Local St. Cloud Area Legislators sound off on I-35 W Bridge Issue

From yesterday morning's KNSI's Hot Talk with AndyBarnett.

Barnett invited all area legislators for a round table to discuss the prospects of bridge funding, a special session, and other issues.

Present in the interview were Representative Steve Gottwalt (R-15-A), Representative Dan Severson (R-14-A), and via phone with Representative Larry Hosch (D-14-B).

Refusing to participate were District 15 State Senator Tarryl Clark (D), as well as Representative Larry Haws (D-15-B). District 14 Senator Michelle Fischbach (R) was unable to participate due to prior commitments.

The first part focuses on possible funding sources for upkeep of infrastructure (i.e., bridges) as well as the prospect for a special session and a gas tax increase; the second part focuses on the same; however, the discussion later on veers into the provision of the recently passed omnibus bill that affords free contraception to 12-year olds without parental notification.

Yes, both parts are long, but well worth the listen!

(Both links will open in a new window)

Part 1.


Part 2.


It should be noted that I had lunch with Rep. Gottwalt and with Rep. Matt Dean, and both have grave reservations regarding a special session.

Even though Governor Pawlenty can dictate the conditions under which he will call the special session, once the special session has started, the majority DFL party are then free to change the agenda to suit themselves, and can come out of the session with something much different than what was agreed upon by themselves and the Governor. In other words, once the session starts, it is totally out of the Governor's hands.

The Governor can still veto what comes out of the session, however, he did reportedly express that he was hesitant to veto legislation from a special session that he himself would call.

It is my opinion, however, that the Governor has every right to veto legislation which is clearly outside of the parameters of what would have been agreed upon in good faith at the outset.

However, to save all of the trouble that would certainly ensue, it would behoove Governor Pawlenty (who incidentally has political capital to the tune of a 75% approval rating) to follow the advice of Reps. Severson and Gottwalt: Don't call a special session in the first place. It has been proven that the DFL leadership cannot be trusted in such matters, and a special session will inevitably result in a political can of worms that would be better left unopened.