The 2003 legislative session is more than a month old now and with the debate heating up it is a good time to update you on some of the events that have taken place and legislation I am sponsoring.

So far, the state’s looming budget deficit has taken the lion’s share of the attention here at the State Capitol. While the largest portion of the budget shortfall is in the 2004-05 biennium, we have spent much of the past month dealing with the immediate problem &045; a $356 million budget gap that existed prior to June 30 of this year.

Last week, budget negotiations between the House and Senate conferees reached a late-night impasse as the House issued to the Senate a &uot;take-it-or-leave-it&uot; ultimatum, refusing to budge from its position of making large permanent cuts without adequate public understanding or discussion. Although they had worked hard to compromise with House negotiators, Senate conferees ultimately could not accept the House ultimatum. They could not condone the House’s use of an emergency shortfall to make permanent cuts that would devastate many Minnesota families. They drew the line on drastic reductions to children’s healthcare, to prenatal care and nutrition for pregnant women and to programs that bring jobs to hard-hit rural Minnesota. Not only were these cuts mean-spirited, but in the long run would have resulted in greater costs to society and government. Because of the impasse, Gov. Pawlenty acted to unilaterally &uot;unallot&uot; $356 million from the state’s budget.

While this is not the solution the Senate would have preferred, it does put the state’s budget back into balance for the current fiscal year, and it is now time to begin the truly hard work of the legislative session:

dealing with the $4.5 billion deficit that is projected over the next two years. That process will require much public discussion and testimony, thoughtful deliberation and hard choices.

I was able to introduce my first two bills into the Senate this past week &045; one aimed at increasing the accountability of our state agencies and one ensuring that taxpayers’ money is being spent responsibly.The first bill calls for an overhaul of Minnesota’s contracting laws. Right now, the state spends hundreds of millions of dollars to contract out for many jobs that state workers can do at a lower cost. The vast majority of government work is done by state agencies, out of public view. My bill will allow for more oversight of that process. Whistle-blowers will be protected, regular audits of state agencies will be required and competition will be encouraged. Under my bill, the state ultimately saves at least $100 million in contacting costs. You can learn more about Senate File 344 at www.leg.state.mn.us/leg/legis.asp.

The second bill, Senate File 343, increases the responsibility in how HMOs are spending state dollars. Under my bill, HMOs are required to report certain compensation and travel cost information each year to the commerce and health commissioners, as well as the attorney general. These officials are given more authority over these expenditures, resulting in the elimination of wasteful spending.

As vice chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, I had the opportunity last Wednesday to chair my first committee hearing. Although the meeting consisted of fairly routine overviews of health insurance issues, it was exciting for me to actually take the committee gavel and act as &uot;Mr. Chairman&uot; for the first time.

And, in another &uot;first&uot; for me, I had the honor last week to be chosen by Senate President Jim Metzen as one of five senators to escort the governor, former governors, justices of the Minnesota Supreme Court, state officers and other distinguished guests as they walked into the House Chamber for the Governor’s State of the State Address.

I am hoping to meet personally with many of you in the coming weekends.

This Saturday, Feb. 22, I will be at the Freeborn/Mower Cooperative Services building in Albert Lea at 9 a.m. for the Chamber of Commerce’s &uot;Eggs and Issues&uot; breakfast. At 10 a.m., I will be at the Austin Public Library for a town meeting, followed by another at 2 p.m. at the Adams Fire Hall.

In the meantime, I always appreciate hearing your thoughts and ideas. I can be reached at G-24 State Capitol, 75 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd., St. Paul, MN 55155, or by calling my Capitol office at (651) 296-9248.

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, represents Freeborn and Mower counties and part of Fillmore County in the Minnesota Senate.