Lighting a sparkler may be a fitting gesture in marking the close of the 2002 legislative session. Certainly there were accomplishments, but the real celebratory fireworks must be kept for another day.
Yet some progress occurred.
A Twins’ stadium bill passed the Legislature after years of desultory debate. Whether this legislation, which is patterned after a proposal advanced by the Ventura Administration, keeps Major League Baseball in Minnesota remains to be seen.
But lawmakers are probably correct in saying the bill is as good as it’s going to get. And the legislation starts a process that could lead to a new stadium for the Vikings and Gophers.
A biodiesel bill passed the Legislature, which should be good news to Greater Minnesota and a small step toward much needed energy independence. And a phosphorus fertilizer ban was enacted that can serve to safeguard lakes and waterways in the metro.
In the area of consumer rights, telemarketing and Internet privacy bills entered into law and a reasonable compromise was worked out on the controversial issue of autoglass repairs.
Kudos to Rep. Ken Wolf, R, Burnsville, who spent years and much effort seeking solutions and fairness with his autoglass legislation.
Gov. Jesse Ventura made a converse contribution to the session by vetoing a Pledge of Allegiance bill, which mandated recitation of the pledge at least once a week in schools with certain opt-out provisions.
However sincerely advanced by proponents, the bill needlessly infringed on local control — a concept much praised in campaign literature but oft-time forgotten on House and Senate floors — and created problems were there weren’t any.
Let local parents and teachers decide what they want to do. Even better, let the individual judge the content of their heart.
So the session is not without progress. But it also brought disappointment.
Senate DFLers offered an aggressive transportation package — Senate Republicans coming out in favor of a gas tax increase — but the transportation bill withered as disagreements with the House on the gas tax, transit, and other issues blocked progress.
Perhaps House Republicans are correct in believing taxpayers would rather save the cost of a few fill-ups a year than see an increase in the gas tax and better roads and transit.
Don’t bet on it.
Another disappointment was the refusal of House Republicans to fund the Northstar Commuter Rail project. Despite the fine efforts of some Anoka County Republican lawmakers, commuter rail failed to gain a nickel of state funding.
This may result in the loss of $147 million in federal transit dollars.
Perhaps the greatest disappointment of the session was the budget bill worked out by lawmakers in the waning days of the session. Indeed, the bill covers the last of the this biennium’s $2.4 billion budget deficit, arguably doesn’t raise taxes, and for the most part protects education.
For now.
Because lawmakers largely left solving the whopping $2.4 billion projected deficit for next biennium up to future lawmakers. And all the easy solutions have been used up.
Lawmakers themselves know this. The feeble praise the budget bill received on the House and Senate floors seemed so much window dressing for a Legislature mildly ashamed of itself for its work on the budget.
Lawmakers did what they had to do on the budget and passed the buck — assuming one can be found.
To an extent, the blame for Ventura’s malfisted vetoing of the bonding bill goes to the Legislature since it was through footdragging and stubbornness that it failed to pass the bill in time to keep the ability to override the vetoes.
But Ventura slashing of the bonding bill by a third is excessive.
Yet it is also a reminder that there are three branches of government, though the past legislative session really revolved around just one.
So light a sparkler and mark the closing of the session. Keep the aerial salutes for a Legislature that shows more leadership and political courage.
Editor’s note: This editorial was a product of the ECM Editorial Board. (name of newspaper) is part of ECM Publishers, Inc.
