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Pawlenty proposes reorganizing some parts of state government
by Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio
March 13, 2003

Gov. Pawlenty says his plan won't save any money in the short term, but could save money in the long run through cost efficiencies. (MPR photo/Laura McCallum)

Gov. Tim Pawlenty has released a plan to reorganize state government. Pawlenty is using his executive authority to eliminate the state planning agency and shift duties for five other agencies. The shuffling includes transferring a crime victim ombudsman into the Department of Public Safety, a move strongly opposed by the ombudsman.

St. Paul, Minn. — Gov. Pawlenty says his reorganization is a first step in reforming state government. He announced changes he can make without legislative approval, and says he may recommend bigger changes such as merging departments in a few months. Pawlenty says the average Minnesotan probably won't notice this first phase.

"The bottom line is, whether they notice it or not, it's a good thing. There's a lot of things that happen that most people don't notice in government, but they're good things," Pawlenty said.

Pawlenty is creating an Office of Justice Programs within the Department of Public Safety. It will include crime statistics, juvenile justice programs and the Office of Crime Victim Ombudsman. The crime victim ombudsman has been an independent agency.

Ombudsman Laura Goodman-Brown says her office is the only entity in the state with the authority to investigate citizen complaints against law enforcement.

"And is it appropriate to put an organization that provides oversight and accountability of the criminal justice system into the state's criminal justice agency? It doesn't seem appropriate to me, and my fear is that enforcement of victim rights... won't happen," she said.

Goodman-Brown says she's also concerned because Pawlenty's commissioner of public safety, Rich Stanek, tried to eliminate funding for her office while he was a state lawmaker. She says she assumes the office will be gutted under Stanek's watch.

Public safety officials say there's been no decision on what to do with the office, but Deputy Public Safety Commissioner Sara Schlauderaff says the department will continue to help victims.

"We remain very committed to investigating some kind of wrongdoing of any law enforcement department, criminal justice, prosecutors, probation officers, anything like that, so we're going to continue all the functions of the ombudsman office," Schlauderaff said.

Gov. Pawlenty says combining crime prevention and victim programs into one area makes it more convenient for citizens. Pawlenty is also transferring 14 programs out of the Department of Children, Families and Learning. The governor is asking the Legislature to rename CFL as the Department of Education. He says he wants to focus the department on its core mission of educating students.

Pawlenty is moving child care programs, emergency services grants and other programs to the Department of Human Services.

"That's the place for things like food shelf programs and housing -- transitional housing -- or housing for people in need, those are the kinds of programs that you normally think would be in your human services department. And so we want the Department of Education to focus on student achievement and student learning," he said.

The Department of Children, Families and Learning was created in the mid-'90s, with the backing of Republican Gov. Arne Carlson. Sen. Jane Ranum, DFL-Minneapolis, says putting child care and other programs in the department indicated the importance of early intervention in children's lives.

"One of the reasons why, back in 1995, when we moved all of these things together, was a recognition of the importance of day care, of good, quality child care and programs in helping children be ready to learn," according to Ranum.

Ranum says some lawmakers and victims' rights advocates will oppose the governor's reorganization plan, but there's little they can do. Pawlenty says his plan won't save any money in the short term, but could save money in the long run through cost efficiencies.

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