6 GOP legislators stripped of leadership positions

02/26/2008

By Mark Brunswick,
Star Tribune
Last update: February 26, 2008


Less than 24 hours after six rogue Republican House members voted to override a veto of a $6.6 billion transportation bill, they were stripped of leadership positions, a swift - and unusual - recrimination that was intended to “stitch together” a fractious House Republican caucus.

Several of the dissenting members did not go willingly or quietly, telling House Minority Leader Marty Seifert that he would have to fire them from the positions.

“I am not going along with this foolishness. If you have to get rid of me, fire me,” said Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, who was removed as the lead Republican as the Property Tax Relief & Local Sales Taxes Committee. “This is the way we get treated if we vote our districts and vote our consciences and vote our feeling that we are doing the right thing for the state.”

The political repercussion of the historic veto override continued to be felt, with the chairman of the state Republican party warning that those who voted for the override could face an uphill battle for party endorsement and help in re-election bids.

Seifert said dissenting members were aware of the possible repercussions of their override vote before the vote was taken, including the possibility of losing staff support and other resources. But Seifert said he decided that removal from the caucus or other extreme measures would not be taken. Even so, stripping the members of the leadership positions was unusual enough that no one could recall a similar action in recent memory.

“We expect Republicans to follow other Republicans and there is a obviously a mixed message with what happened yesterday,” Seifert said at a news conference on Tuesday. “We’re not taking anyone’s secretary away, I’m not throwing their computers down the Capitol step. I’m not severing their phone lines.”

The six Republicans voted with the entire DFL caucus to override Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto of the transportation bill, bucking Pawlenty’s lobbying efforts, the caucus position, and the state Republican Party.

Seifert said he would not be recruiting candidates to run against members of his own caucus but also said the rogue members should not expect help.

“There are a lot of members of my caucus who don’t have confidence in following someone who wasn’t willing to follow me on the floor. It doesn’t mean that I’m taking an ax to them or anything of that sort,” Seifert said.

Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey said the party will support the endorsed party candidate but expected contentious conventions in the House districts where the members strayed.

“These are people who are good Republicans who left the reservation on this issue. This was a critical watershed issue, this is the largest tax increase in the history of the State of Minnesota. To have Republicans not stand against the largest tax increase that’s really baffling. It should have been an easy vote for these Republicans to have taken.”

Rep. Bud Heidgerken, R-Freeport, said he would have stepped down if he believed he did anything wrong but believes he did right for his district.

“The message they are sending to me is that 'We don’t want any independent minded people,’” Heidgerken said. “I’ll always stand up for what’s right. If that means my election than I don’t deserve to be here.”

In the Senate, two Republicans voted to override the veto along with 45 Democrats. There were no indications the two Republican Senators faced any sanctions.

“I think we need more unity right now, not more division,” said Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem.

The Senate DFL has a veto proof majority, so much of the drama in the override vote was in the House, which needed the six Republicans to break away to secure the two-thirds vote needed. The rogue House Republicans were not stripped of their committee assignments, only their leadership positions, which do not include additional staff or resources.

The changes are:

•Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, replaced by Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, on the Agriculture, Rural Economies & Veterans Affairs Committee

•Rep. Kathy Tingelstad, R-Andover, replaced by Rep. Larry Howes, R-Walker, on the Capital Investment Committee.

•Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, replaced by Rep. Matt Dean, R-Dellwood, on Health Care and Human Services Committee.

•Rep. Bud Heidgerken, R-Freeport, replaced by Rep. Sondra Erickson, R-Princeton, on K-12 Finance.

•Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, replaced by Rep. Morrie Lanning, R- Moorhead, on Property Tax Relief & Local Sales Taxes.

•In addition, Rep. Neil Peterson, R-Bloomington, was removed as an Assistant Minority Whip and replaced by Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington.