Local Legislators Gearing Up for 2012 Session

Weighty topics like the proposed Vikings stadium and the marriage amendment will likely draw plenty of political hype and media coverage this year, but that’s not all Eagan’s local legislators plan to focus on in 2012.

To prepare for the upcoming legislative session, which begins on Tuesday, Eagan Patch spoke with District 38 Sen. Ted Daley (R), District 38A Rep. Diane Anderson (R) and District 38B Rep. Doug Wardlow (R) to find out what projects and bills will be occupying their time this year.

Sen. Ted Daley

After learning the ropes during his first year as a legislator in 2011, Daley plans to turn his focus this year to job creation.

To that end, Daley said he supports a Republican initiative to deregulate business, reduce business property taxes and lower the corporate income tax—efforts that Daley believes will ultimately be more beneficial to the state’s economy than additional government spending in the form of Gov. Mark Dayton’s proposed $775 million bonding bill.

A member of the Senate Education Committee, Daley plans to rework a bill he authored last session requiring teachers to pass basic skills tests before becoming licensed. Although the bill had bipartisan support, Daley said, it was vetoed by Dayton at the end of the last session.

Finally, Daley cautioned against increased state spending now that the state is projecting an $876 million surplus. The state will likely face another significant deficit in the next biennium, Daley said, and structural changes need to be made to address the future shortage, he said.

Rep. Diane Anderson

Anderson will once again dive into mental health- and chemical dependency-related legislation this session. Last year, Anderson authored HF 1500, a mental health and chemical dependency reform bill that was the culmination of Anderson’s work with local groups and county officials. The bill stalled during the last legislative session, but Anderson plans to resurrect in it 2012.

A member of the Health and Human Services Finance Committee, Anderson will also renew her work on HF 846—another carry-over from the 2011 session. The bill would appropriate an as-yet-undetermined amount for transitional housing programs and emergency services grants.

Anderson attributed the state surplus to Republican policy-making, and the Health and Human Services Finance Committee’s work to reduce the budget for health and human services costs.

Rep. Doug Wardlow

Like Daley and Anderson, Wardlow favors the deregulation of businesses in the state. But the freshman representative called for the legislature to curtail the legislative authority of certain state agencies that may impede economic development in the state.

“When agencies pass rules that micro-manage too much and when statutes are too long and affect so many aspects of individuals lives it indicates a certain lack of trust in citizens’ ability to rule themselves,” Wardlow said. “We’re moving to a regulatory state and away from a representative government.

In advance of the 2012 session, Wardlow authored HF 1831—a bill requiring agencies to submit any new rule or regulation to the legislature for review, and in certain cases, approval.

“I think it will be an exciting session, a fast-paced session, and it will be loaded with good reforms,” Wardlow said.