for those children later. That way, the way Rostberg sees it, there will be less need for welfare, state-funded health care, or new prison space. "By doing some preventive care up front, we can reduce the costs at the other end," he said. Rostberg said a more business-friendly environment in Minnesota would help put people to work in good jobs with good benefits. He is one of many lawmakers who is looking to make changes in workers' compensation laws this year in order to boost business and jobs. "We need to look at our competition, our neighboring states, and see what we can do to bring ourselves into a better position," he said. "If we're not competitive with our neighbors, how can we blame businesses for moving over the border?" Rostberg won the District 18A seat in the House in 1994 by defeating four-term incumbent former Rep. Harold Lasley (DFL-Cambridge). A 1992 race between the same two candidates was Rostberg's first run for state office. Rostberg has worked for the past nine years as the emergency management director and veterans service officer for Isanti County -- positions that have given him a close-up look at some of the problems facing people in his community. There he worked with many low-income community members and saw their struggles for affordable housing, health care, and other essentials. "I wanted to come down to the Legislature to do what I could do to help decrease the cost of government and to increase opportunities for people," he said. Rostberg served six years on active duty in the Navy, three of which were spent on submarines, and he is a member of the Navy reserves. He and his wife, Kathy, have two children: Jacob, 12, and LeeAnn, 9. During his years on the family farm, Rostberg developed a keen interest in agricultural and environmental issues. He enjoys hands-on work such as cutting his own fire wood and heading out to do some deer hunting in the fall. And he wants to work in the Legislature to maintain Minnesota's agricultural strength and abundant natural resources. "We need to do what we can to preserve our environment so my children and my children's children will be able to enjoy it as much as I have," Rostberg said. Still, he believes there "needs to be a balance" between environmental protection and development. "The best way to accomplish that is through local control," Rostberg said. "Common sense should dictate a lot of things, and I think you get common sense when local officials decide because the public is more actively involved." He supports legislation being considered this year that would give counties more power to decide which wetlands should be protected and which can be developed. Rostberg still owns a share of the family farm where he grew up and still works the land every year. While he currently is busy trying to forge a better future for people in his district, Rostberg has some other seeds to sow this spring. "The first thing I'm going to do when the session ends, if I don't have time before then, is get on my tractor, plow my field, and plant it," he said. -- Nick Healy District 18A Population: 32,320 Distribution: 15.76 percent urban; 84.24 percent rural Counties: Chisago, Isanti, Kanabec, Pine Largest city: Cambridge Location: east central Minnesota Unemployment rate: 6.72 percent Residents living below poverty level: 8.90 percent 1992 presidential election results: Bush/Quayle 28.97 percent Clinton/Gore 39.98 percent Perot/Stockdale 29.72 percent Other: 1.33 percent New members . . . Places in the heart -- and head -- for Bradley When church or community groups go looking for someone to take charge, a lot of people duck the offer by saying, "No, but I'd like to help." "I'm exactly the opposite," said Rep. Fran Bradley (IR-Rochester). "I love to lead. I love to organize. I have a propensity to be involved in a lot of community activities." During the past three decades, Bradley has accepted more than a few offers to lead community efforts. He has served as a board member for the Youth Employment Project and as a member of the Winona State University Foundation scholarship committee. He also has worked in the youth ministry and served on the religious education board and parish council for his church. But, until seeking the District 30A House seat in 1994, Bradley's experience in public office was limited to a six-year stint on the Oronoco City Council in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Still, he does not consider his decision to run for the seat left vacant by former Rep. Gil Gutknecht, who was elected to the U.S. Congress, a great departure. "I think it's a fairly natural extension of a keen interest in the community and a desire for the chance to make a difference," Bradley said. His involvement in IR politics stretches back to the 1970s, when he chaired the First District volunteer team for former congressman Al Quie. Bradley served in that role during Quie's successful 1978 gubernatorial campaign and still considers him a "statesman mentor." A longtime member of the Jaycees, Bradley said his most valuable campaign trail experience occurred when he mounted a successful run to become state president of the 10,000-member organization. Before entering the 1994 House race, Bradley spent six weeks considering his options and discussing the possibilities with his family. Once he decided to run, Bradley built a campaign around calls for welfare reform and for improvements in education and the economy. He set out determined to avoid negative campaign tactics. "I was going to win or lose based on the way I live my life," Bradley said. "That is based on optimism." Reforming workers' compensation, controlling taxes and taking other steps to create jobs in Minnesota, he maintains, could help solve some of the toughest problems facing the Legislature. "The greatest welfare reform initiative I see is a very strong economy," he said. "There is nothing to take the place of being able to go out and find a good job." The Ivanhoe, Minn., native doesn't put much stock in political labels, and adds that he doesn't easily fit into one category. He describes himself as a "fiscal conservative" and as "pro-life." But he considers himself "progressive" when it comes to expanding opportunities for women and people of color and says he is not the kind of person "who makes [abortion] the only issue." Bradley promises an understanding approach to even the most divisive issues that come before the Legislature. "I think we can have healthy differences of opinion and still respect each other," he said. "I hope we can debate, even sometimes get angry, and still respect each other." A graduate of South Dakota State University, Bradley said he had "probably 10 different careers" during his 30 years with IBM. He worked most recently as a senior engineer-manager before retiring in August 1994. He and his wife, Mary, have four children: Al, 30, Michelle, 28, Scott, 27, and Chris, 10. In his first term in the House, Bradley is counting on his engineering background and his "deep spiritual values" to help him analyze both the technical and ethical issues that legislators' face. "I tend to be driven in making decisions by a balance of heart and head," he said. -- Nick Healy District 30A Population: 32,969 Distribution: 99.41 percent urban; 0.59 percent rural County: Olmsted Largest city: Rochester Location: southeastern Minnesota Unemployment rate: 3.09 percent Residents living below poverty level: 4.61 percent 1992 presidential election results: Bush/Quayle 42.48 percent Clinton/Gore 33.17 percent Perot/Stockdale 23.59 percent Other: 0.76 percent New House member The newest member of the Minnesota House is Eldon Warkentin, an Independent-Republican from Coon Rapids, Minn., who won the April 4 special election in District 49B. He will assume the seat vacated by former Rep. Joel Jacobs, who was appointed to the Public Utilities Commission by Gov. Arne Carlson. Jacobs was serving his 12th term in the House. IR candidates continue to dominate special elections in recent years, taking the last 15 legislative contests, and 35 of 45 special elections dating to 1971. Warkentin received 48.8 percent of the vote in a three-way race. DFL candidate Luanne Koskinen received 39 percent, and Independence Party standard bearer Deb Skogen received 11.7 percent. A total of 4,690 votes were cast. A licensed public accountant, Warkentin and his wife, Esther, have three children and six grandchildren. In addition to membership in several professional groups, Warkentin serves as executive chairman of the Coon Rapids Evangelical Free Church. "Serving the voters of District 49B would be another form of serving the public as I have done throughout my life," said Warkentin. I look forward to the hard work and responsibility required of a state representative." Warkentin is expected to receive his committee assignments after he is sworn in April 10. With his election, the House now has 70 DFL members and 64 Independent-Republican members. In the Hopper . . . March 31 - April 6, 1995 BILL INTRODUCTIONS Monday, April 3 HF1772--Entenza (DFL) Education Special education services provided full state funding, fund transfers authorized, contract settlement deadline repealed, lease purchase levy modified, and property tax aid offsets provided. HF1773--Anderson, B. (IR) Environment and Natural Resources Sherburne county tax-forfeited land sale authorized. HF1774--Carlson (DFL) Education School district fund transfers authorized, required fund transfer eliminated, and lease purchase levy modified. HF1775--Pugh (DFL) Judiciary Unmarried mother right to custody provided, and child support order, paternity judgement, and right to counsel provisions modified. HF1776--Rhodes (IR) Transportation and Transit Railroad track zoning system established. HF1777--Simoneau (DFL) Governmental Operations Metropolitan council, metropolitan agency, and state historical society employees provided an early retirement incentive. HF1778--Ness (IR) Education School district projected capital expenditures report required. HF1779--Abrams (IR) Governmental Operations Government entity purchase of services prohibited from news media that do not annually publish their ethical standards. HF1780--McGuire (DFL) Governmental Operations Public information policy training program established for state and local government officials, and money appropriated. HF1781--Farrell (DFL) Judiciary Finance Red Wing and Sauk Centre correctional facilities juvenile placement prohibited, juvenile court delinquent transfer provisions modified, and juvenile care privatization report required. HF1782--Daggett (IR) Education Independent School District No. 22, Detroit Lakes, fund transfer authorized. HF1783--Schumacher (DFL) Commerce, Tourism and Consumer Affairs Fireworks display operators certification requirement provided, fees established, and money appropriated. HF1784--Kinkel (DFL) Judiciary Finance Ah Gwah Ching correctional facility established. HF1785--Long (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Local government state mandate development, imposition, and management regulated. HF1786--Pugh (DFL) Governmental Operations Gambling department created, gambling control and lottery boards abolished, horse racing commission modified, duties transferred, and agriculture commissioner required to provided technical and administrative horse racing support. HF1787--Carruthers (DFL) Governmental Operations Unicameral legislature provided with 112 members, and constitutional amendment proposed. HF1788--Trimble (DFL) Education Higher education board appropriated money for land acquisition. HF1789--Johnson, A. (DFL) Education Special education services provided full state funding, and property tax aid offset provided. HF1790--Hausman (DFL) Environment and Natural Resources Forest resource management responsibilities of the natural resources department expanded. HF1791--Carlson (DFL) Education School systemic site decision making restructuring grants provided, and money appropriated. HF1792--Rest (DFL) Taxes Hennepin County property tax offset reduction provided. HF1793--Lieder (DFL) Economic Development, Infrastructure, & Regulation Finance Omnibus transportation appropriations bill. HF1794--Long (DFL) Taxes Senior citizen's property tax deferral program adopted, and money appropriated. HF1795--Anderson, R. (DFL) Economic Development, Infrastructure, & Regulation Finance Glendalough State Park, Molly Stark lake, free public access site construction provided, and money appropriated. HF1796--Entenza (DFL) Education School efficiency and flexibility promoted, and reporting requirements eliminated. HF1797--Murphy (DFL) Judiciary Finance Corrections and public safety department appropriations reduced. HF1798--Jennings (DFL) Education Independent School District No. 138, North Branch, increased student-teacher contact time grant provided, and money appropriated. HF1799--Entenza (DFL) Education Special education aid procedures modified. HF1800--Long (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Strategic and long-range planning office to develop a sustainable development planning guide for local government use. HF1801--Pelowski (DFL) Education Graduation rule adoption cost analysis required by state board of education. HF1802--Lourey (DFL) Agriculture Dairy education and technology transfer pilot program established, and money appropriated. HF1803--Hausman (DFL) Education Flexible learning year building grants provided to school districts, and bonds issued. HF1804--Huntley (DFL) Taxes Enterprise zone duration extended in certain cities. HF1805--Huntley (DFL) Taxes Technical college student housing property tax exemption provisions modified. HF1806--Bakk (DFL) Rules and Legislative Administration Root-Bryce Treaty; President and Congress memorialized to refer water use disagreements between the citizens of Minnesota and Ontario to the International Joint Commission for examination and determination under the Root-Bryce Treaty. HF1807--Kahn (DFL) Governmental Operations Budget and oversight state council created, and duties specified. HF1808--Rest (DFL) Taxes Bonding authority allocation procedures modified. HF1809--Osthoff (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs St. Paul Charter Commission alternative appointment method provided. HF1810--Rice (DFL) Local Government & Metropolitan Affairs Juvenile sex offender residential program license restrictions provided, and communities provided notification of facility siting. Wednesday, April 5 HF1811--Wagenius (DFL) Taxes Mixed municipal solid waste and disposal service sales tax imposed. HF1812--Huntley (DFL) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Physician groups authorized to collectively bargain with benefit payors. HF1813--Rice (DFL) Economic Development, Infrastructure, & Regulation Finance Commerce, Economic Security, Labor and Industry, Public Service, and Trade and Economic Development department appropriations reduced. HF1814--Leppik (IR) Commerce, Tourism & Consumer Affairs Consumer credit equal treatment of spouses provided. HF1815--Entenza (DFL) Judiciary Finance Ramsey County judge increase authorized. HF1816--Otremba (DFL) Labor-Management Relations Reemployment insurance benefit eligibility provided to certain business owners. HF1817--Knight (IR) Governmental Operations State sovereignty defense council established, and attorney general directed to challenge certain federal mandates. HF1818--Knight (IR) Governmental Operations Police and firefighters relief association member service pension calculation salary definition limited. Thursday, April 6 HF1819--Tunheim (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Finance Lake of the Woods commercial rough fish and perch license limitation authorized. HF1820--Bakk (DFL) Taxes Taconite economic development fund distribution extension provided. HF1821--Jaros (DFL) Environment & Natural Resources Finance Pollution control agency sewage treatment system grants provided, bonds issued, and money appropriated. HF1822--Paulsen (IR) Education Referendum allowance reduction discontinued. HF1823--Swenson, D. (IR) Judiciary Design professional civil action expert review certification required. MINNESOTA INDEX Higher education in Minnesota Percent of the state budget spent on higher education, FY1994 13 Number of students on Minnesota higher education campuses, 1993 300,000 Students receiving state grants, 1992-93 school year 62,000 total of those state grants, in millions $82.7 additional dollars in federal Pell Grants, in millions $70.7 Average state and federal grant award, per student $2,503 Total number of Minnesota public higher education campuses 66 nationally, average number of campuses per state 31 Number of public higher education campuses offering baccalaureate degrees 10 University of Minnesota 3 State university campuses 7 Degrees awarded in 1990-91 school year 16,000 in how many fields of study 230 Fields in which degree programs are offered at all 10 institutions, (computer and information science) 1 Percent of Minnesota teacher education graduates finding full-time teaching jobs, 1981 61 in 1991 41 Elementary teachers graduating from Minnesota's public and private institutions, per year 2,000 Elementary positions that the Department of Education estimates that Minnesota school districts will be eliminating, per year, between 1995 and 2000 240 Student teacher ratio at technical colleges, 1992 16:1 at community colleges 24:1 Spending per full-time student at technical colleges, 1992 $3,562 at community colleges $2,000 Percent of technical college graduates finding work in related fields 74 to 79 Percent that University of Minnesota tuition exceeds the national average for comparable universities, 1993 24 Enrollment at Normandale, largest Minnesota community college, fall 1992 9,221 at St. Cloud, largest state university, fall 1992 15,507 at Anoka, largest technical college, fall 1992 7,387 Sources: Higher Education Programs, February 1994; Higher Education Tuition and State Grants, February 1993, Program Evaluation Division, Office of the Legislative Auditor.