Early Analysis: Lawmakers Get Mid-Session Grades
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO) -- For the first time in months, the Minnesota State Capitol is quiet.
State lawmakers are home for a long Passover/Easter holiday break. And after months of late nights and long weeks, family time is the new priority.
However, the politicking hasn't stopped. In fact, this mid-session break is also a traditional time for lawmakers to get feedback from the folks back home.
The biggest issue: Progress -- or not -- on erasing the state's $5 billion projected shortfall.
And they're getting a slight boost from outside political groups.
The conservative group Freedom Club is running a series of television ads decrying DFL Gov. Mark Dayton's budget, setting up the website letsfixminnesota.com.
And another group, Minnesota Majority, pulled up to the Capitol with truck tricked-out as a soup kitchen-- predicting a Dayton Depression.
"Because jobs will be gone," explained Minnesota Majority's Executive Director Jeff Davis. "People won't have jobs, so they'll be more dependent on government programs. The cost of government is going to go up. It's a vicious cycle. "
Meanwhile, Democrats for Dayton are pushing back, calling GOP public relations efforts politically clever, but false.
Minnesota DFLers say the GOP "all cuts" budget will be catastrophic for the poor and elderly.
"If they really want to hand out soup and help people out here," said DFL Party Chairman Ken Martin, "What they can do is propose a budget solution that doesn't throw the most vulnerable in the state under the bus! "
Dayton sent a budget including high income tax hikes to the legislature in Februrary, and it's been thoroughly roughed up.
Nevertheless, Dayton gave himself high marks.
"I give myself an A," he said. "And an A+ for effort."
And if Dayton's giving himself high grades for work so far, so are Republicans -- to themselves.
Senate Majority Leader Amy Koch also gave a high grade to GOP House Speaker Kurt Zellers.
"I give him an A!" said Koch.
"I give her an A-plus!" said Zellers, of Koch.
But actually, it's probably most accurate to give everyone an incomplete. They've worked hard on fixing the state budget, but it's not fixed.
Lawmakers return next week to start the end run; the scheduled end of the session is May 23.
