Off and running: Sparks says his first priority is District 27
Published 12:00 am Saturday, January 18, 2003
With the 2003 legislative session now underway, the Austin Daily Herald takes a closer look at our three area legislators and asks them what they anticipate in the coming year.
Today: Sen. Dan Sparks
Monday: Rep. Jeff Anderson
Tuesday: Rep. Dan Dorman
ST. PAUL -- Most of the walls in his office are still bare.
Having a senate race that not only goes down to the wire, but goes well past, would appear quite taxing.
But Dan Sparks said he isn't worried about that anymore. Rather, he's ready to focus on the task at hand.
Still, he said the name-recognition from his five-vote senate victory didn't hurt.
"The first things people will say is 'Landslide Sparks,'" he said. "But some people don't even know who their senator is. The exposure's been good and for a freshman senator to step in and be active right away is a bonus for our district and myself."
Sparks said he's not ashamed to admit that his familiarity with the Capitol and others in St. Paul is in no small part due to his mother. Faye Sparks has been an administrative assistant for Sen. James Metzen of South St. Paul for about the past 10 years.
"It's been nice having that contact," he said. "So we're pretty acclimated to the Capitol and the surroundings."
Sparks is the vice-chair of the commerce and utilities committee, the chair for a subcommittee on consumer protection and banking, a member of the agriculture, general legislation and veterans affairs committee and he also serves on the E-12 education budget division.
In short, he's a busy guy. But he said that's what he wants, without forgetting who got him there.
"My only special interest is the people of District 27," Sparks said. "I want to make sure government is a two-way street. My door is open. We're going to schedule town meetings back home and we're going to be real open."
Sparks said budget cuts will undoubtedly take place this coming session. However, he said he's been in communication with Austin Mayor Bonnie Rietz and City Administrator Patrick McGarvey to keep them apprised of any new events, particularly when the issue of local government aid is raised.
"I met with Mayor Bonnie and she understands some cuts will be inevitable," Sparks said. "We just don't want those cuts to be catastrophic. But I told them I'll do everything I can to protect LGA. It is a big deal."
Sparks said he and other greater Minnesota legislators are intimidated by pressure from their metro counterparts on reducing funding in this area.
"We've gotten some heat from the metro areas, saying 'you can survive on your own,'" he said. "But we can't let them take it away … because it will shift it back on the taxpayers with property tax increases. Hopefully, we can get through this."
Sparks, a DFLer, said partisan politics takes a back seat to helping area residents and that he will work whenever he can with Representatives Jeff Anderson and Dan Dorman on any issues that will benefit Mower County.
"Anything we can do to benefit the area will be a win-win for everybody," Sparks said.
Dan Fields can be reached at 434-2230 or by e-mail at :mailto:dan.fields@austindailyherald.com