Minnesotans who watch their Legislature closely saw something last week that they haven't seen at this stage of the last several legislative sessions -- a glimmer of hope. This year, for a change, the Legislature is on track to deliver creditable results, on time.
Things began to look up on Tuesday, with two positive developments: the unveiling of a solid, larger-than-expected House bonding bill, and the defeat in a Senate committee of a proposed constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage and civil unions. Thursday also brought welcome House passage of a bill enabling the University of Minnesota to build an on-campus football stadium.
Trouble was expected between the Republican House and the DFL Senate over the size and scope of the bonding bill, this session's raison d'être. That worry lifted when the House presented a building projects package totaling $949 million, only $41 million south of the Senate's figure and a good $104 million more than proposed by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty. House Republicans apparently want to bring home some bacon this election year, and won't let the governor get in their way.
The House-Senate conference committee on bonding that's expected to convene after the Easter/Passover break will still have plenty to argue about. The Senate, true to form from previous years, was especially generous to higher education. The House tends to favor roads, bridges, water treatment and similar infrastructure projects , and did again this year.
Compromise will involve both sides giving a little from those most-favored lists. We're rooting for the Senate to hang tough where the University of Minnesota is concerned. Inexplicably, the House bill is even more stingy with the university than Pawlenty was. It shortchanges the university's repair and maintenance budget, and says no to a student services building on the Twin Cities campus that would do much to help students find their way through the big institution's bureaucracy. The state's higher education flagship deserves better stewardship.
But, to its credit, the House agreed with the Senate that the next phase of a biosciences building program needs to go forward. With the House and Senate in accord on putting up the state's $40 million share of a $60 million building, Pawlenty ought to fall in line.
View the entire story at: http://www.startribune.com/561/story/358593.html
Posted by reas0011 at April 10, 2006 1:22 PM