HometownSource Blogs

I was at Borders book store in Coon Rapids last night when a familiar sight – the front page flag of the Anoka County Union – caught my eye.

In the coffee shop sat a man hunkered down with his new copy of the Union. Hot off the press, even I had not yet got a chance to see the printed version of this week’s edition.

I was sipping an over-caffeinated and over-priced iced latté two tables over, attending my monthly book club gathering.

Nobody had finished reading the book anyway, and yes I’ll admit it was my pick. It’s Arthur Phillips’ The Song is You if anybody’s interested. I think it’s excellent but the rest of the group, not so much. So it’s your gamble.

We had been derailed into conversations about summer getaways and potential new careers for one of our cohorts.

So I could afford a little distraction and spy on this nearby ABC Newspapers reader.

It has been awhile since I’ve witnessed a stranger reading the Union or any other publication I worked for. There have been times when it has made me squeamish and uncomfortable. I admit that when my husband reads anything I write, I like to leave the room.

But as newspapers’ relevancy continues to be challenged in this tech obsessed world, I have a renewed interest in finding out what things on the actual printed page appeal to readers.

Is it a photo of a first grader, a story about road construction, or yet another city council debate?

I would imagine the answer varies as much as our readership does.

While it was tough, I tried to gauge which stories caught this particular reader’s interests and what pieces he gave a little extra attention.

When he was done with the Union he went on to the Coon Rapids Herald and then the Blaine-Spring Lake Park Life. Jackpot – a triple play.

It has frustrated me that we don’t have more readership of the ABC Newspapers than we do. I’ve worked for several weekly newspapers, and read many more from hundreds of communities in the United States and Canada.

While biased I know, I still think both the quality and the quantity of our ECM publications is top notch. The level of community coverage is unrivaled at most of the weeklies covering cities in the metro.

But we’re still struggling to attract new readership – amazing when all that information comes at a cost of about $1 a week while we have no problem shelling out $4.50 for a cup of coffee.

We spent much of our time surrounded by people who care passionately about newspapers (like people who work for them) or the people we cover (who have a high interest in what we write about them). But what about the passive reader? What are they in for?

Hence, my little unscientific study at the bookstore.

I’m not sure if I really learned anything, but it gave me a little bit of renewed optimism while I watched someone page by page appreciate the lengths we go to covering the communities in Anoka County.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty today (May 19) said he would sign the primary seat belt bill passed by lawmakers yesterday into law.

“I’m going to sign that bill,” said Pawlenty at a Capitol press conference.

Pawlenty said as a lawmaker he supported primary seat belt, which allows a cop to pull over a motorist if they see them driving unbuckled.

Currently, law enforcement cannot do this.

Primary seat belt was a nonpartisan vote for lawmakers; Greater Minnesota lawmakers and some conservatives view it as an unnecessary intrusion of governement. Sen. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake, repeatedly tried to amend the bill on the Senate floor.

The governor indicated that he would not sign the medical marijuana bill passed by lawmakers yesterday.

Pawlenty explained his family has dealt with cancer, and he is not unmindful of the medical circumstances. But the governor said he stand with law enforcement in opposing the bill.

The governor did not flat out say that he would veto the tax increase bill passed by the DFL-controlled legislature late last night, but he did indicate a quick response.

“It won’t take long,” said Pawlenty.

Pawlenty vetoed the last tax increase bill DFLers sent him.

The House today (May 18) passed a medical marijuana bill, amending the legislation so the use of the drug would be restricted to the dying.

The bill passed on a 70 to 64 nonpartisan vote.

“Let’s call it medical pot,” said Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, who spoke several times against the bill.

But Rep. Rick Hansen, DFL-South St. Paul, spoke of his own mother’s death to cancer and how lawmakers should not joke about a possible “gateway to peace.”

“My mother went through extreme pain,” he said.

Area lawmakers voting in favor of the bill: Buesgens, Dittrich, Garofalo, Hackbarth, Hansen, Hortman, Jackson, Kalin, Masin, McNamara, Morgan, Newton, Obermueller, and Tillberry.

Voting against: Abeler, Anderson, B., Davids, Dean, Dettmer, Doty, Eastlund, Emmer, Holberg, Kiffmeyer, Lenczewski, Mack, Peppin, Sanders, Scott, and Sterner.

The House version of the bill is different than the Senate’s.

A highly controversial seat belt provision passed the House today (May 18) on a nonpartisan vote.

Primary seat belt allows cops to pull over a motorist for not wearing a seat belt. Currently, cops can’t make such calls.

One big feature of the House debate was racial profiling — pulling motorist over more based on skin color than anything that they did illegal — and how primary seat belt might provide an additional excuse for such stops.

People of color in the House strongly argued against primary seatbelt, as did some Greater Minnesota and suburban lawmakers.

But the primary seat belt legisaltion passed on a 73 to 60 vote.

Local lawmakers voting in favor: Abeler, Dittrich, Gardner, Garofalo, Hansen, Hortman, Jackson, Kalin, Kiffmeyer, Lenczewski, McNarama, Morgan, Obermueller, and Tillberry.

Votiing against: Anderson, B., Buesgens, Davids, Dettmer, Doty, Eastlund, Emmer, Hackbarth, Hoberg, Mack, Masin, Peppin, Sanders, and Scott.

A provision allowing motorists to exceed the speed limit on 55 mph, two-lane roads by ten mphs when passing another car was amended onto the bill.

Primary seatbelt has always had a hard time in the House.

Strib Prep’s Insider, John Milea blogged Monday morning from Edinburough USA in Brooklyn Center, the site of the latest state high school league meeting. Follow his posting here.

Two of the voted upon items had to do with season schedules for golf and spring tournaments. Question 1: If the golf season is moved, which is preferred: June 15 to Aug. 15 (176 votes) or Aug. 1 to Oct. 1 (182 votes). Question 2: Spring state tourney dates: Begin in second full week of June (291 votes) or second week of June in the first year and third week of June the following year (8 votes).

Nothing was decided about the fate of the remaining teams in the Classic Lake Conference. Stay tuned.

In a still House chamber lawmakers today (May 17) debated a veto override attempt of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s line-item veto of the human services bill — the $381 million veto of general assistance medical care grants.

In emotional debate — Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, lead Republican on the health care finance committee voted against the override — the House on a 87 to 47 vote failed to achieve the two-thirds necessary to override the govenor’s veto.

Immediately after the failed override attempt on health care, DFL House leaders set in motion an override attempt of the governor’s veto of the $1 billion tax increase bill passed and vetoed about a week ago.

Debate on the second override attempt continues into the early evening.

The 2009 legislative session ends tomorrow.

Gov. Tim Pawlenty made the DFL-controlled House and Senate a counter budget offer shortly after midnight last night, one containing elements of his earlier proposal — the K-12 funding shift, for instance.

The governor signed the omnibus K-12 finance bill with reluctance yesterday, and also signed the bonding bill but not without line-item vetoes.

Among the vetoes items are $24 million for the Bell Museum of Natural History, $13 million for North Hennepin Community College Center for business and technology, and $3 million for the St. Cloud-Civic Center Expansion.

Pawlenty Director of Communications and Citizen Outreach Brian McClung today (May 16) expressed disappointment with the latest DFL budget offer submitted to the governor earlier mid evening.

“It’s disappointing,” said McClung, specifically pointing to the $1 billion in new revenue the DFL offer contained.

Indeed, that was the most disappointing feature of the offer, he said.

“The governor made an offer that was pretty straight forward,” McClung said of Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s offer to DFLers earlier today.

McClung criticized the DFL budget offer for vagueness.

Speaking at about 10:45 p.m., McClung said the governor was in his office at the Capitol.

House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, said shortly after McClung spoke to reporters that he did not expect an agreement between DFL legisaltive leaders and the governor yet tonight.

“No. I’m just being honest. It’s too early,” said Seifert.

The 2009 legisaltive session constitutionally ends at midnight on Monday.
After a short late evening session the House adjourned until 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Democratic leaders at about 9:30 p.m. tonight delivered to Gov. Tim Pawlenty a counter budget offer that includes a provision for about $1 billion in new revenue.

House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, said the Senate agreed to a $1.8 billion K-12 funding shift, something both the House and governor had in their budgets at different amounts, but only on the condition that the $986 million in new revenue is included.

Other provisions in the DFL budget offer includes cuts to local government aid, the restoration of $363 million in general medical assistance funding that the governor vetoed, and other provisions.

Kelliher said the legislative committee on fiscal policy would reconvene at 10:30 p.m. to take testimony on the offer.

She also indicated that the much talked about override attempt of Pawlenty’s veto of the $1 billion tax increase bill the DFL-controlled Legislature sent the Republican governor a week ago is still in the making.

Democratic legislative leaders this evening (9 p.m.) (May 16) recessed a committee examining Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s budget offer of earlier today, saying they’ll have a counter offer for the governor later tonight.

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, indicated they would submit their budget offer to the governor and restart the committee hearing later to publicly examine it.

Public testimony on the offer would be taken, said the leaders.
About four hours of testimony was taken on the governor’s offer, almost all of it detailing the perceived hardships it would inflict on the state.

“Nobody in this room has a corner on compassion,” said Rep. Tom Emmer, R-Delano, when the hearing broke up for recess.

Some Republicans questioned whether the testimony against the DFL budget offer would get anything like the coverage testifiers in the afternoon got as the night is growing late.

The Senate recessed until 4 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.

The House could reconvene again tonight.

The governor is continuing to sign bills.

Although he line-item vetoed the higher education finance bill, he signed into law the state government finance bill without any vetoes.

Kelliher said that was evidence that the Legisalture had done a good job.

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty made a budget offer today (May 16) to DFL legislative leaders.

The Legislative Commission on Planning and Fiscal Policy ground through the governor’s offer this afternoon at the Capitol.

Some of provisions of the offer, designed to close a $2.8 billion budget gap, includes the acceptance of the House K-12 funding shift — a $1.75 billion gesture — while Pawlenty agreed to lessen his proposed local government aid cuts by about $58 million.

The governor  looks for $250 million in additional health and human services cuts — Pawlenty proposes using the health care access fund surplus for appropriate uses — and also looks to cutting higher education an additional $190 million for the next two-year spending cycle.

Democrats argued the proposed cut endangered the higher education federal stimulus funding and also include impact K-12 funding.

University of Minnesota President Bob Bruininks cautioned against cutting deeper.

“We have to take our lumps. I understand that,” Bruininks said.

The president warned of possible tuition increases stemming from additional cuts and also of the lingering aftermath of the deeper cuts when the federal stimulus dollars go away.

Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) Chancellor James McCormick said the system took deep cuts just a few years ago.

Now we’re talking about another major cut — that would be difficult, he said.

“We have to have a world class, global workforce,” said McCormick.

He question how Minnesota could maintain its quality of life without making investments in its workforce.

“When times are challenging, more people are coming back,” McCormick said of growing MnSCU enrollment.

“We’re not gong to be whiners. But this is not good,” he said of the proposed additional cuts.

Another MnSCU officials indicated that additional funding cut could work to drive tuition up.

“That’s a very frightening number of us,” said MnSCU Vice Chancellor Laura King.

Rather than allowing major tuition increase they could consider limiting enrollment, she opined.

MnSCU and the university received about two percent funding cuts under the DFL higher education bill.

But the cuts were softened through the use of one-time federal stimulus dollars.

McCormick suggested that the cuts could translate into a job loss at MnSCU from 500 to 800 employees.

MnSCU officials said the system is holding about five percent of campus budgets, about $50 million, in budget reserves.

That’s about a quarter of the amount outside auditors have recommended, said King.

The commission continued its review of the Pawlenty offer into the evening.

The legislative session ticks to a close Monday night.

Attempts to amend an electronic gambling provision onto a gaming bill put the stop light on Rep. Melissa Hortman, DFL-Brooklyn Park, today (May 15) who was standing-in as House Speaker — Hortman has often stood in when House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, is elsewhere.

Hortman ruled twice on questions of germainness — whether the gambling amendment actually belonged on the bill — and twiced rule an objection to affixing it was legitmate.

An appeal of one ruling produced a close, but supportive 67 to 64 vote.

Rep. Mark Buesgens, R-Jordan, appealed to Hortman to rule that the gambling provision was indeed germain.

“And you, Madam Speaker, will be the person in the State of Minnesota who leads,” Buesgens said of Hortman’s status in solving the state budget challenge.

But to no avail.

Rep. Robin Brown, DFL-Albert Lea, who brought up the gambling amendment said she did so at the behest of the American Legion.

“There’s a $1 billion (in gambling revenue) sitting out there,” she said.

A Governor’s Office spokesman today said Gov. Tim Pawlenty is not interested in going down the road of gambling.

The govenor has said the same thing previously.

The case of Daniel Hauser, his family and government is a tough one. The 13-year-old boy has Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He had one round of chemotherapy and his parents decided to discontinue the treatments, because of religious beliefs. They want to treat Daniel with “alternative” medicines.
Now, I see nothing wrong with “alternative” medicines. I firmly believe there are other methods of treating illnesses than what the AMA says is so.
A judge made the decision Friday that Daniel must have chemotherapy. Keeping him from treatment was tantamount to medical neglect, said child protection officers.
I believe that every family has the right to raise their children without the government sticking their nose in where it doesn’t belong. But, I also believe if the government doesn’t step in on certain issues concerning children, a precedent will be set that could allow other child abuse cases to be ignored. When the life of a child is in danger, someone needs to step in.

Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, has called for a 15 percent across-the-board temporary salary cut for state employees, including elected officials, as a state budget solution.

According to Limmer, the action would save $923 million.

“I am personally well aware the discomfort this may bring to our state employees,” Limmer said in a press release.

But the proposal is no more severe, Limmer argued, than the realities facing the private sector.

“Many corporations have had severe layoffs and salaries greatly reduced. This plan would be far superior to job losses across the state,” he concluded.

Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, in response to a reporter’s question, in an email painted Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s announcement of yesterday — no special session, line-item vetoes — in dark tones.

“The Governor’s plan will result in devastating damage to the most vulnerable Minnesotans, and he doesn’t care,” opined Carlson.

“The strategy very clearly shows that he is performing for his national ambition and will sacrifice Minnesota as well as legislators in his own party to achieve it.  The plan is masterful and predictable.  He will be able to dictate cuts while simultaneously blaming the DFL,” wrote Carlson.

“It will take some time before property tax payers, service providers and elderly and disabled advocates pin the brutalities on the Governor and his supporters.  But the Governor is obviously not planning to run again so the legislators in his party will be abandoned to explain their complicity in damaging Minnesota.  Since the Governor has never won a statewide majority in Minnesota, he won’t be concerned about losing the electoral votes,” opined Carlson.

“After he leaves, the Republicans in the legislature will be set adrift and lose even more voices,” Carlson wrote in the email.