What Happened in the 2010 Session?

A dysfunctional mess left for others to clean up! That's the best description of the 2010 Session as the DFL-led Legislature deadlocked with the Republican Governor. Very little progress was made on any of the pressing issues facing Minnesota.

What the state government does most — fund education and health care — was done on the cheap. School districts are asked to forgo timely payments. The higher education system is executing large-scale layoffs. Payments to health care providers are reduced again and the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program was driven off the road and now hangs over a cliff.

And looming ahead is a projected budget shortfall for the next biennium at around $5.5 billion. The next legislature and Governor will basically have to start over. We failed to make any tough decisions because of lack of consensus and because key state leaders were jockeying for higher office.

We have the summer and fall to engage in a needed debate about Minnesota's public life and how we fairly pay for the services we enjoy and the public amenities that makes Minnesota an attractive place to live, work, and recreate. Minnesota will be electing a new Governor and all 201 legislators. At last count at least 22 legislators are giving up their seats and will be replaced by new faces.

The last eight years have underscored the huge impact the Governor has in our state. Constitutionally we have given the executive a very strong hand. As a rule of thumb, governors get about 85-90% of what they propose because of the power of the office. There is no more important election than our choice of Governor this November. What vision does this person have? What policy agenda will be pursued?

This is not the election to sit out. Cynicism has no place when we are able to use the tools of democracy to address our frustrations. We are called by our God to work for social justice and participate in community structures for the common good. Let's get busy!

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL 2010 SESSION SUMMARY!

Brian Rusche
Executive Director