Transportation bill begins bumpy journey to a likely veto showdown
02/21/2008
By MIKE KASZUBA and MARK BRUNSWICK,
Star Tribune
February 21, 2008
The fate of a far-reaching transportation bill hinges on a handful of votes as Republicans and DFLers trade accusations that pivotal legislators are facing extraordinary pressures -- and are even being offered political favors -- in an attempt to gain their support.
The $7.7 billion transportation proposal, which would impose the first state gasoline tax increase in 20 years, goes before the full House and Senate today, where it is expected to pass. The intrigue centered on whether DFLers can persuade enough Republicans by early next week to override an anticipated veto from GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
On Wednesday, DFLers struggled to win Republican support without weakening the gas and sales tax hikes that they say are needed to fix the state's ailing roads and bridges. Republicans, meanwhile, introduced and then watched the quick defeat of their own plan.
The GOP plan would boost transportation spending by relying on borrowing and cuts to human services and state agency budgets.
Republicans accused DFLers of resorting to heavy-handed tactics to gain votes.
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, said the political pressure on Republicans -- and even some DFLers -- was "despicable." Tactics included threatening to find opponents to run against plan opponents, or to block bills or projects in their districts. The pressure, he said, was "ten times of what it's ever been in the past."
DFLers dismissed the charge and said that Republicans should produce proof. "If they know it, that should be brought up," said Rep. Bernie Lieder, DFL-Crookston, chief House author of the transportation bill (HF2800/SF2521). "I can't believe it's our Democratic legislators."
Tensions were evident, as was nose counting. Pawlenty met with Republican House members late in the day and later predicted that GOP caucus members would uphold his veto. He said the DFL plan was "too heavy a burden" to put on struggling families.
Rep. Mary Liz Holberg, R-Lakeville, said DFL hardball tactics had been on display at a Ways and Means Committee meeting on Tuesday, where she said the bill was amended to include a specific road project in the district of Rep. Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake. "That's unprecedented," she said.
Hamilton couldn't be reached for comment.
But Lieder said Republicans were reading too much into a small section of the proposal. "It all depends on how they want to interpret it," he said. "But [the language] doesn't identify specific road numbers."
Seven under the microscope
Both DFLers and Republicans were focusing on seven GOP House members who voted for last year's transportation bill but then voted against overriding Pawlenty's veto.
Some of those members, such as Rep. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, said they were ready to push the "no" button on the current bill and to sustain a veto. Abeler said he wants more clarity about how much money Anoka County would receive in the bill. He also said a half-cent sales tax increase in the seven-county metro area, which the bill proposes, is too high.
Rep. Neil Peterson, R-Bloomington, another of the targeted lawmakers, said Minnesota's transportation system is in such disrepair that the increased funding from the bill is needed, despite concerns about raising taxes.
"It's like what John Wayne said, 'You'll thank me in the morning,' when he slings the body over his saddle and rides away," he said. Pressure has been intense to follow the caucus line and vote against the measure, Peterson said.
Rep. Kathy Tingelstad, R-Andover, said she would likely vote for the bill. "They understand that a user fee is the best way to go," Tingelstad said of voters, but acknowledged many Republican lawmakers disagreed. "No one is talking to me today," she said.
Tingelstad said that, privately, perhaps as many as a dozen to 15 House Republicans were wavering on voting against the measure.
Rep. Dean Urdahl, R-Grove City, another of the seven, said he is leaning against the bill.
As evidence of the tensions he is facing, Urdahl has faced some sharp criticism after a blogger spotted him having dinner recently with House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis. The blog entry morphed into a conservative talk radio attack in which he was referred to as "Representative Traitor."
"She explained the bill to me, that's all. It was just a dinner," Urdahl said, shaking his head.
Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, who had been one of the strongest advocates among House Republicans for increasing transportation funding, is facing a stiff reelection fight from a GOP primary opponent and said he would wait to see how the voting breaks down on both the transportation bill and any possible gubernatorial override.
"If it's close, like 82 or 83 votes, I'm not going to be the deciding vote," he said.
One attempt to gain more votes for the bill today could be to modify the proposed metro-area sales tax, which would be used for transit, roads and bridges. A move to cut the amount from one-half to a quarter-cent -- a position backed by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce -- failed Wednesday in a Senate committee but may be revived today.
"If this bill gets too small, I don't think it's worth passing," said Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, referring to such efforts to scale back the tax increases in the legislation.
As evidence of the tensions he is facing, Urdahl has faced some sharp criticism after a blogger spotted him having dinner recently with House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis. The blog entry morphed into a conservative talk radio attack in which he was referred to as "Representative Traitor."
"She explained the bill to me, that's all. It was just a dinner," Urdahl said, shaking his head.
Rep. Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, who had been one of the strongest advocates among House Republicans for increasing transportation funding, is facing a stiff reelection fight from a GOP primary opponent and said he would wait to see how the voting breaks down on both the transportation bill and any possible gubernatorial override.
"If it's close, like 82 or 83 votes, I'm not going to be the deciding vote," he said.
One attempt to gain more votes for the bill today could be to modify the proposed metro-area sales tax, which would be used for transit, roads and bridges. A move to cut the amount from one-half to a quarter-cent -- a position backed by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce -- failed Wednesday in a Senate committee but may be revived today.
"If this bill gets too small, I don't think it's worth passing," said Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, referring to such efforts to scale back the tax increases in the legislation.
Star Tribune Staff writer Patricia Lopez and the Associated Press contributed to this article.