News last week from the Legislature had reporters describing both parties more concerned about politics than policy with some suggestion that a stalemate would carry little risk at the voting booth.

Whichever party figures there’s no risk in legislators coming home with nothing accomplished will have badly misjudged the electorate, an electorate that gets angrier with every political punch that threatens political compromise.

Republicans laid out their plan last week to use at least some the $900 million budget surplus for tax relief and road funding, while Democrats continue to argue for new permanent funding for roads and different ideas on tax relief.

Both sides can be blamed for rhetoric that is widening the political gulf when it should be getting closer. GOP Speaker Kurt Daudt admonished the Democrats, suggesting Dayton can’t do “simple math.”

He also chided Democrats that they should “listen to the public like we have,” and join in efforts to provide tax relief and road funding.

Not exactly compromising language.

Democrats weighed in as well.

House Minority Leader Paul Thissen called the GOP budget a “recipe for gridlock.” saying it fell short on DFL priorities of enough funding for college debt relief, pre-K, local government aid and outstate wastewater treatment plants.

Sen. DFL Majority Leader Tom Bakk said there is not that much “urgency” in a non-budget year for his or any caucus to move. He doubted the GOP strategy of going to the campaign trail without investing in roads and infrastructure, and said they “gotta start to think that through.”

The DFL also took after Daudt in a press release saying he wants to “starve education” and other needs. They related it to a comment made that was recorded and repeated in media with Daudt saying the GOP plan for road funding “would start to starve out the general fund, so it would remove money currently going into the general fund, which is a really good thing.”

Thissen said a stalemate might work to the advantage of the DFL because they could say the GOP-led House got nothing done.

The same might be said for the DFL-controlled Senate, as all seats in the House and Senate are up for re-election.

The biggest risk for both parties in election fallout is proving to voters they’re not capable of solving these important problems and harsh rhetoric only serves to reinforce to voters what they might already believe about both parties’ ability to compromise.

 

— Mankato Free Press, April 13