Weary lawmakers quit the State Capitol shortly after midnight on Monday (May 20) after setting a two-year, $38 billion state budget.

“I think it worked extraordinarily well for Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton said of DFL control of state government.

Final pieces of the five-month session slipped into place in the waning hours with lawmakers passing a tax-the-rich style $2 billion tax increase bill and a $177 million bonding bill that slates $109 million to State Capitol restoration.

“I think it was propitious,” Rep. Jerry Newton, DFL-Coon Rapids, said of the water that seeped into the State Capitol tunnel over the stormy weekend.

Hours earlier an $800 million bonding bill had crashed on the House floor, and Newton believes the seeping water served as a damp reminder of unfinished work on the Capitol building.

Dayton would have liked to have seen the House bonding bill signed into law.

“I don’t get all I want. Nobody does,” he said sagely.

Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, and Sen. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo, study at the laptop at their desk on the Senate floor on the Monday, the last day of the session. (Photo by T.W. Budig)

The 2013 session was touched by history, and made it.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre had lawmakers examining gun control. But many Greater Minnesota Democrats, as well as Republicans, were wary of universal background checks, closing perceived gun-show loopholes, and legislative leaders scuttled the initiative late in the session .

But history took place at the State Capitol over a series of days in May that saw House and Senate, in some of the most powerful, emotional, and controversial debate in years, pass legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Minnesota.

“I think the enormity of this (marriage) bill cannot be overstated,” Dayton said at the time.

Five Republicans, including Sen. Branden Petersen of Andover and Representatives Pat Garofalo of Farmington and  Jenifer Loon of Eden Prairie,  joined Democrats in making Minnesota the 12th state, effective Aug. 1, in which same-sex couples can legally marry.

Six thousand people witnessed Dayton sign the marriage legislation into law on a sunny, hot afternoon outside the State Capitol.

“How will Minnesota react to this? — I don’t know,” House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said.

“It is what it is,” he said of the divisive issue.

“Frankly, we’re more concerned about what is going to happen to Minnesota’s economy,” Daudt said.

But it wasn’t the marriage bill but legislation regarding possible child care and personal care attendant unionization that monopolized House and Senate floor debate.

Senate Republicans debated the bill 17 hours, while House Republicans, mindful of their Senate colleagues robust efforts, armed themselves with about 120 amendments and sporadically debated the legislation over several days.

Passage of the emotionally-charged bill had a few House Republicans shouting insults at House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, as cheers erupted from union activists in the House gallery.

Democrats are even-toned.

“All I did was vote to allow them (child care providers and personal care attendants) to hold a vote,” Rep. John Benson, DFL-Minnetonka, said. “And if the opposition is as strong as they (opponents) say it is, they’ll never have a union,” he said.

One issue of great importance to business, a proposed minimum wage increase, was set aside by legislative leaders.

House Democrats proposed increasing the state minimum wage about $2 higher than Senate Democrats did.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, expects lawmakers to take up the minimum wage next session.

He spoke of simply running out time this session.

Thissen called the delay a “shame.”

Another issue scheduled to resurface when lawmakers return to the State Capitol on Feb. 25 — at least in the mind of Bakk — is the sales-tax expansion contained in the tax bill.

“Sales-tax reform is really hard,” Bakk said, appearing with Dayton, Thissen, and other legislative at the State Capitol on Tuesday (May 21) morning.

Lawmakers will continue to explore the provision extending the state sales tax to warehousing, Bakk said. They’ll learn more about the extension, which does not go into effect until April, 2014, over upcoming months, he said.

The tax bill contains “glitches,” Bakk said. Specifically, he pointed to the expansion of the state sales tax to maintenance work on farm machinery.

“We got one little clinker in there,” he said.

But Democratic leaders, rather than shying away from the tax bill, embrace it.

Dayton called the $1 billion tax increase on the wealthy, upper two percent of tax filers a “progressive tax increase.” He heralded the $2 billion in tax increases as bolstering education, providing property tax relief and providing other boosts to the middle class.

“It’s what government should be doing,” Dayton said.

But Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, lead Republican on the House Tax Committee, appraised things differently.

“This session was a disaster for the taxpayers of Minnesota,” he said.

Davids styled the new fourth-tier income tax rate as “punishing success.”

Even smokers got hit with new taxes, Davids said.

But Rep. Sandra Masin, DFL-Eagan, looks at the $485 million in new spending in E-12 education and $250 million in higher education as meeting needs.

“I think we exceeded expectations in investments in education. In my area, that’s (education funding) really, really important,” she said.

One initiative Democrats look to developing over upcoming months is transportation.

Dayton and other Democrats speak of fostering public dialogue over the future of transportation, and making clear the benefits the public can expect if agreeable to transportation tax increases.

Transportation-funding advocates express frustration.

“Without new funding from the Legislature, hundreds of miles of critical road, bridge and transit projects will not be built, upgraded, or expanded,” said Mike Sheehan, co-chair of Progress in Motion, in a press release.

In general, Democrats and Republicans treated each other congenially this past session.

“It’s tough to be in the minority,” Daudt said.

“All in all, I think we ended here on a respectful note. And I think that’s important,” he said.

As Daudt stood on the House floor after close of session, Democrats walked by and shook hands.

Tim Budig can be reached at tim.budig@ecm-inc.com

The post Dems and Republicans differ on whether the session was a success appeared first on Star News.

“Her claim to fame is that she is extremely active with the Elk River Special Olympics program, and has been since 2008,” Mayor John Dietz said in recognizing Audie Gutzwiller. Since 2011 Gutzwiller has been head of the delegation for Special Olympics in Elk River. She supervises six sports, 35 coaches and 125 athletes.

In other volunteer activities, Gutzwiller organized a neighborhood carnival for the District 728 Special Education Department, organized a parent group for parents of special needs children, has been a volunteer at Lincoln and St. Andrew’s elementary schools, served as a youth hockey team manager and has been a Girl Scout cookie mom.

Gutzwiller was honored at the May 20 Elk River City Council meeting.

The post Gutzwiller named Elk River’s Volunteer of Month appeared first on Star News.

by T.W. Budig
ECM Capitol reporter

Weary lawmakers quit the State Capitol shortly after midnight on Monday (May 20) after setting a two-year, $38 billion state budget.

“I think it worked extraordinarily well for Minnesota,” Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton said of DFL control of state government.

Final pieces of the five-month session slipped into place in the waning hours with lawmakers passing a tax-the-rich style $2 billion tax increase bill and a $177 million bonding bill that slates $109 million to State Capitol restoration.

“I think it was propitious,” Rep. Jerry Newton, DFL-Coon Rapids, said of the water that seeped into the State Capitol tunnel over the stormy weekend.

Hours earlier an $800 million bonding bill had crashed on the House floor, and Newton believes the seeping water served as a damp reminder of unfinished work on the Capitol building.

Dayton would have liked to have seen the House bonding bill signed into law.

“I don’t get all I want. Nobody does,” he said sagely.

The 2013 session was touched by history, and made it.

The Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre had lawmakers examining gun control. But many Greater Minnesota Democrats, as well as Republicans, were wary of universal background checks, closing perceived gun-show loopholes, and legislative leaders scuttled the initiative late in the session .

But history took place at the State Capitol over a series of days in May that saw House and Senate, in some of the most powerful, emotional, and controversial debate in years, pass legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in Minnesota.

“I think the enormity of this (marriage) bill cannot be overstated,” Dayton said at the time.

Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer, R-Big Lake, and Sen. Bruce Anderson, R-Buffalo, study at the laptop at their desk on the Senate floor on the Monday, the last day of the session. (Photo by T.W. Budig)

Five Republicans, including Sen. Branden Petersen of Andover and Representatives Pat Garofalo of Farmington and  Jenifer Loon of Eden Prairie,  joined Democrats in making Minnesota the 12th state, effective Aug. 1, in which same-sex couples can legally marry.

Six thousand people witnessed Dayton sign the marriage legislation into law on a sunny, hot afternoon outside the State Capitol.

“How will Minnesota react to this? — I don’t know,” House Minority Leader Kurt Daudt, R-Crown, said.

“It is what it is,” he said of the divisive issue.

“Frankly, we’re more concerned about what is going to happen to Minnesota’s economy,” Daudt said.

But it wasn’t the marriage bill but legislation regarding possible child care and personal care attendant unionization that monopolized House and Senate floor debate.

Senate Republicans debated the bill 17 hours, while House Republicans, mindful of their Senate colleagues robust efforts, armed themselves with about 120 amendments and sporadically debated the legislation over several days.

Passage of the emotionally-charged bill had a few House Republicans shouting insults at House Speaker Paul Thissen, DFL-Minneapolis, as cheers erupted from union activists in the House gallery.

Democrats are even-toned.

“All I did was vote to allow them (child care providers and personal care attendants) to hold a vote,” Rep. John Benson, DFL-Minnetonka, said. “And if the opposition is as strong as they (opponents) say it is, they’ll never have a union,” he said.

One issue of great importance to business, a proposed minimum wage increase, was set aside by legislative leaders.

House Democrats proposed increasing the state minimum wage about $2 higher than Senate Democrats did.

Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk, DFL-Cook, expects lawmakers to take up the minimum wage next session.

He spoke of simply running out time this session.

Thissen called the delay a “shame.”

Another issue scheduled to resurface when lawmakers return to the State Capitol on Feb. 25 — at least in the mind of Bakk — is the sales-tax expansion contained in the tax bill.

“Sales-tax reform is really hard,” Bakk said, appearing with Dayton, Thissen, and other legislative at the State Capitol on Tuesday (May 21) morning.

Lawmakers will continue to explore the provision extending the state sales tax to warehousing, Bakk said. They’ll learn more about the extension, which does not go into effect until April, 2014, over upcoming months, he said.

The tax bill contains “glitches,” Bakk said. Specifically, he pointed to the expansion of the state sales tax to maintenance work on farm machinery.

“We got one little clinker in there,” he said.

But Democratic leaders, rather than shying away from the tax bill, embrace it.

Dayton called the $1 billion tax increase on the wealthy, upper two percent of tax filers a “progressive tax increase.” He heralded the $2 billion in tax increases as bolstering education, providing property tax relief and providing other boosts to the middle class.

“It’s what government should be doing,” Dayton said.

But Rep. Greg Davids, R-Preston, lead Republican on the House Tax Committee, appraised things differently.

“This session was a disaster for the taxpayers of Minnesota,” he said.

Davids styled the new fourth-tier income tax rate as “punishing success.”

Even smokers got hit with new taxes, Davids said.

But Rep. Sandra Masin, DFL-Eagan, looks at the $485 million in new spending in E-12 education and $250 million in higher education as meeting needs.

“I think we exceeded expectations in investments in education. In my area, that’s (education funding) really, really important,” she said.

One initiative Democrats look to developing over upcoming months is transportation.

Dayton and other Democrats speak of fostering public dialogue over the future of transportation, and making clear the benefits the public can expect if agreeable to transportation tax increases.

Transportation-funding advocates express frustration.

“Without new funding from the Legislature, hundreds of miles of critical road, bridge and transit projects will not be built, upgraded, or expanded,” said Mike Sheehan, co-chair of Progress in Motion, in a press release.

In general, Democrats and Republicans treated each other congenially this past session.

“It’s tough to be in the minority,” Daudt said.

“All in all, I think we ended here on a respectful note. And I think that’s important,” he said.

As Daudt stood on the House floor after close of session, Democrats walked by and shook hands.

Tim Budig can be reached at tim.budig@ecm-inc.com

The post Dems and Republicans differ on whether the session was a success appeared first on Star News.

Gelle was 2-for-4 with his first two round-trippers of the season at St. John’s University’s turf field.

Ryan Gelle

Scott Neubauer was 3-for-4 with three RBI and Tyler Antony 2-for-3 with four RBI. Other RBI hits were by Adam Nauth, Kyle Ellis (double) and Bryanlee Santiago-Martinez (double). Kyle Halseth was 2-for-3.

Nauth and Ellis pitched three innings each, with Nauth (1-2) getting the win.
Rogers (8-9) will close the regular season Tuesday hosting Washburn.

Rogers is seeded No. 6 in Section 5AAA and will meet No. 11 Osseo on Thursday, 4:30 p.m., at Wintercrest Park in Coon Rapids. The winner advances to double-eliminaton and would face No. 3 Totino-Grace on Saturday.

The post Baseball: Rogers ends skid with 13-2 win over Apollo appeared first on Star News.

The Democratic-led Legislature voted to tax the rich and smokers and to close corporate loopholes in raising about $2 billion in new taxes in its omnibus tax bill.

The Senate took its vote shortly before the Legislature adjourned until next year.

The tax bill closes the $627 million state budget deficit, fuels education funding and provides tax relief for homeowners and renters.

It creates a fourth-tier income tax rate at 9.85 percent — a change snagging about $1 billion — applicable to joint married filers earning more than $250,000 in taxable income, single-filers with taxable income of more than $150,000.

The income tax increase embraces the top two percent of taxpayers.

Republicans are not pleased.

“Thank goodness the increase in the candy tax and snack tax went away,” Rep. Nick Zerwas, R-Elk River, quipped.

“This bill hurts every Minnesotan,” he said.

The tax on a pack of cigarettes is increased by $1.60 per pack under the tax bill.

The increase is about more than raising money, Democrats argue.

House Tax Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, presents her tax bill to the House. (Photo by T.W. Budig)

“I view it as a public health imperative,” House Tax Committee Chairwoman Ann Lenczewski, DFL-Bloomington, said.

Senate Tax Committee Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook, a former smoker, said he had never voted for a cigarette tax increase before.

“This is one of the hardest issues for me,” he said.

But Skoe found the health argument compelling.

All told, changes to tobacco taxes raise $430 million.

In addition to closing perceived corporate loopholes — a closure capturing $400 million — a 10 percent gift tax is imposed.

For the gift tax, a lifetime credit of $100,000 is provided, and a taxpayer can give up to $13,000 a year without counting towards their $1 million exemption.

The tax bill does not include the sweeping sales tax reforms originally proposed by Democratic Gov. Mark Dayton, but it does expand the sales tax to non-consumer warehousing and storage, repair and maintenance of electronic equipment and commercial and industrial machinery,

The storage of boats, cars, and recreational vehicles not eligible to be deducted as business expenses are exempt from the warehouse sales tax expansion.

Further, the storage of farm products and refrigerated storage are also exempt.

But the expansion of the sales tax to the repair and maintenance of industrial machinery includes farm machinery.

And the warehousing provision, which will go into effect in 2014, applies to some farm storage.

The tax bill contains an Internet “Amazon” online sale tax provision for out-of-state retailers with affiliates in Minnesota selling on their behalf.

That captures $10 million.

In terms of tax relief, the bill exempts cities and counties from paying the sales tax for most purchases, a $172 million savings to local government.

Under the bill, some 300,000 homeowners will see their property tax refunds increase, and another 100,000 additional homeowners will receive a refund, Democrats say.

One provision Republicans focused on during floor debate dealt with the Vikings stadium.

A one-time flush of money into the stadium reserve account is achieved through a cigarette tax on floor stock. To further stabilize the state stadium funding, left shaky by feeble electronic pull-tab revenues, corporate tax-loophole-closur dollars could be channeled towards paying off the stadium.

Some Republicans were flabbergasted.

“Can you smoke in the new stadium?” Rep. Tom Hackbarth, R-Cedar, asked Lenczewski.

“Because smokers are going to be paying for it,” he said. The tax bill contains no alcohol tax increases.

A Mayo Destination Medical Center provision is included in the tax bill.

It anticipates the state investing a maximum of $327 million over 27 years after the clinic, City of Rochester, and Olmstead County make sufficient investments.

A Rochester Democrat choked up on the House floor while thanking Lenczewski for the language.

The tax bill extends Mall of America TIF districts to spur Phase Two mall expansion.

It provides a sales tax exemption for the proposed Baxter Biopharmaceutical facility in Brooklyn Park.

About 54,400 Minnesota resident tax returns, or about 2.1 percent of filers, will fall under the fourth-tier income tax rate.

Senate Tax Committee Chairman Rod Skoe, DFL-Clearbrook, talks to a Senate colleague on the Senate floor. (Photo by T.W. Budig)

Ninety-eight percent of Minnesota taxpayers will see no income tax increase, according to the governor’s office.

A married couple with a taxable income of $617,000 would pay about $8,400 more in taxes under the fourth tier.

A single filer with a taxable income of $428,000, under the fourth tier, would pay an additional $5,500.

Minnesota’s 9.85 percent tax rate would be fifth highest in the country.

Republicans were critical of the bill not only for what was in it, but what wasn’t.

“What’s unfortunate, we did not make our veterans a priority in the bill,” Rep. Anna Wills, R-Apple Valley, said.

Wills had pursued a veterans-hiring tax credit.

“It’s not necessary, and not needed,” Rep. Joe McDonald, R-Delano, said of the tax increases.

The tax bill passed the House on a party line 71-58 vote; it passed the Senate on a 36-30 vote.

Democratic senators Terri Bonoff of Minnetonka, Melisa Franzen of Edina, and Susan Kent of Woodbury voted with Republicans.

Debate in the Senate also had Republicans standing on the floor condemning the tax bill.

“These taxes are really about envy,” Sen. Dave Thompson, R-Lakeville, said of the tax-the-rich approach.

“This bill will make us a high-tax island,” Sen. Julianne Ortman, R-Chanhassen, said.

Sen. Dan Hall, R-Burnsville, described the Democratic taxing philosophy as predatory.

“If they got a need — let’s tax them!” Hall said.

Sen. Sean Nienow, R-Cambridge, called the tobacco-tax increase as Democrats taking “politically correct” money.

Tim Budig can be reached at tim.budig@ecm-inc.com

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Elk River suffered uncustomary lapses in fielding and control on Monday and the result was a costly 9-4 loss to Park Center at home.

The setback in their conference finale cost the Elks a share of second place in the NWSC and probably more.

“We were ranked first in the section in QRF before today, but we probably won’t get the top seed now,” said coach Ryan Holmgren.

The Elks’ 4-3 win over highly-ranked Champlin Park on Saturday boosted them in both quests, only to fall to a middle-of-the-pack Park Center team.

In conference, Coon Rapids finished 10-0, Champlin Park 8-2 and the Elks 7-3, still a strong finish for a team in its first season above .500 since 2004. The Elks are 12-3 overall with two non-conference games left.

The Elks gave up three runs in the third after botching a two-out grounder with bases loaded.

In the fifth, Elk starter Brandon Meyer got the first batter out, then lost control as he hit two batters and walked the next three. Reliever Bob Gonrowski was greeted by Austin Ledin with a two-run double. A sac fly then completed a five-run inning that made the score 8-2.

“Park Center is talented and scrappy and I think they are better than their record,” said Holmgren. “But we didn’t do ourselves any favors today, either.”

The Pirates (9-9) used five pitchers because they are starting playoffs on Thursday.

Erik Nyquist finished for the Elks, allowing one unearned run in three innings.

Brady Givens ripped three doubles in four at-bats for the Elks, with one run and one RBI. Meyer was 2-for-4 and Tim Sanford had an RBI single.

The Elks will play at St. Michael-Albertville on Tuesday, 4:30 p.m., and will host Duluth East on Wednesday, 5 p.m.

The Elks are likely to get one of the top four seeds in Section 7AAA, which would give them a bye for the sudden-death first round Monday and put them in the eight-team, double-elim tournament starting next Thursday with a home game.

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Freshman pitcher Ashley Pool does high-fives after the 10-0 win. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

by Bruce Strand, Sports editor

A season of dramatic turnaround by the Zimmerman softball team continued as the Thunder thumped Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted 10-0 in their playoff opener Monday.

Freshman pitcher Ashley Pool fired a five-inning one-hit whitewash with 10 strikeouts in the Thunder’s home finale.

Sophomore Abby Canton went 3-for-3 with two runs, freshman Carlie Lage had four walks and three runs, and junior Gabby Antolak was 2-for-3.

Carlie Lage shows a good eye during one of her four walks at the leadoff position. (Photo by Bruce Strand)

The Thunder are 15-4 on the heels of a 4-17 season last year, with pretty much the same roster, and it’s still a young team, with three senior captains and one junior starter, four sophomores and two freshmen.

“We were hoping (to turn it around). It was a matter of whether the kids would put in the work in the off-season,” said coach Emily Zahn. “And they did. Plus, with this extended winter this year, we spent an extra month hitting in the gym, working things out with our swings.”

Antolak, who’s hitting just under .500, is a fourth-year starter, three of those at catcher.

“Our defense is much improved this year, and it’s really nice to have Gabby back there,” said Zahn.

Antolak, also a middle hitter on the 21-7, section runner-up volleyball team, said she was “very proud” of how hard the softball players worked to prepare for this season.

About her pitcher, Pool, Canton assessed: “She has really improved with hitting her spots, and she is a lot quicker than last year. She’s a freshman and she’s striking out seniors who’ve been playing (varsity) for years.”

Senior captains are outfielder Katelyn Bauer, second baseman Morgan Feldick, and first baseman Heather McCormick.

Katelyn Bauer bunts a high pitch successfully as she squeezed a runner home from third base. (Photo by Bruce Strand_

Unfortunately, McCormick, who was having a strong senior year, broke her little finger in the final regular-season game at Mora last week, when it got tangled with a base-runner. She’ll miss the playoffs.

“It’s sad to lose Heather,” said Zahn, who put Canton, her designated hitter, in the first base slot.

Feldick was 1-for-2 plus a walk and sac bunt, Ashley Ryding delivered a sac fly, in the win over HLWW. Taking the loss was Samantha Loebertmann.

The Thunder, seeded third among eight teams in the west half of Section 5AA, will duel either No. 2 Maple Lake or No. 7 Litchfield in Maple Lake on Wednesday at 4 p.m. The Maple Lake-Litchfield game was rained out Monday and moved to Tuesday.

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Katelyn Kemmetmueller, ninth-grade right-hander, gave up just one single and two walks, striking out seven, while hitting two batters.

The Royals took a 2-0 lead into the seventh when PC’s Kira Musial singled home M.J.  Jellison.

No. 6 seeded Rogers (10-8) will meet No. 3 Spring Lake Park on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m.
For No. 11 Park Center (6-11), Jill Rosby twirled a four-hitter with three walks, one hit batter, and six strikeouts. However, she threw four wild pitches.

Madi Anderson was 2-for-3 for Rogers. She and Alex Cassidy scored the runs. There were no RBI’s.

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