(00:00:00) Well as promised Our Guest today is Herb Anderson from International Falls the new speaker of the Minnesota house actually. Mr. Anderson is the speaker designate he was elected by members of the dfl House caucus last night defeating Jerry bowerly from Sauk Rapids on a first ballot vote 44 241, but the Full House won't officially elect a new speaker until it reconvenes in February Anderson will replace D long who is officially resigning his speaker in about two weeks speaker's position is usually considered to be the second most powerful position in state governments or of Anderson's election would be important under any circumstance but given all the problems the dfl leadership is run into this past year the selection of a new speaker takes on even added importance. So we thought we'd spend some time today discussing some of her of Anderson's plans to write the dfl ship of State. Mr. Anderson. First of all, congratulations, that's quite a comeback (00:00:55) really well. Thank you. Yeah, we're today. We're kind of on cloud nine, you know to Your callers of you know, this is the first day on the job. Right? And so I probably will not have all the answers but we're going to try our very best to answer all the inquiries that you have and do the very best job possible. (00:01:14) Now, you said your this is the newer Vibe back in the 70s. You were known as a pretty rough-and-tumble fellow who got things done at the legislature but stepped on some toes in the process. How do you think you've (00:01:27) changed? Well, you know, sometimes it's just a question of perception. It's true that I got things done. I've had a lot of good bills that passed and made law they were good public policy. For instance. I was the author of the Minnesota miracle and we are very proud of those acts that we were able to push through but, you know to the issue of changed herb a newer sometimes it's well. I Was Defeated 1982 and obviously when I went back home, I looked at myself. And said, you know, what did you do wrong that caused your defeat and one of the things I said that were was wrong was I didn't give enough explanation. For instance. Let me give you an illustration in 1986 session 85-86 session. We were a hundred and three out of a hundred thirty-four majority. That's very very big. In fact, the matter is we could have elected a region to the University of Minnesota by just the dfl caucus of the house. That's how big we were and then in that 1988 election 1986 election. We lost that majority went from a hundred and three down to 67. That's if you can believe that and obviously it was a big setback in the since we were evenly divided at 67 each caucus at 67 members. It was necessary to put together a compromise that compromise resulted in the loss of a great number of appointments that when you're in the majority Eligible to receive a great number of appointments and so we had to give up a lot in those because we had to divide them evenly with the independent Republican caucus and the Democratic caucus and in a process of that. I don't think that I explained as well as I should have why we had to give those up and certain members of the caucus were critical and they raised issue about that. And he said you're just arbitrary or vindictive just because we didn't vote for you. You took our appointments away from you that is not the case. And so I don't say that they were wrong. I say that I was wrong in the fact that I did not describe to them exactly how it had to be that way. And so I think a lot of the image that the that the public perceives of herb Anderson is not really true. And so when I went back home after the 90 1982 defeat I said, you know, you got to change your ways and so I did and I think that I'm I am more mellow. I think that comes a little bit with age, but at the same time I think you have to spend more time and convincing people. What you're doing is the thing that has to be done. And so I think from that standpoint people look at me little bit differently, you know, it's kind of fun. I really enjoyed the legislature. It's a great great institution. I great Devotion to it. It's the government body that is closest to the people and when I came back, obviously I didn't come back as a green first term ER I came back with a lot of knowledge about the administration of the house how it works and in-house perceived by the by the general public and it's been fun for me to see these first term has come in and to help them become a good Legend and we have a lot of good legislators up there. Just excellent people who have come in with a good ideas that they want to see enacted into law and to take them under my wing so to speak and help them pass their bills and make into public policy good ideas that they have brought forth that's been real fun for me, but just being Back in the house it by itself has been just a novel experience for me. And of course being a speaker designate. I'm reading on cloud nine today. I just can't believe it or happened to me. Do you think I was when I ran for election in 1990, we had no idea and no real desire that we were going to become back into leadership and the events that have come forth have just brought that whole thing to be and it's hard to for me to realize that I am in this (00:05:28) position. Do you think that the public is really upset with the legislature as upset as the media would have you believe or is this something that's more more a function of the media coverage and more a function of political insiders, you know, you guys talk to each other so much that do you think the public out there really cares that much about the (00:05:49) legislature? Oh, yes one way or the other here is about the legislature. There's no doubt about that. There's an awful lot of feeling out there, but let me tell you this. It's kind of interesting me I travel around the state. Up a lot. I went down at the flood to area twice. I've been up in Northwestern Minnesota and in the process of that. I talked to legislators and people and I say to that the legislature is how the politics back home and while there are some exceptions. Basically, they're saying that it's good that people are that they feel that they can be re-elected and that people are are are have good feelings towards them. But you have to also remember that that the that the politics of the next election have not yet begun the Republicans in the election special election that was held up in one be used the phone Scandal if I can use that terminology within their radio ads and when it came down to who was to be elected the Republicans won that election, but you know, we will be developing some answer to Those ads. We didn't really have a chance to do that in that one be Up north western Minnesota, but since the Republicans have now showed their hand we're going to be developing good response to it. And I think that as relates to the phone issue that it's going to be. Well it will be difficult. We will be able to come over coming but let me also say something else here that you know, a lot of people say it's the dfl that's got to bring back the public confidence in the Minnesota House of Representatives, but you have to stop and think there is a minority there and they have a great number of members up there and they bear just as much responsibility to restoring the trust of that institution as the Democrats do and I as the new speaker does may call upon them to help us restore that trust and I know that I can count on them to do that because they are as interested as I am of having a great institution. Minnesota has a great great reputation throughout the nation as one of the progressive states in the union and I want to keep that Patient gone and I'm sure that they are interested in doing so also (00:08:02) do you think the problems that the legislature has in terms of its in terms of how the public perceives the legislature? Is it a function of individual actions by individual people or is there something more systemic at work? Are there some some basic changes needed at the legislature to restore public (00:08:22) trust? Well, first of all, I think what we have to do is get out and to the throughout the entire State and I intend to do that as Speaker designate whenever anybody any of our my colleagues, I want me to visit their communities. I'm going to be available to them. We may not meet the exact schedule that they like us to be but because everybody's got a schedule their own but we're going to make every effort possible to to visit throughout the entire State we want to indicate to the people that were ready to do their business. And I think they want us to be ready to do there is we're going to be holding a mini session down in the st. New Albany area on September the 20th 21 and 22. I think that me show the people that were back in business and that we are ready to restore the public confidence (00:09:12) Our Guest today is Herb Anderson who last night was selected as the new speaker of the Minnesota house. Actually, he speaker designate the full legislature needs to confirm the nomination in February, but for all practical purposes herb Anderson is now the second most powerful person in the state of Minnesota at least in terms of the state government and this is his first day on the job. We thought those of you listening would be enjoy the opportunity to ask him some questions and share with them your thoughts. Let's go to the phones for our first question for representative Anderson. Hi, you're on Minnesota Public Radio. Speaker designate Anderson. Let me congratulate you on your Cox's having nominated you thank you for speaker. I've got a question and I guess it relates specifically to the points just brought up and that's restoring The public's faith in the legislature. I am of the belief that trust is a two-way street. I think that for minnesotans to trust their legislature. It's also wise for the legislature to trust minnesotans. Now, I know that your points of I know that you have many reservations about term limits and in fact, I share some of them that all I think that a good gesture restore Faith would just be to allow minnesotans to decide the issue. I mean, these would be the same minnesotans who overwhelmingly elected as sellers to the legislature. And in fact, I think that if you obstruct the opportunity for minnesotans to decide on a term limits initiative limited to state and federal officials, then you're saying that you don't trust us. And I'd like to get your Reflections on that. (00:10:51) Well, first of all, let me say that you know, there is an electoral process and in the electoral process the people speak and I think that the state of Minnesota ought to remember that that is the People speaking now, I know a lot of people are saying well, you know, the advantage is always in the incumbent but here's a guy that had served 18 years thought that he knew everything there was about the business of legislature and was doing an excellent job because I can point to many many excellent piece of legislation that I passed and made into law and yet I was defeated in 1982 and so you can see that you know, nobody is perfect. And at the same time we all wrist the opportunity to be defeated in the election, you know, I don't think term limits is a good thing because what you're saying is throw the Rascals out, but you know what you can get another rats go to take it to take that person's. So I don't know what you accomplished. Here's a legislator that is doing just an excellent job has been elected re-elected many times over and as you gain in seniority and inexperience, you're able to do a better job and I think that when you're able to do a better job then why shouldn't you remain there? You know, it's just like (00:12:12) what about what about putting it on the ballot though and letting the people decide that regardless of the merits of term limits at least people should have an opportunity to vote on (00:12:23) it. Well, then should we put every issue on the ballot to me? That's just another issue, you know, there are thousand issues there and when I look at that list of thousand issues I say I'm for this one. I'm for that one. And so I'm going to vote my constituency and also my personal feelings in the last election. I told my constituents I was against term limits and so I'm going to vote that way and I think that I owe it to them to follow through with my pledge. Them, you know, there's been an awful lot of rhetoric about the term limitations political rhetoric. The governor has come out very strongly in favor term limitation, but you want to look at something else that he is also advocating that he's he couples it with another issue and that is reducing the length of the legislative session. He says that we should not be there for the hundred and twenty days that are permitted by law, but that we should be there for only 90 days. Can you imagine enacting a budget of Sixteen billion dollars in 90 days, you know, I don't even think that we can do a good job at at five months. So I think that (00:13:27) do you think the legislature uses its time efficiently though? It seems like what often happens during legislative session is that the first two three months very little actually gets done and then there's this wild flurry at the end of the session bills are flying left and right and it doesn't seem like the process is very (00:13:45) efficient. Well, You're absolutely right. There is a wild flurry at the end and I would like to overcome that some way in during the course of this campaign. I've thought and thought and thought about ways that we might do it and I've got some very big ideas. I don't exactly know ever since I've been a legislator that same system has occurred at the end of the session the last two or three weeks. There's this big log Jam of bills at pile up there ready for action. But you also have to remember that one of the problems that we have is that the bills don't come in as quickly as possible. We can't get going that fast because on a given subject is probably three or four maybe even five different ways that you can approach it and maybe bill number A and B are in but you're waiting for a CD and E to come into the picture said you might look at every aspect of that given issue and you know during this 1993 session for instance. The department bills even came in very very late. Well, when you couple that with all the legislative proposal that are in front of us And then Log Jam the the department bills at the tail end of the session. You can see how a log Jam work occurs. One of the things that I'm looking at is the possibility of what they call pre-filing of bills when the election occurs that legislators who are elected for people who are elected and have brought forth issues during that campaign can have their bills drafted and introduced before the session even begins. And in that way then the bills are ready for the legislature to take action upon almost immediately and that would be good that would overcome some of the Log Jam that that is occurring. It's like, you know, that is a big issue and I would like to overcome it if at all possible and I would request a people to come forth with her ideas if they have (00:15:35) any take another caller with a question for herb Anderson how your I'm going to sort of public radio? Yes. I'm calling from northern Minnesota, and I'd like to get mr. Anderson's Reflections on Northern interest. Versus Metro interest in balancing the overall needs of the whole state while dealing with the great difference of a smaller polyp Creation in northern Minnesota versus the obviously larger metro area, especially in the areas of like Transportation roads and educational issues and I'll hang up and listen. (00:16:10) Well, those are very big issues in front of the legislature. They aren't just in front of the rural areas education issue is just as important here in the metropolitan areas in rural Minnesota. We have what we call equalized funding a big education. If you don't have the tax base, obviously, it's much more difficult to find your schools. And so our school aid formula takes more State money and pours into that poor school district, and it doesn't to the rich at school district. So in that regard, I think that we do a pretty good job now, it's not perfect. I have to admit the the education formula is always in front of the legislature and we always want to do a better job and we also want to give every kid in this state the opportunity to have an equal education on the issue of Transportation, you know, the gas tax that we all pay when we buy a gallon of gasoline pays for those Highway improvements along with a number of federal dollars that are given to the state to use for hi. Construction obviously in the rural areas. There is a great need for Highway construction and I will work towards that end but at the same time you also have to look here at the metropolitan area and you see the tremendous amounts of traffic that they have where you have three four five Lanes of traffic going in One Direction and they're completely filled with cars. So they have as great a need for transportation construction as we do in the rural areas, but we have to balance that we have to give everybody a fair shake and that's what I'm looking for. (00:17:40) Take another question for representative Anderson higher on Minnesota Public Radio your turn. Yes. I'm calling from Minneapolis and congratulations to you. Thank you you realize the governor is real you are male, and I'm just wondering if the new curve plans to listen just as attentively to the new woman to the new women as to the old boys. New woman is one who recognizes that certain basic rights are essential to her need to be a first class citizen. Now, she has a lot of responsibilities a lot more responsibilities and rights. Now, how can you guarantee that more than the more than half of the population of Minnesota has has your ear? Mr. Anderson? (00:18:36) Well, what am I good supporters is Phyllis Kahn Phyllis Kahn and I have been legislator friends for a long long period of time and be assured that Phyllis Kahn has got my ear. She's a great advocate of equal opportunity for women and I will work with the pillows to the greatest extent possible along with a lot of other women legislators who have that as high on their agenda so you can be sure that we will make every effort possible to treat everyone equally (00:19:08) you are. To abortion, right? Yes. I am. I'm a pro-lifer. How are you going to square that with most of the dfl members at the legislature and the party itself which supports women's right to abortion at some point that seems almost inevitable that there's going to be a conflict how you're going to resolve them. (00:19:26) Well, I told the people that during the course of this campaign for speaker that I would be fair their principal concern was over amendments on the house floor and I said, I do not want to be a speaker that would be arbitrary in the manner in which I Ruled whether or not the amendment is in order. I said you have to look at it and if it is germane to the issue that's in front of the body that I would rule in order even though occur goes cross-grain to my principal of pro-life. But any if you don't do that, then you might as well get out of the office because as sure as I'm sitting here that if I ruled it out of order there would be a point of order raised in the house floor and if the house floor saw differently than I thought that I'm then I'm overcome they have ruled me out of order and I don't want to be that kind of a speaker. I want to be fair and I want to be have a good record to my name. And so from that standpoint. I've told people that you don't have to worry deal on Get It That Way D long had the issue of Clinic access in front of her and yet there were amendments that bill and I know D strongly favored Clinic axis and there are amendments that would have hurt that bill and she allowed those amendments on the on the floor because they were germane to the bill can't stop it if she had ruled otherwise that you would have been overruled and no speaker wants to have that kind of a record. So I say to you that I'm going to be as Fair as Delong was and I in those respects. I thought he long did a good job. Who do you (00:20:56) who do you see in terms of past speakers of the house? Who would you see yourself being closest to in terms of style and approach to that (00:21:03) job. We you know, I came into leadership with representative Martin table. 1973 he became speaker of the house and I became the majority leader and I have a great respect and admiration for Martin. He's just done a tremendous job very smart individual. And so I'd like to style my speakership after Martin Sables. I think you did just an excellent job (00:21:28) Our Guest today is Erv Anderson who was selected last night to be the new speaker of the Minnesota house. He is now officially the speaker designate until the full legislature Alexei. Mmm in February back to the phones for another question how you're in Minnesota Public Radio. Yes, elected officials are more beholding to their caucuses than the art of the dfl party so that when the party speak view of the elected officials listen, and this is weakened the dfl party this point that the people fail to understand what dfl means anymore. So we've seen Rises and peripheral organizations such as the dfl feminist caucus and wellstone Alliance. What can you do to guarantee that your caucus will be more in line with what the parties needs are. (00:22:09) Well today I had a news conference over at the Capitol. We called a number of radio stations out State and so that they could have a chance to get out us along with me was Rick Stafford new party chair and I indicated to to those radio stations that Rick and I will be traveling the state together and I look forward to a cohesiveness between the dfl host caucus and the party. I don't I think it's gonna take a long time to overcome some of the comments that you have made here. But we all have to sit down and look at ourselves and see what we can do to overcome that situation. (00:22:50) Do you think the dfl has been in control too long there a lot of people who argue that it's just inevitable wouldn't matter if it was the Democrats Republicans no matter who it is when one party has control of in this case state government for so long. It's just inevitable that there's an arrogance that develops into kind of Become sort of insulated from from the public. That's true. (00:23:13) Well, obviously you always have to be careful that you're perceived as being arrogant. That's one of the worst charges that can be made against a politician. And by the way, I don't think the term politician is bad. I am a politician. I'm happy to admit it. I think I do a good job and I serve the public. Well, that's my opinion. Obviously. I'm sure there are those who say we don't do it worth of dying. But but have we been in power too long? I don't believe that I think there's an awful lot of problems out there. There are an awful lot of issues that have to be answered and it's the party that brings those issues to the Forefront and try to overcome the problems that are out there that are going to remain in power. You know, one of the you have to look at just a question of Taxation in the state of Minnesota Democrats don't like property taxes. We obviously recognize that Has to be some taxes on property but at the same time we like to keep them as low as as possible because and all the studies that have come forth on the issue of property taxes. They are regressive and that is that the low income people pay a greater percentage of their income towards property taxes, and they do any other income tax method of Taxation. And so we try to keep those as low as possible on the other hand. If you look at the record of the the present governor of the state of Minnesota, he seems to think that at least this is what I've gotten out of it that it is okay to let property taxes right he wants to place the responsibility of property tax on the local units of government and as a result in order to provide the services that are necessary and in are required to to conduct a local government business. Those property taxes will have to rise we have got local government Aid formulas that help those local units of government keep the property taxes low, we like that we like what it what because and I think that when you go out and visit with the people And this is one of the things that I discovered when I went out to the flood area people don't like property taxes. They don't like them because they are paying the in their opinion far too much in property taxes. They would rather base their obligation to pay taxes on income rather than on the value of piece of a piece of property. And so that's just an issue right there alone that the Democrats are always out in front on and the people recognize that and as a result we were able to win elections because we say to the people we will make every effort possible and we try to do that in the last session 93 session sure. We tried to pass a bill that impose greater income taxes on the wealthiest people in the state of Minnesota and but we took all that money that was generated by that income tax increase and we lowered the requirement to pay that we lowered the property taxes. Statements are every penny of the house proposal went for property tax relief. That was very important. And I think that we could have helped an awful lot of people that are in trouble today over property taxes on their in Southwestern Minnesota. If we had been able to do that. Let's (00:26:25) take another caller with a question form Anderson. Hi. Hi. Yes, go ahead. Okay. I'm from Duluth and I want to know if if you've really changed because I used to think you were (00:26:37) terrible. You (00:26:40) almost turned me off and politics completely. Well, I just thought you were off of are you going to be that way (00:26:46) now? Well, let me say to you that I stand on my record, you know, I've got a lot of people that just absolutely love me and I love them back to it because they're great people and sometimes the the image that is given to people of another individual is not exactly the right one. And so I would ask You judge me upon my record in this new time of leadership. (00:27:15) Another caller with a question for Irv. Anderson is on the line. Hello. Yeah, if they're Anderson a while back the Humphrey Institute did a study on the role of the house in this Senate in conference committee and they raised some questions about the how these conferences end up and it seemed like sometimes some of the bills get changed around sometimes from their original intent in light of that and the proposals of governor on the having a unicameral house tour government legislator. I'm wondering if what your thoughts are on having that wouldn't simplify a lot of these conferences half of that go on at the end of the legislative session. (00:28:11) Well, I, you know herb Anderson is a proponent of unicameral. Major I have a bill that I have introduced the last two sessions and I don't know even as Speaker of the House whether or not we're going to get that bill, but I certainly agree. I don't like the conference committee system system and I look at Canada where they have the parliamentary system in effect where they have the the one house and in all the provinces of Canada and they're able to do the the business that is necessary to perform. I look at all the local units of government where a city council is a unicameral. I look at County boards where they are unit camera and I say to myself why can't we do the same thing in state government. Now, you know one of the things you always have to assess when you introduce a bills whether or not you can get a past. Maybe we can even hold some hearings on it this time, which I think would be a big accomplishment and I will be working towards that end but I do have share your concern in regard to the conference committee. One of the things that I'm definitely going to do this time is we're going I have a rule that says that a conference committee cannot meet after the hour of midnight sometimes our conference committee is run until the wee hours of the morning and as a result people are very tired. And I think sometimes their decisions are tempered by that tiredness. And so I propose that we are going to give ourselves a better image by saying that they cannot work past the hour of (00:29:38) midnight you think when push comes to shove though, you're going to have to get up and cover the clock with with a towel like they used to (00:29:45) do. Well you want to remember that this time is a short legislative session. We had lots of days and left in the in the 120-day limitation to work on. So I would expect that we will be able to do our business in time since it is it going to be the smaller of the two legislative sessions? I don't think the issue is going to be that great. But at least we're going to have a temp to too. To work on it and that conference committee deadlines plus the Log Jam at the end of session our major goals that I want to achieve. (00:30:19) Let's take another caller with a question for herb Anderson. Hi, you're on Minnesota Public Radio. Hi. I had a question about his views on the neat the new airport both the need for a new airport and the specific site that's been tentatively selected. Okay. What about the let me let me change that just a little bit of what about the process being used. There are a lot of people who say that it's just it's taking too long. There's really no reason to continue on with this. What do you think? (00:30:49) Well, I think the governor has got a study that's going on right now. He created a task force or a committee that's going to be looking at the whether or not we should continue with the Dual track and I will be awaiting at study to come out to see what they have discovered at the same time as Speaker of the House. I would certainly want the people of salt. Apis to have full ample opportunity to have the Dual track study will forward so that they be given every opportunity to look at whether or not a new airport is (00:31:19) needed. What about those bases that Northwest Airlines was supposed to build in northeastern Minnesota. Is that something that the state of Minnesota should proceed with? (00:31:27) Well at this point the commune with the condition that Northwest Airlines presently finds itself in there's some doubt in my mind. (00:31:34) Mmm. Like they may have to have to take a second. Look at that whole deal second other caller with a question for herb Anderson. Hi, you're on them sort of public radio. Hi. I'm calling from Central Minnesota and following up a one of the earlier questions. Mr. Anderson's election. Indicates at least from a distance that maybe the more Progressive or liberal or whatever you want to call it wing of the party is doesn't have as much influence. If I was a woman legislator. I looking at the positions of Authority or power I'd say, you know, what what really is out. There is this is this party kind of turned its back on on that very viable chunk of the party and particularly in Minnesota politics if dfl party doesn't do that Republican certainly aren't going to and I guess from a distance. It just looks like we've kind of taken a few steps back and well. Mr. Anderson says he will listen to Phyllis Kahn a it doesn't feel like the party is going to be responsive to kind of progressive issues and I'll hang up and listen. You think the you think the progressives are being shut out a little bit. (00:32:48) I don't expect that. There's going to be much change in the committee structure during this next year. And as a result of that the issue for so-called Progressive issues that are there can be acted upon by those committees and brought to the house floor and that's why I indicated that in the rulings from the from the chair that I would be fair in in the when they are presented and so I don't really see any concern that should be there. You know, there is a question I have in my mind. And I was asking this of a number of people during the campaign I said what is a liberal, you know, I consider myself a very liberal person. But obviously there are those in society who think that if you're not right on given issues that you're not you're a conservative or you're a moderate well on the other hand I look at some of these people who are contrary to me on some of my so-called special issues and I say, hey, you're not a liberal you're a moderate and so it comes down to what is a liberal or not a liberal and I consider myself as liberal as many sure I might be wrong in the eyes of some people on certain issues pro-life. I'm pro-life and I suppose for some they say, well, he's no longer a liberal. Well, I just happen to have that view in my lifetime. That's all I was raised a Catholic and so I'm I'm I happen to be a pro-lifer. That's all (00:34:13) what do you suppose the chances are that a woman will end up replacing you as majority leader in the house. (00:34:19) I think that there's a Chance that a woman will will be elected majority. I don't have the faintest idea who is going to be elected. I've kept myself away from that campaign. I intend to keep myself away from that camp campaign and let the politics of the caucus determine who that individual is and I pledge to other people the state of Minnesota right here. Now that whoever that person is that I will work with them in coordination and to two of us together will bring forth a good legislative session (00:34:48) Our Guest today herb Anderson who has been selected as the to be the new speaker of the Minnesota house dfl caucus got together last night and elected. Mr. Anderson on the first ballot. Let's go back to the phones for another question. Hi, you're on Minnesota Public Radio. Hello. Hi just had a quick question. I've been listening for a while. And I just haven't heard one bit of how mr. Anderson's going to bring reform to the house and to the legislature and I just can't figure out he's got free many new ideas for Public Policy. I just don't see very many there. I I think you really Represents the old boy Network in the status quo and I just can't think what the what can the dfl be thinking about electing him as house Speaker. I mean, I I guess my question is how in the heck are you going to be able to win back public support and how the heck you're going to be able to get I guess get away from the backlash against government. Okay. Well your dress that that a little bit in the beginning of the program trying to restore public trust. But what can you give us a couple of specific things that you're going to change up their (00:35:56) sure one of the things that I talked about is an inclusive policy when I became back and became the chairman of the committee of local government Metropolitan fairs. I adopted a policy that I wanted younger members. Those are people that have less terms in office to important subcommittees and they were the chairs of the subcommittee's and as a result of that the Rules of responsibility they dealt with the issues. They brought forth important issues and we adopted them through the committee system. I like that system. I it's a training session is what it really is and I want to continue that same kind of philosophy as Speaker of the House. One of the things I talked about last night in front of the caucus was that we're going to have a more formal subcommittee system and by using that manner I want as many people as possible to be subcommittee chairs what has happened in the past is that while they have had somewhat of a formal system one person might have three sub committee chairmanships and other person have nothing and I don't think that's fair. I think that everybody has a great knowledge and ability and they ought to pursue that to the greatest extent possible. So that's one of the reforms the second one that I look at and that is the issue of committee chairs. I want those committee chairs to meet once every two weeks and sit down and discuss with each other the problems that they see out there. And the problems that have been brought to the speak to the speaker and the speaker obviously will be there to relate those to those people in Collective session. I think that's going to go a long ways towards overcoming some of the the concerns that have been voiced to me as a speaker candidate. Another thing that I am would like to do is to have the house Ethics Committee look at a code of ethics both in terms of house staff and in house members and in that I mean that they are going to be looking at such things as Transportation how we conduct ourselves when we take trips how we conduct ourselves with the lobbying efforts of people all of those things. I think are very very important. Another thing that we're going to be doing and we've already started on this one and we've allocated the money for it is to look at a better. Distance for the house, you know the Senate already telecast, it's Senate hearings and we'd like to do the same thing in the house so that we would be closer to the people in addition to that. We are also discussing having rural areas able to sit in front of a television camera and be a part of a committee session that's taking place in st. Paul. They can give their testimony through that television and media and make their comments and the committee can ask them questions and it allows people have greater input into the government. I think that's very very (00:38:53) important time to change or at least our scrap or at least change the per diem system. You think there's been a lot of talk about that. (00:38:59) Well, it's a pretty and you might as well face it pretty M's are are part of a legislators income. I don't like the system. But I look at if you remove those per diems, then they're going to you're going to lower that legislators income now in the lowering of his Inca or his or her income. Are you going to then enacted? Be able to says that they raise their pay level. I don't see very many legislators voting in favor of a pay increase right now. Why won't they do that? Does it well, (00:39:30) just fear that they're not going to get reelected certainly and isn't that an argument for term limits if it's a good public policy thing if that legislator should get paid more but so many of them (00:39:42) I don't say that should be paid more (00:39:43) but if they should be but if they wouldn't vote for it in a million years just because they doesn't that argue that there's some needs to be some new outside force brought to bear on this whole thing so that people up there can actually make decisions based on public policy rather than politics. (00:39:57) You mean you want people to ignore the wishes of their constituents and vote. Just according to their own so-called pocketbook and ignore the public desires. I am I don't see that happening. Okay legislative pay is also a tough issue to deal with we're all live in a glass house in nobody wants to crack the window. So it has to be handled very delicately. But at the same time openly and obviously right now is not the time to do it. We are in a tough tough financial times and you don't go out there and take a pay increase when it's not prudent to do. So, (00:40:43) let's take another caller for with a question for Anderson. Hi, you're on Minnesota Public Radio. Yes. I'm calling from Rochester and I just was wondering is there a report or are there any is there any information on what happens to all the money that is handled through the lotteries and the gaming casinos and is the state do they actually report what the state is doing with these funds? I'll hang up. Thank you. (00:41:11) Yes on the lottery money's 40% I believe 40% goes to the trust fund at the for the environmental trust fund that was done by I believe constitutional act. I believe the people are prove that now I may be be mistaken that might be statue. But I think it is by constitutional act and the balance of the money the other 60% goes into the general fund. Yes, you can get some information relative to the amounts of money that are raised by the lottery and also the amounts that are going to the trust fund in the amount that's going to the general fund. The monies are going into the general fund obviously are just used for school finance and all the other costs that the State Bears (00:41:49) take another caller with a question for herb Anderson. Hi. Hi, one of the needs in the metropolitan area is for morken restrictive gun control attempts made to address this issue in the last legislative session where mostly unproductive and much of the resistance came from rural legislators. I was just wondering what type of leadership and Direction you. provide on this issue (00:42:13) Well, first of all I voted for the gun built last time that was the Brady gun Bill and it passed the house overwhelmingly and I thought it did a great deal to overcome the issue of gun control in the state of Minnesota. And I think that if similar measures are brought before the house in in the in the future, they stand a good chance of (00:42:37) Passage. Do you think there's any any reason that the core City should should be able to enact even tougher legislation on their own. (00:42:45) Well, I don't like to give a special legislation or or agencies of state government special legislation. I think that I like to have the state bear that responsibility the same as the federal government is very zealous over those areas of law that they like to control. I know that in the field of labor law. There's a number of instances that the state I think can do a better job, but the federal government won't give up so I think We're all very was zealous about the keeping our own jurisdictions. (00:43:18) Take another question for representative Anderson. Hi. Hi. I'm calling from Jennifer in reference to this term limitation. You know, there's a lot of pressure building for that but we already have it's called a ballot box. And the thing that frightens me about this is people can go and get rid of their legislators under that proposed law, but keep in mind. We're also throwing out some pretty doggone good people and it frightens me that nobody seems to be concerned about that. I guess that's all I got to say (00:43:50) and I just wanted to say one more word about turn limitations. I think you're right on track and one of the things I like to see done is maybe a Citizens Committee Against term limitations before and I know that the princes that the League of Women Voters are against her own limitations. I'm going to be looking at other public organizations that the Adopt public policy statements and see where they sit on the issue and probably bring in all of those organizations into one. I'd like to say large effort to defeat the issue. One of the things I do think we have to do is since the governor has traveled the state with the issue that I think we should take in our committees and go Statewide with it and have hearings in many areas of the state. So people fully understand it, you know, when you look at the whole proposal the governor Carlson brings forth to me. It's nothing more than trying to unequal the three branches of government. He's trying to get the executive branch of government to have more power than the legislative branch of government is I understand the Constitution of the United States and the state of Minnesota. All three branches are supposed to be equal and I don't want to give up any legislative power and I don't want to take any executive power away from from that Branch. But to me when you reduce the number of days a legislature can act and bring in Imitations I think it really greatly increases the power of the executive branch of government and reduces the power of the legislative branch. (00:45:23) Mr. Anderson. You've been around at the legislature for a long long time you had time off there in between, of course, but you you started way back in the 70s. Do you think the legislators as a whole have become pretty much full-time professional legislators the idea originally, of course was that they'd be citizens who come down to st. Paul and hang out for a few weeks past few laws and go home. Obviously, that's not the case anymore. But you think we've gone maybe too far in the other direction toward a professional legislature. (00:45:50) Well, I don't consider ourselves a professional legislature. I still consider us as a citizen legislature, but let me ask you this. What is a citizen legislature, you know to me what that means is that you have a very limited legislative session for instance in Minnesota. We have to be out of business by late in May which means that you can't you have only five months to do the people's business and what do you do with the other seven months? Year and to me as a retired person. I spend those that time with my constituency and try to indicate to them my concern for their welfare and the issues that are in front of them. And I think that's true of every legislator now for the young person who has a job who has to have additional money to support his family. Then he's got to had do both jobs and he's able to do that by doing a limited amount of work back home and at the same time the evenings or weekends. He's altered visiting his constituency to me. That's a citizen legislature. We are not like the Congress of the United States where they are in session all the year through and with only brief periods of recess but I think that concept is a is a is a very good concept that has to be going brought forward. (00:47:02) All right, let's take another caller with a question. Hi. Hi. I had a question on public education, but I have a different one. I want to congratulations to my uncle Irv. And I have a question on a you going to get the big book this year. (00:47:17) Sounds like a nephew of mine. All right. Don't know what we will be there to try to get them (00:47:27) Republicans are always looking at. All. Right, let's take another caller while we still have a minute or so high your question, please are you talking to me? Yes, certainly. Are you're on the air? Well, I had I had a couple of questions about this this legislation you passed on crime and guns and that sort of thing there seems to be a belief that that gun control is going to somehow make us safer. And there's two things. I don't understand one is according to the many. Bliss Tribune the vast majority of the violent crime in the state is committed by a small percentage of the population the urban cocaine gangsters and most of these guys are under 21 or convicted felons or both. They're not legally allowed to have guns now and so I mean they don't buy their guns legally now and if they don't pay any attention to the laws against robbing and killing and selling cocaine and stuff, why are they going to pay any laws against owning illegal guns? Okay. So your question and that was one question. The other was I noticed kind of a queer thing in this crime bill, you passed a law making it illegal to convert anything to uh, semi-automatic. Well, the only thing that can be converted to a semi-automatic as a military full automatic and I think you'd be happy about that. I mean, you can't convert you can't convert a pump shotgun or a bolt rifle to a to a semi-auto. It just can't be done. Yeah. Why would you make a login something that's impossible tough to find middle ground on on issues related to gun control. Is it not (00:49:01) Evander's wow, you know, I appreciate your remarks and I think you ought to convey them to your legislator so that he's aware of how you feel on the issue. I don't know about the conversion of a begun to semi-automatic. So I guess I'm not knowledgeable enough to talk about (00:49:17) that, right? You know, we're just about out of time but I can't let you go. Well, one of the things that struck me about your election. I got thinking this morning at that neither, you know, Arnie Carlson you've mellowed you say, but neither one of you could be described as a Shrinking Violets. Are you going to be able to work with the governor after all you two are going to be the most two most powerful people in state government, you're going to have to cooperate in some way or other but looks like the potential for some fireworks has is definitely (00:49:44) there. Well, I personally I hope there are no fireworks and I as I indicated to the Press last night, I want to work with the governor. I want to bring forth a good legislative package that he's agreeable to and we certainly if he has alleged package. We will look at his and We think the governor, you know can do the same thing that I'm doing that pledge that we're going to work together and if we do so then I think we're going to get along. Well, you know, as I indicated I have mellowed in that is true. I think that comes a little bit with age but at the same time let me tell you that I'm a good negotiator and that when I go to the bargaining table or to the negotiating table that and I feel very strongly about my issues. I'm going to hang in there until I make every effort possible to get my way or my caucus away. And so from that standpoint, yes, Irv is a different person but also at the same time that you know, I have a job to do and I hope that everybody realizes that I do not want to be arbitrary in any way at all but and I want to be cooperative and I call upon the Republican caucus to help us in this time of need to overcome or I should say to restore the public trust the institution because they are just as much a part of that body as we are and I'm sure that Can count on their their cooperation in this regard and I look forward to working with not only the governor but to represent us Wiggum and is minority caucus in the house. (00:51:12) Thanks so much for coming in and sure preciate it our guest today representative Irv Anderson who was selected last night by his colleagues and the dfl caucus. He's going to be the new speaker of the Minnesota house.