Playing politics seems to have ended negotiations on huge legislation in Minnesota

Tax bill, construction projects won’t happen,
supposedly because of a light-rail project

Late last week was the last special session between Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and Republicans to reach a deal on tax relief, millions in state wide construction projects.

State Senator Jeremy Miller, a Winona Republican, puts the blame on Dayton. He says the governor might be waiting for the November election to make any decisions, in case Democrats could gain control of both the House and Senate.

In a game of finger pointing, Dayton said nearly the same thing, after the meeting last week about the two sides “playing politics.”

After the legislature’s regular session ended in May, the groups called a special session after July 4 and nearly passed the bill. An error, however, in the tax package wording would have cost the state $100 million over three years, so it was nixed.

This time, it seems to be a light-rail project that the sides couldn’t agree upon.

The framework of an agreement was agreed to by the governor legislative leaders,” Miller said. “The governor did make some comments earlier (last) week, it was basically an all-or-nothing proposal for the governor. When you go into a negotiation like that, usually you don’t win.

“That bonding bill and that tax bill would have provided real relief for people, but the governor played politics. To put that in front of the people, for me that’s just not right.”

Dayton said he’s open to negotiating again early next year when the legislators reconvene. Of course, that would be after the elections.

“I think both the tax bill and the bonding bill would be very beneficial to lots of Minnesotans,” Dayton said. “That’s my disappointment that we couldn’t get this worked out in a way that we could proceed with both and pass both and them provide the tax relief and new projects that would benefit thousands of Minnesotans.”

The light-rail project that essentially killed this special session is one Democrats apparently want and Republicans do not.

“They didn’t want light rail,” Miller said of his constituents. “They don’t use it. They don’t want to pay for it. 

“If they want to extend the light rail into Eden Prairie, and the folks in Eden Prairie, their property taxes are going to go up, they should have the right to vote on that.”

House Speaker, Rep. Kurt Daudt also put the blame on Dayton for walking away from good proposals simply because the groups disagreed on the light rail.

“I did ask him in the meeting if he would consider doing a special session, set aside the things we can’t agree on and let’s be Minnesotan,” Daudt told MPR. “Let’s be Minnesota nice and focus on the things we can agree on. Let’s get a session and just work on the things we can agree on. The governor flat out said ‘no, we’re not going to work on those things without Southwest Light Rail.'”Daudt and Senate Minority Leader David Hann of Eden Prairie said DFLers didn’t want to negotiate other issues without rail-line funding, which is needed to unlock hundreds of millions dollars in federal money.

With all 201 seats on the Nov. ballot, the Star Tribune wrote Daudt is trying to hold control of the House, while DFLers are trying to maintain leadership of the Senate. Daudt’s team is counting on its opposition to light rail being popular in outstate Minnesota, where Republican support is strong.