In test of power, DFL’s spending measure fails

03/30/2005

BY PATRICK SWEENEY
Pioneer Press

Six Democrats joined Republicans on Tuesday to defeat an amendment that would have increased the spending cap that House leaders intend to honor as they write Minnesota’s budget.

The vote to set a $29.8 billion two-year limit on spending was the first major test of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party’s greater power in the House since big wins in last November’s election. The result was a victory for leaders of the slim Republican House majority and for Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.

Rep. Dan Dorman, a Republican from Albert Lea, and Rep. Mindy Greiling, a Democrat from Roseville, co-sponsored an amendment that would have boosted that spending cap by $358 million.

Dorman and Greiling said the extra money would allow lawmakers to increase funding for public schools and perhaps other state services. Republican opponents argued that the increased spending would require a tax increase, and they said voting for the increase would be meaningless because Pawlenty in 2002 promised to veto any increase in state taxes.

“Anything that goes above the governor’s target, like it or not, is going to get vetoed,” said Rep. Lynn Wardlow, R-Eagan.

For weeks, House members have speculated that the Dorman-Greiling amendment might be the issue on which Democrats would flex the political muscle they acquired by winning 13 seats in the November election. Dorman said he initially expected six or eight moderate Republicans would join him and the DFL minority in passing the slightly higher spending ceiling.

Only one Republican, Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, joined Dorman and the Democrats.

Six Democrats crossed party lines to vote with the Republicans in support of the lower spending limit. The six were: Denise Dittrich of Champlin, Larry Hosch of St. Joseph, Dan Larson of Bloomington, Ann Lenczewski of Bloomington, Joe Opatz of St. Cloud and Bev Scalze of Little Canada.

“Had every DFLer voted for it, it would have passed,” Dorman said.

The vote on the spending cap, after the defeat of the amendment, was 67-65. In that nearly party-line vote, only Dorman joined the Democrats in attempting to defeat the spending limit.

The $29.8 million limit will allow state spending to grow by about 0.9 percent next year, and 2.9 percent the following year.