This past week, a dozen or so legislators staged a &uot;hunger strike&uot; to protest the coming end of the five-year time limit for many Minnesota welfare recipients.

Saturday, March 30, 2002

This past week, a dozen or so legislators staged a &uot;hunger strike&uot; to protest the coming end of the five-year time limit for many Minnesota welfare recipients. They were trying to draw attention to a Senate bill that would extend those benefits. Many families will reach the five-year cut off date this summer.

Last year, the legislature enacted exemptions to the five-year limit to families that have members with physical or mental health problems, families with disabled children and to those who are working but don’t earn enough to get off welfare. At the same time, other social safety net programs are still available, such as child-care assistance, food stamps and medical assistance.

The hunger-striking legislators drew some attention, but what was more compelling was a letter sent to both DFL and Republican legislators the same week from a job counselor in southern Minnesota. The counselor urged lawmakers not to extend the five-year limit, arguing that Minnesota’s welfare program &uot;has some credibility; don’t water that down.&uot;

&uot;The fear factor of sky-rocketing out-of-home placements and homelessness is just that,&uot; he writes. &uot;Past experience has not demonstrated such occurrences when programs in the past have been eliminated. For those honestly needing an extension, the means and opportunity is there … Diluting a credible program with ample allowances is not wise policy.&uot;

A majority of the legislature agrees.

California dreaming?

In a worrisome development for the state’s ethanol producers, a California deadline for removing the environmentally harmful additive MTBE from gasoline by the end of this year has been pushed to 2004, largely because of political reasons. Lawmakers there are concerned about refineries’ ability to meet ethanol conversion goals and ethanol producers’ ability to meet (much less transport) California’s ethanol needs. In 2001, U.S. ethanol production was over 1.8 billion gallons. California needs 950 millions gallons a year.

Now’s the time to increase Minnesota’s ethanol capacity. A huge market is slowly unfolding out west, and Minnesota can be in a position of reaping the benefit.

Stadium

The first Twins stadium bill popped up about seven years ago. For the first time, the Minnesota House of Representatives found a stadium bill it can like, passing legislation that allows a stadium to be constructed without the use of state tax dollars, but using the leverage of state financing.

Under the plan, the state would sell $330 million in revenue bonds to finance the stadium project. In return, the Twins would give the state a $165 million dollar gift, which would be invested. Interest earned on the gift is expected to pay the principal at the end of 30 years and funds one-half of the interest payments over 30 years. The rest, about $10 million, would come from new local taxes on liquor, food, parking and hotels in the target city, if local city voters approve it in a June 4 referendum.

The funding agreement requires a 30-year lease agreement with the Twins – with no escape clause – and a promise from them to pay for any spending overruns on stadium construction. This is an almost bullet-proof plan to provide incentives to build a stadium while holding taxpayers harmless. Look for a final vote next week.

What do you think? I welcome your input and ideas. Please call me at home at 377-9441 or at the legislature, toll-free, at 1-877-377-9441. My legislative office address is 579 State Office Building, 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155. My e-mail address is: rep.dan.dorman@ house.leg.state.mn.us.

Rep. Dan Dorman (R-Albert Lea) represents Freeborn County in the Minnesota House of Representatives.