Mankato Free Press: Walz eager to dig into legislative issues
The Free Press's Mark Fischenich reports that the First's new representative is ready to get an important piece of legislation passed:
The rookie Democrat is a co-sponsor of legislation to boost the minimum wage for the first time in a decade, lifting it from $5.15 per hour to $7.25.
“It’s a clean bill, so it will go pretty smoothly,” he predicted. “... I think you’ll see this pass, and I think you’ll see the president sign it.”
The wage legislation is part of a series of bills the new Democratic majority in the House hopes to pass in its first 100 hours of floor sessions. Action in the more tightly split Senate, where rules give the minority more opportunities to block legislation, is expected to be slower.
House Democratic leaders came under criticism from Republicans when they announced plans to fast-track the legislation in the first 100 hours. Walz said he isn’t entirely comfortable with restricting opportunities for hearings and Republican amendments on the Democrats’ 100-hour agenda.
When it comes to the minimum wage bill, Walz said it would be easy to deflect opposition because the wage hike is so overdue. It’s unjust that someone can work 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year and still be below the poverty level — which is the case with full-time minimum wage workers now, he said.
“I’m sure not afraid to debate the minimum wage bill with anyone considering that 89 percent of the people in the country support it,” he said.
Walz is also comfortable with new rules that prevent legislators from traveling on lobbyists' dime and restricting gifts from lobbyists:
Walz was pleased with the rules the Democratic majority put in place in its first days in charge, including restrictions on gifts from lobbyists and a ban on lobbyist funded travel for members of Congress. . . .
. . . Walz said he was able to hold dozens of meetings with groups and constituents between the election and his swearing-in.
“No one had to fly me to Florida, nobody had to buy me lunch, no one had to give me a gift,” he said. “That’s my job.”
Walz had campaigned on restoring pay-as-you-go rules and was happy to see the House approve them:
Walz also applauded the House’s decision to reinstate the pay-as-you-go budget rules that were dropped when President Bush and congressional Republicans were pushing large tax cuts in 2001. The rules, which were credited for helping to balance the federal budget in the years leading up to 2001, require that tax cuts and spending increases be offset by tax increases or spending cuts.
Essentially, PAY-GO rules attempt to force Congress to prioritize rather than simply borrowing more money to cover the cost of spending more or taxing less.
It’s going to be difficult. It’s going to be painful,” Walz said. “... But to me, it’s an absolute imperative.”
New Ulm Journal: Wary of taxes
The New Ulm Journal's editorial board suggests caution on tax increases, but sees two specific areas in which taxes could be raised:
Be wary of taxes
THUMBS UP: Republican senators and Gov. Tim Pawlenty are sounding a concerned note with the first round of legislative proposals coming from Senate DFLers. There are a number of tax increases included, and Republicans think we should rely on the increases in revenue that are already showing up in the budget.
We are wary of new taxes too, but there are a couple of tax proposals that deserve consideration. One would be an increase in the gasoline tax, which has stayed at 20 cents per gallon since 1988. Since then inflation has eaten away at the purchasing power of the gas tax, and the volume and cost of necessary highway repairs has grown. We are far from raising the estimated billion dollars a year that is needed simply to keep up with road and bridge repair and rebuilding needs.
There is also a proposal for an amendment to raise the sales tax, with the increase dedicated to the outdoors, the environment and the arts. This would require a public referendum. Why not let the people make the decision?
When it comes to tax proposals we prefer a cautious look rather than a knee-jerk “No!”
Knee-jerk conservatives called out by the New Ulm Journal? The times they are a-changin'.
More legislative news in the Journal here.
Strib: What the new speaker says
Editorial page columnist Lori Sturdevant talks to the new speaker of the Minnesota House and comes away with a few observations:
This is a city politician with a decidedly rural stamp. The résumé includes state 4-H president and dairy princess -- but that's only a little of what Kelliher took with her from the farm near Lake Crystal when she moved to Minneapolis.
Add a capacity for hard work ("I never took a vacation until I was an adult,") a knack for problem-solving ("We were forever talking about how to fix things") and realistic expectations ("It was about making a living, not making a fortune.")
Looking out for the whole state comes naturally to her. Transportation policy is a case in point. Kelliher won't reject out-of-hand proposals to create a metro-only funding base for transportation improvements. She's too pragmatic for that. But she'd prefer a whole-state approach that addresses rural highway safety as well as metro congestion. "That's the way we do things in Minnesota."
She easily sees similarities among people and places. "The place where we live (the Bryn-Mawr neighborhood in Minneapolis) is very engaged in the community. I like that a lot. It reminds me of things that were very important to me as a kid -- my little Lutheran Church, my 4-H club. ...
"The values of my legislative district seem very reflective of the values of the state right now. There's a real interest in attacking rising property taxes. There's a care and concern for our great educational system, from early childhood to higher ed. And health care -- these things are not specific to any one district. They've become universal to Minnesota."
Rochester Post Bulletin: Bataan survivor: Important thing is to help other people
Here's an inspiring story about a veteran:
PLAINVIEW -- Every memory shared by World War II veteran Ken Porwoll about the brutality of war seems to be accompanied by a story of human kindness.
A survivor of the Bataan Death March, Porwoll spent nearly 31/2 years in prisoner of war camps in Japan, witnessing and enduring grueling treatment that killed many of his comrades.
And yet, when asked by a high school student Friday about the most important thing he learned then, Porwoll answered: "To help other people." . . .
Read the whole thing.
Austin Daily Herald: Austin native competes in VH1's white rapper contest
More signs of change in southern Minnesota as Austin native raps to the political beat on VH1. Here's a link to Jus Rhymes (Jeb Middlebrooks) You Tube video and honors undergraduate thesis at the U. Decide for yourself: for better or worse, we leave music criticism to the Wege.
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