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Partisan politics at the Capitol
by Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio
January 4, 2005

The stakes are high for Gov. Pawlenty this session, because voters tend to hold the state's top executive accountable for the outcome of the session. (MPR Photo/Laura McCallum)

Minnesota lawmakers return to the Capitol Jan. 4 for what could be another contentious session. Both the House and Senate are narrowly divided. In the House, Republicans have only a one-vote lead. That margin could be tested as early as the first day of the session. If more than one Republican breaks ranks with the party, House Speaker Steve Sviggum could have trouble winning reelection. Legislative leaders say the close margins will result in more bipartisan cooperation, but there are already some early indications of partisan wrangling.

St. Paul, Minn. — Many legislators think the real drama of the session will take place in the House, which has become much more unpredictable since Democrats picked up 13 seats in the election. Last session, Republicans had an overwhelming majority with 81 members. Now, they have 68, barely enough to pass a bill on their own. In theory at least, that creates an opportunity for more involvement by Democrats in crafting legislation, especially on proposals that might alienate the most conservative Republicans. House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, said his 66 members don't want to be relegated to the sidelines.

"I think people are excited because the do-nothing Legislature has really been a problem for more than two years," Entenza said. "And now we finally have an ability to put some bipartisan coalitions together of moderate Republicans working together with Democrats." House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, agrees with Entenza that legislators in the middle of the political spectrum could pass major legislation.

"You may end up cutting off the very left and the very right, and those legislators, Democrat and Republican, that are more in the balance, may be supporting the bill as opposed to just Democrats or just Republicans," Sviggum said. "It make take different coalitions."

Sviggum said he reached out to Democrats by naming two of them as vice chairs of budget committees. But even the seemingly-minor issue of committee appointments sparked some partisan disagreement. DFL leaders said Sviggum didn't appoint enough Democrats to committees, and they charged Sviggum with continuing old-style politics.

And Sviggum may also have trouble holding his own caucus together. He acknowledges that some members are disgruntled because of decisions he made last year, such as backing Joyce Peppin, the wife of a caucus staffer who challenged and defeated a Republican incumbent for the GOP endorsement in a House race.

The House will be the best political show in town, according to Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar. Still, there will likely be some fireworks in the Senate, which ended on a highly charged partisan note last session when Democrats fired Gov. Pawlenty's education commissioner. Johnson said he'll try to make this session less rancorous.

"Folks are more interested in the outcomes than they are in the process," Johnson said. "And we'd prefer not to hear too much wrangling and partisanship going on, we'd rather see some laws changed, or investments made."

That's one theme both parties agree on. They say the voters sent a message in November that they're tired of legislative gridlock, and the pressure is on for them to accomplish something this year. Gov. Pawlenty, a former legislator, thinks they will.

"I sense a renewed positive attitude by many legislators, a focus on getting things done, more of a willingness to compromise, at least in their words, and if their words match their actions, I think it's going to be a better session," Pawlenty said.

Last year, the House and Senate failed to agree on practically every major piece of legislation. Pawlenty said this time he'll try to get support from Democrats and Republicans to get his agenda through the Legislature. He said he can't always count on every Republican vote to get bills through the House. And while lawmakers will be judged by what emerges from the session, the stakes may be even higher for Pawlenty.

"It's the governor's session to win or lose," said political scientist Craig Grau of the University of Minnesota-Duluth. "If things go well, the governor does get the credit. If things go poorly, the governor does take the hits."

Grau said Pawlenty and legislators would be wise to avoid partisan bickering and focus on getting their work done. Otherwise, the voters may remember when all of them are on the ballot for reelection in 2006.