GOP leader spreads

reform message in New Ulm

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

NEW ULM -- Minnesota House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen believes five-to-10 years from now Minnesotans will see the 2003 Legislative session as a government "reform session rather than a budget-cutting one."

Paulsen, R-Eden Prairie, accompanied by Rep. Brad Finstad, R-New Ulm, was in town Monday to spread that reform message.

He proposed 10 different ways the Republican-controlled House of Representatives helped Minnesotans this year. In his estimation, they:

-- Balanced the budget without raising taxes on working families;

-- Created the new Minnesota Academic Standards so children get a better education;

-- Protected education funding so students and teachers have the resources they need;

-- Increased funding for higher education;

-- Invested in Minnesota's rural communities through creation of Job Opportunity Building Zones;

-- Improved transportation funding for rural roads and metro area freeways;

-- Reformed the legal system to help reduce frivolous lawsuits;

-- Passed the next generation of welfare reform measures;

-- Acted to keep Minnesotans' heating, cooling and energy costs low by keeping the state's two nuclear energy generation plants open;

-- Protected the environment for future generations by protecting funding to soil and water conservation districts so they can fight erosion and fund water quality projects.

"Then, we also rebuilt the state's reserve back to $500 million which, I think, is of itself a major accomplishment without raising taxes on Minnesota families."

While the second session generally focuses only on bonding for all types of projects, Paulsen said there might be a revisiting of the budget compromises made in the 2003 session.

"All eyes will be on the November (economic) forecast. We'll have to find out where we are in terms of tracking our fiscal moneys that are coming into the state. And that in turn will wait for the February forecast," Paulsen explained.

"Right now we're about on (target). I think we're about $14 million up above having a small surplus which is really nothing to speak of. So, we've pretty much nailed it so far so we're going to have to see how that plays out. It's not a budget year, and I don't expect it to be a wide open budget discussion."

Paulsen said the Legislature will be dealing with some other issues "like health care. How do we control the spiraling cost of health care that impact families, businesses and state employees, and education is going to continue to be a priority."

On the issue of Local Government Aid cuts, Paulsen deferred to Finstad who said, "Most of the communities in my district are managing with the cuts that have been made."

Paulsen expects the omnibus bonding bill to follow the path taken by the bonding legislation in previous sessions.

"Usually, they are around $800 million, and I don't see that changing next year. Since we approved a $250 million bonding bill for highways this year, then I would expect the bonding bill to be in the neighborhood of $550 million."

He said he is optimistic that state employees will vote to accept a contract and not strike.

"There has to be a realization there that the state is not flush with money. I've governed when we've had surpluses in the state. It's a lot different when you have deficits."