Bluestem Prairie

Dale Lueck concern trolls Lee about DNR public land pollinator food plots--gets stung by Hansen

Leave it to a monocultural mind like that of state representative Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, to concern troll his fellow lawmaker Fue Lee, DFL-Minneapolis over HF721 a bill intended to promote pollinators by preventing neonicotinoid use on wildlife management areas.

Lueck mixes it up--suggesting that Lee needs his help to understand how growing things works. One better have rotations and such--and any bill better be about funding single-plant food plots for bees. Eventually, Representative Hansen reviews statutory pollinator policy.

Watch the moment below,(full committee hearing video here) followed by a rough transcript:

First Lueck suggests that bill to be sent to the ag committee, since it deals with an agricultural chemical. Then he concern troll about the lack of pollinator food plots and the funding for them:

What is it that you're doing now to increase the diversity of these food plots directly, you and the DNR to support the pollinators? This doesn't say anything about what the last testifier just mentioned about diversity. I mean, the corn and the beans and the stuff ...is there primarily for the birds and mammals. It's not intended to be there specifically for the pollinators. . . .So why don't we have a whole bunch of separate food plots out there that are diverse just like the testifier mentioned?

That's what we do in agriculture when your rotate crops. You really can't have good alfalfa, good clover, those types of things depend on that, so it strikes me that this is not only pointless because one, the DNR has full authority to  regulate exactly what's done on that property, but secondly it totally misses the point-and I'm speaking directly to the author. I'll help you with this.

But this doesn't do a doggone thing to put new stuff out there for bees and that's where we need to go with this if we're going to walk the walk and not tie this up with a situation. Where is the program to put those plots out there for the birds, the ones we mostly take home and eat, to sell hunting licenses, let's be honest. And put those plots out there for the deer. Where are all the plots and where is the funding for the plots for pollinators. This is way off base.

Lee defers to DNR expert Patrick Rivers, who explains that the agency used to grow a lot of switchgrass and very few species of cover for the birds (pheasants) and other animals but that has changed over the last 20 years:

A good prairie on WMAs now includes forbs--species that bloom throughout the entire year--to your point Representative Lueck,to provide that pollinator habitat. And it's not uncommon to see 60 different species on our best managed WMAs, so we're working hard to address those issues, providing habitat not only for pheasants, small mammals but also for those pollinators.

It's an ecosystem.

That notion of ecosystem doesn't register and Lueck doesn't give up:

Just a follow-up. Isn't it just about time that we shifted the strategy to do something directly for the pollinators. ...as we did for pheasants and for deer and those type of things to provide a ....and I'm talking about on a big strategic level here. This? I disagree completely. This? The author . . .this accomplishes nothing. They've already got the authority to control what's used there. This doesn't do a doggone thing to move the ball ahead.

After Chair John Persell, DFL-Bemidji, says some words about bipartisan support for the notion of improving WMAs, S. St. Paul Democrat Rick Hansen reminds Lueck of the recent past in pollinator protection:

You may not be aware, but in 2013, we passed a statute that says that for wildlife management areas, we have to have pollinator habitat.

So we did it five years ago. We said that any land purchased, any land we have has to have pollinator habitat. We directed the Board of Soil and Water Resources to develop pollinator seed mixes for a cost share on private land. We did extensive work on habitat where we directed the state of Minnesota to do things for pollinators.

But the thing we couldn't do. [Pauses]. The thing we couldn't do, because of the intense power of the agricultural chemical industry, is deal with anything with pesticide.

And so what Representative Lee has here is saying just on 30,000 acres, "Can we have 30,000 acres of public land where we don't spray?"

And as a state, we have the choice on what we chose to buy. The Interstate Commerce argument [editor's note: made earlier by an agricultural chemical lobbyist] was patently ridiculous on its face. We have the choice on what we can buy and so we provide the habitat. We spend tons of money when we do the restorations, when we do the enhances, they have to have pollinator habitat. Not just on wildlife management areas.

But, if we spend all that money, and then the pollinators get sprayed, and they die because of the chemicals, or because of the seed treatment, which we had testimony in in this or the other [environment and natural resources finance] committee, if we spend all that money on trying to reintroduce endangered species and they're getting contact with chemicals-so there's no naturally occurring neonicotinoid. It' didn't exist 25 years ago.

. . .To assert the right to spray it everywhere on our public lands--we can do things differently. We don't just have to plant corn. We can plant sorghum, we can plant oats, variety of food plots. Diversity is what makes the difference for food plots and diversity is what makes the difference in our habitat--and we've done that by statute. Everything we do has to have the pollinator habitat. . . .

We've spent beaucoup money on research. We've developed a bee lab that's the best in the country. They're researching mites, Representative Heintzeman. 

Pesticides, parasites, poor nutrition, and poor habitat. Minnesota has dealt with three out of the four. Pesticides, a pesticide discussion is always off limits at the Minnesota legislature where we cannot take action because of the power of the lobby. So I applaud you Representative Lee . . .for trying to do a little bit on our public lands. A little bit for those little wildlife. Not just the wildlife we shoot but the wildlife that makes the ecological chain of life work.

Lueck chimes in again, but we think Hansen pretty much covered the bases. Prior to being elected to the Minnesota House, Hansen oversaw the Minnesota Department of Agriculture' pesticide applicator permitting program; he holds degrees in biology and soil science--and farms the family place down in Fillmore County with his brother. Lueck, on the other hand, defends neonics while proclaiming his concern for bees--though he's ill-informed about state statues related to the tiny critters.

UPDATE: Lueck's ignorance of pollinator legislation passed in 2013 (he beat Joe Radinovich in 2014 to take the seat in 2015) leaves us scratching our heads over this remark at last Friday's Eggs and Issues in Brainerd:

"The ideas and many of the things we put forward and got to the governor's desk the last four years were vetoed and guess what? Some of our DFL friends are putting their arm around me and saying 'Say, how did that work again?'" Lueck said. "We're starting to get those bills passed to undo the damage of all those vetoes. Last year's bright ideas, some of them are now the bright ideas of our friends on the other side of the aisle."

We haven't seen Fue Lee, Jamie Becker-Finn or Rick Hansen giving Lueck a hug before the environment and natural resources policy committee and finance division meet, but it's not the first time a Republican is claiming credit for the creation of everything this session. [end update]

For some background on the power of the industry on shaping pollinator policy, check out our older posts from January 2016, On eve of MN Dept of Ag Pollinators Summit, Rick Hansen five must-have steps for pollinators and Summits, stakeholders & interest groups: On the peculiar closing of the MDA pollinators summit.

Bluestem is going increasingly impressed by Fue Lee's vision for Minnesota's natural resources, now in his second term. See Tuesday's post, Hunting license fee reallocation would boost DNR deer management funding.

Screengrab: Lueck carrying on. This Lueck moment in the Environment and Natural Resources Policy committee nearly matched that earlier in the session. Check out Dominant culture: Lueck gets in a huff about proposal aimed at getting kids into the outdoors and Aitkin Co Land Commish: local conservation center would benefit from Becker-Finn bill.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

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Hunting license fee reallocation would boost DNR deer management funding

A bill was held over in the House Environment and Natural Resources Division on Tuesday that's aimed to provide more transparency about how Minnesota deer license fees are spent--and to direct more of the fees toward managing the state's wild herd.

Session Daily's Erin Martin reports in Fee reallocation could boost funding for DNR deer management:

Sponsored by Rep. Fue Lee (DFL-Mpls), HF600 would reduce a portion of funds allocated to the Game and Fish fund, redirecting that money instead to the Department of Natural Resources’ deer management account. Currently, the DNR receives $2 per license to be used for deer habitat improvement and deer management programs. The bill would increase that amount to $16 per license. Around 500,000 deer hunting licenses were sold last year.

Lee stressed that the proposal would change the disposition of funds, rather than upping the fee for hunting licenses. If enacted, the change would be applied retroactively to the beginning of the current hunting license period, March 1, 2018.

The proposal, which has no Senate companion, was characterized as a carryover from last year by Cory Bennett, representing the Minnesota Deer Hunters Association. A similar provision was part of the omnibus budget bill vetoed by former Gov. Mark Dayton last year.

Bennet said the association typically is in favor of fees, since they want the fish and wildlife funds to remain solvent, but they also want more transparency in how that money is spent.

Community member and hunter Yeng Moua echoed Bennett, saying increased transparency “can help new, present and past hunters … to see where the money really is going.” Moua implied that transparency would increase the sense of agency Minnesota hunters feel, encouraging them to continue in a sport with deep conservation, cultural and economic impacts.

The deer management account provides operating money for a number of programs with the DNR, including emergency deer feeding, Chronic Wasting Disease efforts, and habitat management. Many of those programs have tangential impacts on conservation efforts for other wildlife, as well, noted DNR Assistant Commissioner Bob Meier.

Given the challenges deer and deer hunters face, this seems like a common-sense use of hunters' fees. Lee is a champion for engaging people of color, new immigrant populations and younger urban people in hunting and the outdoors.

Photo: A whitetail deer.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

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Minnesota House Sovereignty Day historic event

We watched Sovereignty Day events at the Minnesota House with great fascination here on the Lake Traverse Reservation in South Dakota, with a friend who is a Sisseton Wahpeton tribal elder and Dakota speaker.

What is Sovereignty Day? The most direct way to learn is to watch the morning and afternoon sessions:

Dave Orrick reports in Presidents Day becomes Sovereignty Day in Minnesota House, as Indian leaders are given the floor in the Pioneer Press:

On Presidents Day, Minnesota House Democrats essentially ceded the chamber to American Indian leaders and educators, who spoke in a range of hopeful, defiant and terse tones about the dark history of the state’s relationship with Native Americans and where it stands today.

It was no coincidence, said House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, who used her prerogative as the presider of the House to make the entire day’s agenda beholden to “Sovereignty Day.”

“I picked this day on purpose because we have to remember that all of this land was theirs before we got here,” Hortman said. Her agenda was simple, she said: education and respect, because her experience in the Legislature since 2004 told her both were needed.

“We’d have these debates on the House floor and it was clear people didn’t understand,” she said, referring to the often-misunderstood legal, bureaucratic, political and practical ramifications of American Indian status, which is governed by a complex history of federal treaties, court cases and state and tribal laws. .  . .

The event was historic: The most senior leaders of all 11 federally recognized Indian bands were present in the House chamber. That’s never happened before.

Hortman said she’s had the idea for at least a year and had discussed it last year with Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan, who at the time was a fellow House member in the minority party. Flanagan, who said she’s envisioned the idea “for years,” is a member of the White Earth Nation — a first for Minnesota — and Flanagan’s official state portrait features three flags, the American flag, the Minnesota state flag, and the White Earth flag.

Hortman's observation about the lack of understanding about sovereignty certainly been our impression in watching committee hearings as well. However, the event was well received by the lawmakers, Orrick reports:

If there were any grumblings about the event being contrary to the spirit of Presidents Day, or being a white-guiltfest by liberal leaders, no one voiced those sentiments publicly. On the contrary.

A number of Republicans said the event moved them.

During a question-and-answer session, Army Reserve veteran Rep. Rod Dettmer, R-Forest Lake, lobbed a softball question (he later said he knew the answer) to a panel of Indian officials: How prevalent is military service among Native Americans?

The answer: up to 25 percent — the highest per capita military service record of any ethnic group, according to White Earth Secretary-Treasurer Alan Roy, a veteran himself. The two men then publicly thanked each other for his service.

State Rep. Tony Albright, R-Prior Lake, paused after being asked what he thought about timing of the event on Presidents Day.

“I think this is long overdue,” Albright said. “We need to recognize we have a shared history that we need to understand, but also a shared future. As far as Presidents Day, I’ll say there needs to be courage on both sides to revisit that past.”

The day’s activities also included a luncheon with tribal leaders, Gov. Tim Walz and leaders of the Republican-controlled Senate.

Forum News reporter Dana Ferguson writes in Tribal leaders mark historic moment, painful past at 'Sovereignty Day' at the Capitol:

Representatives from each of the 11 American Indian tribes in Minnesota on Monday, Feb. 18, gave state legislators a refresher course on the history of Indigenous people in the state and asked that they keep them in mind when writing laws.

It was the first time in more than a decade that lawmakers turned over the House of Representatives for an intensive session on an issue. And it was the first time all 11 tribes were invited to speak in that chamber.

The event titled Sovereignty Day coincided with Presidents Day. House Speaker Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, said the timing was chosen with that coincidence in mind.

"It was very intentional to recognize there is this sovereignty that existed before we had the United States of America as we know it today," Hortman said. "Now it's on us to respond to and respect what we heard."

Tribal leaders acknowledged they were glad to be part of the historic day, but said they felt conflicted about coming to the Capitol building, a symbol of loss and oppression for the Dakota people. They urged lawmakers to understand and acknowledge the sacrifices of Indigenous people.

The leaders said the dialogue was a constructive first step in establishing a deeper understanding of each tribe's perspectives on different issues and they urged lawmakers to keep tribal leaders involved in policymaking, to visit each tribe and to keep Indigenous history in mind.

“It’s hard for us to stand up here and not talk about all the injustices that happened to our people but also, it’s important that we bridge the gap and you guys understand what we’ve gone through as Native people,” Sam Strong, Secretary of the Red Lake Nation, said. "All of you did not create these wrongs but it’s important to recognize the wrongs of the past if we mean to correct them, if we mean to move forward in a good way.”

He pointed to disparities in education, economic prosperity and health outcomes that stemmed from the failure of the federal government to adequately enforce its treaty obligations to American Indian tribes.

Read the rest at the Fargo Forum--and take time to watch the embedded videos.

Photo: A Native American group drums Monday at the beginning of Sovereignty Day in the House Chamber. Photo by Paul Battaglia via Session Daily.

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Aitkin Co Land Commish: local conservation center would benefit from Becker-Finn bill

Back on February 6, Bluestem reported in Dominant culture: Lueck gets in a huff about proposal aimed at getting kids into the outdoors that the Aitken County Republican state representative was offended on the part of local environmental education center:

The day after the [House Environment and Natural Resources Policy] committee meeting, Lueck said in an interview that he took offense on behalf of the people at his local outdoors outfit, the Long Lake Conservation Center near Palisade. He perceived that Becker-Finn attacked the ability of those organizations to conduct diverse outreach.

Interestingly enough, Aitkin County Land Commissioner Rich Courtemanche showed up yesterday to support the bill at a special informational hearing at an informational hearing Friday in the Environment and Natural Resources Committee, which met at the Dodge Nature Center in West St. Paul, according to KARE 11's John Croman in New push to get for children outdoors:

Aitken [sic] County Land Commissioner Rich Courtemanche told the panel that many school districts have backed away from the multiple-day trips to environmental learning centers such as Long Lake Conservation Center in north central Minnesota.

He said Long Lake averaged 6,000 student visitors per year before the Great Recession, and now that's down to 3,500 per year even though the economy recovered.

"Since 2010 budget shortfalls have eliminated nearly all funding for environmental education. Environmental learning centers throughout the state are feeling the pinch," Courtemanche explained.

He said if the trend continues there's a risk the next generation won't value the outdoors or understand the relationship between nature and people.

While the Aitkin County Land Commissioner was at the hearing, committee member Lueck was far, far away. At the Brainerd Dispatch, Gabriel Lagarde reports in Eggs & Issues forum participants talk scrambled politics in St. Paul:

The Brainerd Lakes Chamber of Commerce's Eggs & Issues forum is an annual breakfast and interactive panel discussion featuring Brainerd lakes area legislators Friday morning, Feb. 15, at Madden's Resort on Gull Lake.

The panel included state Reps. Josh Heintzeman, R-Nisswa, John Poston, R-Lake Shore, and Dale Lueck, R-Aitkin, . . .

Both Heintzeman and Lueck serve on the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division, but apparently scrambing politics with the local chamber of commerce was more important than hearing testimony  in a committee, even if a local official traveled all the way from Aitkin County to a nature center in West St. Paul to give testimony.

Perhaps Lueck can catch up by listening to the audio of the hearing.

Here's the clip of John Croman's story for KARE-11:

We see Fosston Republican Steve Green at the hearing and commend him for attending. We'll be interested interested in reading the roll call to see which members of the division showed up.

Screenshot: State representative Steve Green, R-Fosston, listening attentively to the hearing. Via KARE-11. Correction: Bluestem originally posted another photo of Green that was not from the KARE 11 story. We apologize for the error.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

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CWD found in Crow Wing County wild doe; Walz to up funds for DNR & Board of Animal Health

The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources announced Friday that a dead wild doe found January 23 northeast of Merrifield tested positive for CWD on February 14.

Not unlike the CWD found in wild deer in Southeastern Minnesota, the discovery follows an earlier incidence of the prion-based disorder in a captive herd of farmed deer:

The DNR began surveillance around a CWD-positive captive cervid facility near Merrifield starting in the 2017 hunting season. With outstanding cooperation from hunters, the DNR has sampled more than 8,600 deer in its north-central surveillance zone during the past two years. None of those deer tested positive. Since this is the first positive wild deer found in the area, DNR is hopeful the disease is isolated.

Of course, there's some funding in there for the Board of Animal Health.

Various news reports have more--and the news suggests Walz has moved from pinning the responsibility for lack of action on pushback from the captive deer industry during a debate at Game Fair 2018 to practicing regulatory humility toward that very industry.

There's servant leadership--and then there's regulatory capture.

Regulatory humility: the Walz response

The DNR CWD management page notes:

Gov. Tim Walz also is proposing new funding of $4.57 million over the next two years and $1.1 million annually to combat the disease. Activities funded would include disease surveillance and response; enforcement; and outreach to landowners.

However, the department press release, New CWD-positive deer in Crow Wing County and southeastern Minnesota require additional disease monitoring and management, has more:

Gov. Walz proposes new funding to combat CWD; DNR plans disease response efforts

The Department of Natural Resources has confirmed chronic wasting disease (CWD) in a wild deer in Crow Wing County. This test result marks the first time in Minnesota the fatal neurological disease has been found in a wild deer outside of the southeastern part of the state. 

Previous discoveries of the disease in wild deer have been concentrated predominantly in Fillmore County, with additional discoveries in Houston and Winona counties in the past two months.

As a result of these discoveries, the DNR is planning additional disease response actions, and Gov. Tim Walz is proposing new funding of $4.57 million over the next two fiscal years, and $1.1 million annually thereafter to combat the disease, including surveillance and response, enforcement, and outreach to landowners. . . .

DNR will also work closely with the Board of Animal Health, which regulates Minnesota’s captive deer and elk. Strommen emphasized that “I will take all steps within my authority to ensure the facility with CWD-positive deer has adequate safeguards in place to protect Minnesota’s wild deer.”

Board Senior Veterinarian Dr. Mackenzie Reberg affirmed, “The Board’s role is to protect the health of livestock in the state, and we are concerned about any detection of CWD in Minnesota. We believe in fighting this disease from all fronts and using science, surveillance and teamwork to stop CWD.”

As one might guess, there's some money here for the BAH. Forum News staff writer Dana Ferguson reports in Chronic wasting disease reported near Brainerd; Walz proposes $4.6M for rapid response:

The DNR would get $4.6 million to boost its CWD surveillance and rapid response efforts between this summer and 2021 as part of Walz's proposal. And the department would see lower appropriations, $1.1 million a year, after that period.

Walz's proposal would also put an additional $208,000 to the Board of Animal Health in 2020 and $529,000 starting in 2021. The extra dollars would aim to improve monitoring of farmed deer.

“As a lifelong sportsman, I know how urgent this issue is for Minnesotans,” Walz said in a statement. “The Minnesota DNR is working hard to contain chronic wasting disease. This critical funding would help ensure they have the best tools and resources available to maintain deer health and management across the state.”

This move seem to be push back on some elements of Roseville Democrat Jamie Becker-Finn's comprehensive plan to immediately address the CWD outbreak. On Tuesday, Dave Orrick reported in the St. Paul Pioneer Press article Chronic wasting disease is a growing threat. Here’s what deer hunters and lawmakers want to do about it:

A coalition of Democratic lawmakers and deer hunting groups on Monday rolled out a sweeping series of proposals to address the growing threat of chronic wasting disease in Minnesota’s deer population.

From a crackdown on deer farms to more money for surveillance and cutting-edge research, the proposals, billed as the state’s first “comprehensive plan,” come at a time when concern is growing that the disease might not only hamper the state’s 500,000 deer hunters’ annual pursuit but also pose a public health concern. . . .

The DNR is supposed to guard our wildlife, right? But oversight of cervid farms (deer and elk) is actually done by the state Board of Animal Health.

One proposal backed by Democrats would shift that power to the DNR.

Some Republicans have questioned whether that’s needed. Supporters point to a CWD report earlier this year by the nonpartisan office of Legislative Auditor that found the Board of Animal Health failed to enforce numerous deer and elk regulations, including verifying that fences were being maintained, and ensuring that captive herds were being properly monitored for the disease.

Read Orrick's take on the latest developments in New chronic wasting case in wild deer in Crow Wing County; Walz seeks more money:

Wildlife managers have confirmed chronic wasting disease in a wild deer in Crow Wing County of east-central Minnesota, marking the first discovery of the fatal brain disease among the state’s wild deer outside the southeastern corner of Minnesota.

Lou Cornicelli, wildlife research manager for the Department of Natural Resources, said Friday the deer was found dead a half-mile from a farm near Merrifield where captive deer have tested positive for CWD.

He says it doesn’t appear the deer escaped, but he believes the farm is the likely source of the infection.

The disease previously had been found in Minnesota wild deer only in Fillmore, Houston and Winona counties.

Deer farms, which often transport deer across the country as breeders seek to grow deer with larger antlers desired by some hunters, are increasingly drawing scrutiny as a potential vector for the disease. . . .

Here's the video of Walz on CWD before he was elected:

Map: Where the deceased zombie wild deer was found in Crow Wing County. Via DNR.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

Or you can contribute via this link to paypal; use email sally.jo.sorensen@gmail.com as recipient.

Warren rally disorderly conduct guy from Lakefield in news again for livestock-chasing dog

In early January, Bluestem posted about how Lakefield's "Front Row Joe" [was] arrested for disorderly conduct at Elizabeth Warren event. We noted that Randall/Randal (it shows up either version in the registry of court records that can be searched at the Minnesota Trial Court Public Access (MPA) Remote View) had something of a record.

He's back on social media and in the news following the fatal shooting of his dog, Donald Trump.

As much as Thom tried to milk the situation, the dog's death had nothing to do with its name, but rather its activity: attacking a neighbor's livestock. As our earlier research discovered, Thom had a 2017 minor offense on his record for a dog killing livestock, as well as earlier citations for pets at large.

Alyssa Sobotka of the Forum News Service reports in Shooting death of Minnesota dog named Donald Trump wasn't over politics, sheriff says:

A southwestern Minnesota man and his dog are making national headlines after his dog, named Donald Trump, was fatally shot Sunday, Feb. 10, in an incident the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office said was legal and not politically motivated.

The news of the death of Randall Thom’s Siberian Husky named after the president began spreading Monday when Thom took to his personal Facebook page to share a photo of him lying on the ground next to the dead dog, which had visible gunshot wounds. The 3-year-old dog, Thom claims, was shot four times by his neighbor and then suffered his death in a cornfield a mile and a half from his property in rural Lakefield. The neighbor has not been publicly identified.

A variety of reactions surfaced across social media — particularly after a GoFundMe page was created to solicit donations. The page — which had garnered approximately $3,600 from more than 115 donors by Thursday afternoon — made the claim Thom’s neighbor shot the dog because of its name.

The page appeals to Thom's veteran status with the title, Military VET’s Dog Named “Donald Trump” Shot Dead, as if that negates the livestock owner's right to protect one's property or Thom's responsibility to control his pets. The story continues:

In a Thursday interview, Thom said he’s heard negative comments around town about the dog’s name, but doesn’t necessarily believe that was the motivation behind killing the dog.

As reactions and reported rumors continued to spread, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release late Wednesday afternoon regarding Thom’s known three-year history with the department regarding his dogs.

The office had 14 reports related to Thom’s dogs running at large on the road, in a county park, onto neighbor’s private property, biting a person who required medical attention, attacking other dogs, chasing cattle and deer, and killing goats, chickens and turkeys. Thom said that, years ago, a couple of his dogs killed four of the neighbor’s goats. Thom claimed to have paid him more than $1,000 and thought they’d come to an agreement to get along.

Thom has been served with two “Potentially Dangerous Dog Notifications” and has pending misdemeanor charges from incidents related to his dogs, the press release stated.

The release added that the sheriff’s office conducted and completed an investigation related to the circumstances of the dog’s Feb. 10 death. The investigation, the release said, found that the owner was “legally protecting their livestock on their private property at the time.” According to Minnesota State Statute, a livestock owner or caretaker may kill any dog found “chasing, injuring or worrying” livestock on land owned or controlled by the owner.

When a dog is destroying livestock, farmers don't particularly care what the not-a-good boy's name is.

As for the pity party for the dead dog after Thom posted the photo of the bloody dog, we image the dead goats, chickens and turkey from earlier attacks by his dogs wouldn't look much better. Moreover, Thom has had many years of conflict over his dogs biting a person, chasing cattle and deer, attacking other dogs, and killing livestock. The dog's death isn't politics--it's another person protecting his or her property. Indeed, this is one of the arguments made by those who value the Second Amendment.

We posted back in January after a reader complained that Thom wouldn't harm anyone. Here was our update on that:

Has Thom gotten into trouble before?

 The claim by a reader in our comments section that "This is how the media works! Randall did not and would never attack anyone you guys always twist it! Get your story straight before you post such nonsense!" sent us to the Minnesota Trial Court Public Access (MPA) Remote View, where we learned that while a 2015 fifth degree assault charge against Mr. Thom was dismissed, he was convicted in the same case of  "Trespass-Return to Property-To Harass/Abuse," a misdemeanor (Case No. 32-CR-15-51, which is still under the court's jurisdiction).

Since Thom's Trump rally activities have been covered extensively and favorably by the media, after Thom literally thrust himself into the front row of these political event, Thom is something of a public figure--as well as someone charged with a minor crime. Bluestem did not look at his record until a reader raised the issue of his actions being twisted by the media.

Thom has been convicted of eight felonies on theft and drug charges between 1989 and 2011, but these are non-violent offenses.  However, he has also been charged in 2007 and later convicted of "Giving Peace Officer False Name-of Another Person" in Pipestone County (Case 59-CR-07-107) and in 2011, Thom was charged and later convicted of "Drivers' Licenses - Use False Name/DOB To Identify Self to Police" in Dakota County (Case 19HA-CR-11-1397). That's not a sign of respect for law enforcement officers,

The most recent conviction( Case 32-VB-17-88 in Jackson County), related to having a dog that kills livestock, is a minor offense, but for farmers and rural people, it's not neighborly to let a dog kill your livelihood.

Those visiting Thom's Facebook page (here's his other Facebook page, always a good sign-- on December 11, 2018 he talks about the other account being put in Facebook jail) can read hundreds of comments about how the neighbor should be locked up or worse for protecting his property. That's not how the law works. That's not how anything works.

We also have to wonder who heads to the Cities--for whatever reason--and leaves his dog outside and loose in a February with snow--especially when he's interacted with law enforcement about his dogs' behavior? We never had an ill-behaved dog growing up, but leaving our dog loose when my family was away was simply not done, whatever the season.

Update: There's a third Facebook page for this gentle soul here. As one individual comments:" Anthony Colin How many fake profiles do you have snowflake?." [end update]

Screengrab: Thom and his fanboy Rep. Jeremy Munson, R-Lake Crystal, in October last year. Via Facebook.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

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It's not a pretty read: OLA report about "Factors That Contributed To MNLARS Problems"

This morning, the Office of the Legislative Auditor released its report on the State of Minnesota's disastrous roll-out of MNLARS, its new driver's license and vehicle registration system. While the Legislative Audit Commission will meet Thursday at 5:15 p.m. to review the report, the hearing won't be streamed on video and audio.

However, headlines about the report suggest that readers don't have to use much imagination about how things will go down. There's Report blames 2 state agencies for botched MNLARS launch at KTSP 5.

There's Legislative auditor: Agency leaders fell short launching MNLARS at Minnesota Public Radio.

Our favorite headline: What went wrong with DMV computers? Everything and everyone, report finds, above Dave Orrick's report at the Pioneer Press. Orrick's elegant lede paragraphs sum up the report quite neatly:

A lot of things went wrong — and a lot of people screwed up.

That’s the takeaway of a new report on Minnesota’s beleaguered computer system for vehicle title and license plate tabs, known as MNLARS.

The report is especially critical of leadership at the two agencies that oversaw the development and launch of the program: MNIT, the state’s information technology agency, and the Department of Public Safety, whose Driver and Vehicle Services division oversees vehicle licensing.

Read all the article and the report itself, below.

Factors That Contributed To MNLARS Problems by uploaded by Sally Jo Sorensen on Scribd

Photo: A train wreck.

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New House Republican Caucus honcho Draz doesn't quite get it about Constitution, bonding

We had just read a powerful editorial by the ECM Editorial Board that was published in the Morrison County Record on February 1, Legislators must correct the trust fund raid, when we stumbled across a special Steve Drazkowski moment in the Minnesota House Ways and Means Committee on Monday, February 11.

The committee was hearing Hermantown DFL Mary Murphy's HF80, which would fix the trust fund raid. The Leader of the New House Republican Caucus, Drazkowski spoke out against the fix, essentially saying that DFLers who want to follow the Minnesota Constitution, state laws and fiscal sanity just want to cost Minnesota taxpayers more money.

And they're in cahoots with radical environmental groups.The renegade caucus thought so much of this moment, it posted a clip of it on the group's Facebook page. (Full video here).

Here's the moment, along with responses from bill co-author Rick Hansen, DFL-S. St. Paul and Jean Wagenius, who supplies the legislative history of the trust fund and a defense of Minnesota voters, who knew what they were doing when they approved the amendment creating it.

Draz pooh-poohs all that legislative intent and history, since that was a long time ago and why not use this pot o' money. Readers can listen to Hansen and Wagenius's remarks. We also suggest checking out the arguments in the editorial printed in the Little Falls paper:

Now that Gov. Tim Walz and the 2019 Legislature have begun work, we believe their agenda must include correcting a serious breach of constitutional authority that includes an ill-conceived financial scheme. This 2018 legislation thwarts the will of Minnesota voters and compounds the costs of certain capital improvements over the next two decades.

Our constitution directs 40 percent of state lottery net proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. That fund may only be spent as authorized by the Legislature for “protection, conservation, preservation and enhancement of the state’s ... natural resources.” Minnesota law provides, “The trust fund may not be used as a substitute for traditional sources of funding environmental and natural resources activities...” By law, the Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources (LCCMR) must review proposals and make recommendations to the Legislature for expenditures from the trust. This process worked well since 1988, when the trust fund and lottery were approved by voters as amendments to the state constitution – until the 2018 session, that is.

The final bill enacted during the contentious 2018 session was the biennial capital investment bill, commonly called the bonding bill. It also included appropriations from the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund that had been recommended after LCCMR review. A surprise was revealed late in the afternoon of the last day when a committee unveiled a $98 million raid on the Trust Fund. There was no opportunity for public testimony. It was just tucked into this voluminous bill. Given the crunch of business that last day, quite likely most legislators had no idea this provision even existed.

Foolishly, the irresponsible legislators concocted a scheme using “appropriation” bonds to be paid from the Trust Fund over the next 20 years, rather than using standard general obligation bonds. Apparently, this was an attempt to appear to be spending less by not counting these bond authorizations against self-imposed limits. But, because bondholders have less security, the market requires higher interest rates, and consequently greater debt service costs. Minnesota Management and Budget has estimated the “appropriation” bonds to incur $66 million in interest. This compares to $31 million estimated interest for traditional general obligation bonds.

The $98 million funds many municipal sewer and water projects, which the governor recommended be included among the authorized state general obligation bonds. For decades, the state has authorized similar projects among those traditional bonds in the biennial bonding bill.

For unknown reasons, Gov. Mark Dayton signed this bill into law without a line-item veto of the $98 million Trust Fund raid. Dayton did, however, send a strongly worded message to legislators upon returning the signed bill, saying they “shamefully subverted” the prescribed LCCMR process. Dayton said, “Even worse, legislators invaded the Trust Fund to pay for another $98 million of projects through issuing Appropriation Bonds. I strongly urge future legislatures to immediately correct this travesty and restore the integrity of this 30-year-old fund for future generations.”

Over three decades, with the overwhelming passage of three separate constitutional amendments relating to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Minnesotans have made clear their support. Legislators need to heed that message.

A lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of this Trust Fund raid has been filed, and with this cloud of uncertainty the “appropriation” bonds authorized last May have not been issued. Moreover, they likely will not be issued for months or maybe years, if ever. This is unfortunate for those needing funds for the affected projects.

We wholeheartedly agree with Dayton’s statement urging quick legislative action to fix the problem and not wait for resolution of the litigation. The simplest, quickest solution is to authorize $98 million of general obligation bonds to replace those authorized by the Trust Fund raid. Furthermore, we implore legislators to cease these smoke and mirrors tactics that create suspicion and mistrust with the citizenry.

More recently, Morrison County staff writer Tyler Jensen reports in LF hopes for speedy solution to wastewater fund battle:

. . .Bills are underway at the Legislature to solve the issue, Radermacher said.

In the House, a bill moving the funding from the trust fund to general bonds has support and is likely to pass, he said.

In the Senate however, where a super-majority of 41 votes would be needed, there is a bipartisan group of senators who would like to see the issue answered in court, Radermacher said.

Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, said he is in support of getting the funding to Little Falls and other communities this session.

Multiple ways to get the funding are being explored, he said.

When the Legislature passed the bill in 2018, Gazelka said the trust fund money had been used with the goal of getting additional projects funded that year.

In the lawsuit it filed, the Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy said the trust fund is not meant to be used for bond payments under state statute and these appropriations bonds are more expensive than regular ones due to their risk.

In a press conference Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazelka, R-Nisswa, announced that ‘Taking Care of People’ and ‘Protecting Taxpayers’ will guide budget-setting process for Senate Republicans.

Given those priorities, Bluestem recommends that the Senate find a sponsor to introduce a companion bill to Murphy's correction, pass it, provide for projects like that in Little Falls and save taxpayers a bundle of money by using general revenue bonds. Sure, there's curiosity about raiding a pot of money, but if it trashes the state constitution while costing taxpayers a lot more money, just why the heck would they want that?

Photo: The little falls in Little Falls MN in 1920.

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Turn in a poacher: multiple origin stories emerge in media for Davids & Daudt CWD live test bill

Bluestem Prairie had predicted at mid-day on Monday in Turn in a poacher: after years of pro-captive deer & elk inaction on CWD, Daudt tries to own policy that a couple of Minnesota House Republicans try to poach a bill that Jamie Becker-Finn tweeted about on Thursday.

Unfortunately for Greg Davids, R-Preston, and Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, the origin stories for their bills don't match up.

The Daudt creation story

In Fatal deer disease poses 'beast' of a problem for Minnesota lawmakers, Forum Communications capitol writer Dana Ferguson reports:

House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, last year asked scientists at the Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Lab to push forward on a test to detect CWD. And in an email shared with the Forum News Service, the lab’s director said that was the “catalyst” to getting the ball rolling on meaningful research.

Daudt and Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, as well as Becker-Finn and a bipartisan group of lawmakers filed identical bills Monday appropriating $1.8 million for University of Minnesota scientists to move forward with the test.

“It just made sense to me that we could diffuse the situation or diffuse the animosity between the DNR and the cervid farmers if we could actually test these animals to find out if they have it or not," Daudt told the Forum News Service on Thursday, Feb. 7.

It's curious that the director cites Daudt as the origin of the notion of creating a test to detect CWD, since Jerry Torrison, Director, University of Minnesota Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, was at a meeting of the Board of Animal Health on April 19, 2017 that included many of the stakeholders in the world of cervid production where this exchange took place:

. . . Dean Compart asked where the expertise on CWD in the U.S. is coming from. Mr. Olson stated that Dr. Haley has done a lot of genetic testing on CWD herds and has been on hand to collect nasal, blood and rectal biopsy samples at many herd depopulations. He stressed the importance of a blood test to detect CWD, which Dr. Tracy Nichols is developing. If the disease is caught early, those animals can be separated out from the rest of the herd, avoiding depopulation. There is also a national elk research committee that is doing testing in the area of cervid disease resistance.

Tracy Nichols is a molecular biologist in the Management of Ungulate Disease and Damage project at the National Wildlife Research Center, and she's not the only scientist who's been working on the concept. But hey, maybe former car salesman Daudt came up with the idea of a live test.

We'd like to know at what meeting, on what day, Daudt pitched the idea of developing a live test. Surely, either or both men keep copies of their schedules. Right?

The Davids Creation Story

The Ferguson story obviously was pitched by Team GOP no later that last Thursday, given that fulsome email Torrison sent to the reporter (it's not an email by Daudt sent in 2018, carefully readers will note). So it's curious that yet another version of the bill's origins emerges in the version iteration of the CWD live test narrative in  Rochester television reporter Shannon Rousseau's dispatch, Fight against CWD in deer continues at the State Capitol,which was posted at 7:11 p.m. on Monday:

University of Minnesota researchers met with Rep. Davids in January with an idea: give them $1.8 million in funding to develop a CWD live test so they can test deer while they’re still alive. Deer are currently tested when they’re brought in by hunters, already dead.

“If we can develop a test, that’s a step forward. It doesn’t totally solve the problem, but we have to take every step we can.” Davids believes everyone in St. Paul wants to find a solution to the problem, but the issue is how to go about it.

However, Rep. Becker-Finn has a similar bill to Davids regarding the $1.8 million in funding for the University of Minnesota, but Davids insists the bill was his idea since university researchers approached him about it earlier this year. Davids introduced his bill in the House last Thursday. Becker-Finn was supposed to introduce hers Monday.

Oh? So now the researchers came to Davids with the idea, and the Davids-Daudt bill was introduced last Thursday. Unfortunately, that's not what the House page

There's the Davids-Daudt bill, HF966, which has only two authors, and the Becker-Finn bill, HF984, that's bipartisan--with Davids and Lueck as co-authors, along with 17 others. Both were introduced Monday. according to the Minnesota Legilature's webpage, Introduction of House Files 2019 - 2020:

All House Bill introductions from current bienium

House File Numbers 919 - 1064, introduced on Monday, February 11, 2019 PDF
House File Numbers 763 - 918, introduced on Thursday, February 7, 2019 PDF

Perhaps that's why no one gave Rousseau the bill numbers, bless her little heart.

What's more, Monday's story on Rochester's airwaves contradicts yet another version of the GOP bill's creation, that was aired last Thursday night on Rochester television station KAAL-TV.

In  Lawmakers, U of M Researchers Hope Live Tests Will Slow Spread of CWD we learn:

As Minnesota works to slow the spread of chronic wasting disease in the state's deer population, researchers at the University of Minnesota think they've found a solution to a significant hurdle relating to testing deer for the disease. Now, they're asking lawmakers to give them the money to make it happen.

. . .state Rep. Greg Davids (R-Preston) wants to see more done to avoid needlessly thinning the wild deer population to test the animals for disease.

He and House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) are working on a bill that would provide $1.8 million in funding for research and development of the live test, a process Skinner expects will take around two years and a number of researchers to fully develop. If it's successful, it could be replicated elsewhere.

There's also last Friday's press release sent by the House Republican communications staff on the behalf of  Greg Davids, R-Preston, Rep. Davids authors bill to develop test for chronic wasting disease.

Placebaiting the deer test: Davids feeds a fantasy

There's one additional piece of Republican talking point boilerplate in the Rousseau story: she lets the Preston lawmaker bash Becker-Finn as an metro meddler:

Becker-Finn told reporters she’s not at a point where she would consider eliminating deer and elk farms, but the idea isn’t off the table. “We’re not at that point yet, but clearly the things we’re doing right now aren’t working. So things need to be beefed up.”

That suggestion is something GOP Rep. Greg Davids of Preston thinks is too premature. “She’s a metro legislator getting into a rural issue, and I don’t think that’s the answer,” he said.

We're scratching our head about how Davids came to be a co-author of Becker-Finn's bill, if that's what he thinks.

That's not an opinion shared by members of Southeast Minnesota's deer hunter association, Bluffland Whitetails. In July, the Rochester Post Bulletin's Eric Atherton reported in Bluffland Whitetails marks anniversary, honors legislator:

.  . . on this night, it was Becker-Finn who received the biggest accolades.

John Zanmiller, a BWA member who donates his time to lobby at the Legislature, said the first-term legislator got BWA’s attention simply by asking questions other legislators preferred to avoid.

“People are terrified of the letters ‘CWD’ at the Legislature,” Zanmiller said. “No one would say anything. But there was one legislator — other than Rick Hansen, of course — who would come to committee meetings and ask, ‘When are we going to talk about CWD?’”

Zanmiller said that question was not well-received by the Republican leadership, which tends to listen to the northern Minnesota-based Minnesota Deer Hunters Association.

“You could see veins popping out of the committee chairman’s forehead when she did that,” he said. “How could a legislator from the northern suburbs, from the minority power, dare to say those three letters? Because she was showing courage, saying ‘We have to make a decision.’ Right, wrong or indifferent, we need to act, because inaction is worse than doing the wrong thing.”

That courage earned Becker-Finn the Bluffland Whitetails Association Outstanding Legislator Award for 2018.

“Who would have thought that our newest best ally grew up around Cass Lake in northern Minnesota and now represents the northern suburbs of the Twin Cities?” Zanmiller said.

Plus there's that map of where the big game hunting license holders live--as Becker-Finn has long insisted, deer hunting is a One Minnesota passion:

We'll dig up some photos in the morning of Becker-Finn joining participants in one of the special hunts in the CWD zone in Davids' backyard. Did he show up to learn about the DNR's efforts to fight CWD? Not that we've seen.

Rep. Rick Hansen, DfLS. St. Paul, who grew up in Fillmore County and hunts on the family farm he now owns with a brother, tweeted:

Same tired old metro bashing. It’s 2019! 🦌@jbeckerfinn actually hunted in SE MN & talked to real hunters. Did He go to public meetings or visit DNR sampling station? How will he test live wild deer? 🦌The GOP will protect the captive deer farm industry at all costs. ⌛️🦌🌎

— Rep. Rick Hansen (@reprickhansen) February 12, 2019

Image: Turn in Poachers. Thanks to Dan Feidt.

If you appreciate Bluestem Prairie, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

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MNHouse: Becker-Finn releases comprehensive plan to immediately address CWD outbreak

We're still waiting for video and other materials from the press conference we mentioned in our earlier post today Turn in a poacher: after years of pro-captive deer & elk inaction on CWD, Daudt tries to own policy, but a reader was kind enough to send two items handed out at the event this afternoon.

The plan itself is at the top of the post, and there's this map:

 

Just as we typed the paragraph above, we received audio of the press conference:

Photos: The plan and a map of where purchasers of Minnesota resident deer hunting licenses live.

If you appreciate our posts and original analysis, you can mail contributions (payable to Sally Jo Sorensen, 600 Maple Street, Summit SD 57266) or use the paypal button in the upper right hand corner of this post. Those wishing to make a small ongoing monthly contribution should click on the  paypal subscription button.

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