Democratic Rep. Jeanne Poppe is looking forward to a 2012 legislative session that she hopes will be more productive than last year’s.

Poppe, of Austin, said the Legislature will likely continue working to reform state government spending, but the crushing pressure of the 2011 budget year won’t be as rampant.

“There is a little bit of breathing room now, so it’s not as though we have to go in and figure out how to cut things from a currently operating budget,” she said. “Certainly the bonding bill should be the bulk of the discussion.”

This is a bonding year, when the Legislature approves borrowing money for capital projects throughout the state. Poppe is hoping the bill includes funding for an expansion of The Hormel Institute, as well as funding for local flood mitigation projects.

Because much of the Legislature’s focus will be on the bonding bill, which doesn’t present a situation as dire as 2011’s budget talks, Poppe believes lawmakers might have more time to unpack old legislation and revamp it in a way that costs the state less money.

Despite the projected budget surplus, the state is still in the hole, Poppe said, and discussions about how to keep spending at a minimum in the future will be important.

“The surplus just means we’re maybe seeing our way out of it, but it doesn’t mean we have extra money in the budget,” Poppe said. “Change won’t happen overnight, but I think we are making progress, and we will continue to see that and do that.”

Although Poppe serves in the House, she said the changing leadership in the state Senate will likely affect the legislation that is passed and how the House and Senate work together. Republican Sen. David Senjem’s leadership might help ease tensions within the Legislature, Poppe said.

“Sen. Senjem is a good choice for the Senate Republicans, and I think he will have a lot of weight put on his shoulders, but I think he’s going to be one that will be able to work with people and help smooth out that process a bit,” she said.

“I would hope that it would mean there’s a more congenial atmosphere and a greater awareness of differing views,” she added.

Poppe referred to two upcoming issues as lava flowing beneath a volcano: the Vikings stadium and redistricting.

Although redistricting is in the hands of the judicial branch now, the outcome will affect how legislators seeking re-election will campaign. That’s part of the motive behind scheduling the 2012 session to end in April, Poppe said.

The topic of redistricting could upset the apple cart, she said, because the courts will likely propose districts that do not fit what Democrats and Republicans previously proposed.

The Vikings stadium could become a more contentious issue, as well, because so many have a stake in it.

“The whole Vikings thing is another undercurrent that isn’t necessarily a top priority for the majority of people, but it’s like that lava flowing underneath the volcano,” Poppe said. “It’s going to erupt at some point.”

Poppe’s main concern when it comes to a new stadium is that a choice is made based on what is good for the entire state. She also doesn’t want it to be a distraction from the bonding bill and spending reform.

“Clearly we have issues with our budget, with how we spend taxpayer dollars, and I think that’s the higher priority,” she said. “There’s always people who will have thoughts and ideas about what we could do better and differently. It’s good to … discuss them and see if there’s other things that can be done.”