7/26/05
Itís easy to fault lawmakers, but passing legislation doesnít come without lots of effort
Itís easy to fault lawmakers in the aftermath of the partial state government shutdown and dilatory special session for lacking a spirit of compromise.
For simply not getting their work done.
While no defense of the mulishness and sometimes bizarre behavior of individuals at the Capitol is offered, voters can find solace in the knowledge that out of the political mess came some good.
Though belated, a bonding bill, containing vital Northstar Commuter Rail Line and Minnesota Zoo bonding, was passed.
School districts will receive needed additional funding ó about $800 million ó and some education reform measurers were advanced.
Important public safety initiatives strengthening laws against sex offenders ó including the use of indeterminate and lifetime sentencing ó and to combat the methamphetamine scourge were also passed and signed into law.
Gov. Pawlenty deserves credit for accepting political risks and proposing a 75-cent per pack cigarette fee increase, a health care impact fee, that helped break the protracted state budget impasse.
While a regressive fee or tax ó the pocketbook is unaffected by the wordplay ó the fee is a better revenue source than offered by the proposed expansion of gambling and the fairy tale mentality that government can be responsibly funded by money grown on trees.
Many reasons have been given why lawmakers found it so difficult to reach consensus on important public policy matters affecting Minnesotans.
The relative parity between Democrats and Republicans, the personal foibles of legislative leaders, the grip of special interests, seething political ambitions ó all and other reasons have been cited as contributing to gridlock.
Still, the Founders of the Republic never intended it to be easy to pass laws. Just the opposite, they designed a political system bristling with checks and balances to insure passing legislation would be difficult and often impossible.
Voters may wish to punish lawmakers at the polls for inflicting the past months on the state, and in general, the more frightened the lawmaker, the more responsive.
But it should be remembered, too, the greatest calamity would be a political process that becomes effortless. -- This editorial was a product of the ECM Editorial Board.
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