The Herald asked Sen.

Saturday, March 30, 2002

The Herald asked Sen. Grace Schwab and Rep. Rob Leighton to address each of the four big legislative issues that the House and Senate will be taking to conference committee.

1. Transportation plan

– "I did not vote for the 6 cents-a-gallon increase," Schwab said.

Not all of the tax increase would go toward funding state transportation issues, she said. Two cents of that figure doesn’t even go into roads.

"Most of that increase is skewed toward metro transit," Schwab said.

– The House Republican plan, Leighton says, was voted against by nearly every Democrat. He said the plan borrows $750 million and the state would be paying back $1.1 billion. There would be less to spend over the next 10 years.

Leighton said, a gas tax increase is necessary.

"I don’t think it (House Republican’s transportation plan) was any sort of plan at all," he said. "The only plan House Republicans had was a plan to do nothing plan. It’s about what global plan could be reached."

2. Anti-terrorism plan

– This is Schwab’s pet project and she said the conference committee will be like "trading baseball cards – we’ll take this provision if you take that provision."

The plan, she said, would add up to 25 cents per month to phone bills to provide 800 megahertz emergency communication around the state. This would provide enhanced 911 services.

– Leighton said he’s not in favor of the House plan to use money from the smoking prevention fund on the anti-terrorism fund. He criticized House Republicans for "trying to get out of this session without making tough decisions."

3. Budget-balancing plan

– Schwab said the delaying payments to schools isn’t as ominous as it sounds. It is an 85/15 plan, she said, where schools would receive 85 percent this year and 15 percent next year. Until two years ago, she said, that is how the schools received funding, in two increments.

Schools would borrow operating money, and an additional $14 million would be set aside to pay for interest on those loans. Typically, schools pay teachers three months ahead in June. That’s when they need extra money, she said.

– There may be some support in the House for raising the cigarette tax, Leighton said, but not 60 cents per pack. He said, raising revenue is the answer.

"You can’t protect education without revenue increases. It’s also necessary to cut spending – no question, but also raise revenue," Leighton said.

Since this is the second year of the biennium, by putting off the inevitable tax increases, he said, taxpayers will be hit hard next year with the project $2+ billion deficit. He said it all comes down to legislators wanting to protect their position for re-election in the fall.

He does not approve of reducing insurance and prescription benefits to the public.

4. Senate bonding bill

– "I’m not a fan of commuter rail. We’re turning paved roads back to gravel in Mower County. So many roads need attention in the outstate areas," Schwab said.

She said there needs to be a more equitable division of road funds between metro and rural Minnesota.

– Leighton said there is a big discrepancy between the governor, Senate and House’s rail requests. The governor’s original budget called for $120 million, the Senate wants $8 million and the House wants nothing.

"What scares me is the line item veto on the bonding bill," he said. "He can strip out provisions."

Leighton is concerned with the rural legislation and wants to protect his district’s interest. The bill will contain a line item for about $1 million in funding for the bike trails."

Leighton said he was hoping the session would have been done this week but that it looks like the earliest will be two weeks. The worst case scenario for the session’s end, he said, would be early May.

The constitution mandates May 20 as the last day.

Call Ailene Dawson at 434-2235 or e-mail her at ailene.dawson@austindailyherald.com.