Minnesota shows compromise doesn’t have to be a dirty word

Congratulations Minnesota. You’ve shown what can be accomplished when people work together to solve a common problem. Minnesota lawmakers had spent months trying to reach agreement on how to spend a state budget surplus. Republicans and Democrats were at odds for much of that time, but finally reached a bipartisan agreement on how to spend the money. In the end, neither side got everything they wanted, but both sides got some of what they wanted. Democrats secured more spending on education, health care and public safety. Republicans got tax cuts and socked some of the money away in a rainy day fund. Final details still have to be worked out, but their effort shows what is possible when two sides are willing to compromise. Compare that to Wisconsin, where nearly everything proposed by Democratic Governor Tony Evers is immediately shot down by Republicans who control the Legislature. When Evers wanted to send rebate checks to taxpayers to distribute the state’s surplus, legislators said no. They didn’t offer an alternative plan, they didn’t sit down to try to work out their differences. It has been the same game plan on just about every other issue, including gun control, police reform and others. In Wisconsin, it seems compromise has become a dirty word. It is refreshing to see our political parties work together in Minnesota, but would be even more refreshing if Madison took a cue from St. Paul and actually worked to bridge their differences in the interest of getting things done.