(00:00:10) Good morning, and welcome to midday on Minnesota Public Radio. I'm Gary eichten. Glad you could join us. Well, if you enjoyed spending your tax rebate check if you like the extra money you have in your paycheck. Now that permanent state tax cuts have kicked in you'll probably be interested to hear that further state tax cuts may be on the way Republicans who control the Minnesota house decided at a retreat last week to push for additional tax cuts next year. Also on the GOP agenda will be further agricultural tax relief a transportation package and a ban on so-called partial birth abortions joining us from his home in Kenyan this morning to talk some more about House GOP plans and take your questions is Minnesota house Speaker Steve's Wiggum, certainly invite you to join our conversation great. Tunity to look ahead a little bit at what the legislative session will hold next year, six five. One two, two seven six thousand. That's our Twin City area number six five. One two, two seven six thousand if you're calling from outside the Twin Cities. You can reach us toll free at 1-888-438-6557 and or 1-800-222-8477. Steve's Wiggum morning. Mr. Speaker. (00:01:30) Good morning Gary. It's just a wonderful day. Yeah, it (00:01:32) sure is now. I understand that you folks are expecting another budget surplus more money in the in the kitty. (00:01:40) Well that's anticipated Gary. We found that the economy continues to roll a while along at a good clip. The dollars are continuing to come into the state coffers a little faster than anticipated. We're also finding sometimes, you know, you have tax cuts. It stimulates the economy and you actually end up Getting more tax revenue coming forward. So at this point no one knows for sure Gary, you know, any guess is only that a guesstimate but but the guesstimate of our texture Ronnie Abrams was about 800 million dollars of additional (00:02:13) Surplus and that's well. We only have would have one year left then right. We'd have a year and a half good Lord are these tax cuts that you're thinking about predicated on the accumulation of a surplus or would you like to go ahead with a further reduction in taxes? Even if a surplus doesn't develop (00:02:34) well, I think would be predicated on their Surplus being there. As you know, we went through this legislative session basically the tax spend as part of the session and we appropriated our dollars. I don't think that we're looking at going to retrench any of those dollars or cut back on those Appropriations. It would be only dealing with additional surpluses that would have accumulated or would be there (00:02:56) Gary. Now. You said the economy is continuing. Perk right along but there are some early signs that things might be slowing down. He's the national level given the fact that you folks just passed a big tax cut. And of course we had the big rebate on top of that (00:03:16) you got your check in here. Yes. I did you send it into the stadium about (00:03:23) confers speaker swag. Am I can't comment. (00:03:26) Well, I (00:03:27) didn't can't comment. But you know given the fact that you folks took so much action last year. Is there any thought being given to the idea of kind of letting things settle out a little bit see how what impact those those reductions have and and and waiting on the tax cut for next year? (00:03:47) Well, I think rather than that quote caution attitude, the members of our caucus of felt very strongly that we had driven the tax reduction train during the last session and we want to continue to do that. We want to show I continued to show our commitment to reducing tax burdens on families in the state. And of course we came up on a number of options Gary. I won't tell you that the caucus at this point after the retreat has settled in on the tax that we'd like to focus on the tax cut, but but certainly a number of options were laid (00:04:19) out. Now. There is a provision as I understand it one of the many Provisions in this past year's tax bill does allow for that every two-year settling up process. So that theory of there was money left in the in the kitty at the end of the biennium than you'd send out some more rebate checks isn't that sufficient? (00:04:37) Well the course that would not start until the next biennium and that is called the kicker law Gary Barry. We were very supportive of that my caucus and myself included the tried to pass the kicker law in previous years in the legislative session, but were finally successful with the Governor Ventura has helped this past year. That's certainly is a Safeguard that is there but but understand that that's Safeguard of returning the money back to the taxpayers is only there if the politicians legislature decides not to spend the money previously during the during the previous session. (00:05:14) So you'd like to get it out the door before your colleagues have an opportunity to spend (00:05:18) it. That would be fair to say (00:05:20) I was speaker Steve Swig. Mm is our guest this hour we're talking about GOP plans broad-based plans at this point for the next legislative session. If a surplus develops, the Republicans would like to cut state taxes some more and if you'd like to join our conversation about those plans, give us a call here at 6512276 Thousand. That's our Twin City area number six five. One two, two seven six thousand outside the Twin Cities. You can reach us toll free at 1-888-438-6557 and or 1-800 to for two to eight. 2-8 first caller is from Roseville Arthur. Go ahead (00:06:03) please good morning. I'd like to know if there is going to be a budget surplus why we would not you want to use that money to pay off some of the our state debt early. Bonds that have been issued (00:06:17) rather than give out a tax cutter or increased spending in some area. Yes. Okay (00:06:23) speakers Wiggum. Well that's certainly could be a consideration Arthur to do that. Most of the bonds being sold right now are being bought by the purchased by the state some place in the neighborhood of the Lowell 4% range 4.1 4.2 4.3 percent someplace in there. That's pretty favorable rates and there has been a pretty substantial feeling that when you do Bond if you do it for appropriate projects, and of course, there's been some question in the past as whether the bonding bills have gotten too large and gotten beyond the State wide scope Statewide significance of projects, but if you can hold it to the Statewide significance, you know, the buildings at Winona State the buildings at at Morehead State that Bemidji University of Minnesota needs, you know, things that are really Statewide significance roads and bridges, you know, they're the added The argument is that that should be paid off during the lifetime of the project the same same way that you pay off your house over 30 years or 40 years, you know over the lifetime of the house the same should be done with bonding (00:07:28) projects. Are is the budget surplus not the Surplus. I'm sorry the cushion the rainy day fund is that big enough now so that if we do experienced an economic downturn with the tax cuts that have been passed and everything would still be in good shape. Is that big enough or do you need to supplement that to some (00:07:45) degree Gary? I think in my estimation is probably large enough. We're talking a billion dollars a billion dollars of either cash flow or budget Reserve if I'm my memory is correct. I think the budget Reserve is right around six hundred and twenty two million and the the cash flow account is about 350 million dollars and you know, the that's right around the billion dollars at that is there, you know, you need to have Cushion there Gary to take care of any short downfalls in the economy to make sure that there's a cushion there but you don't want so much there that you're using the people's money when in fact the taxpayers could best be using it themselves. So it's very argument of was to we know where that level is, but I would think a billion dollars is up is a pretty sizable cushion to (00:08:38) have hmm Carl your question for the speaker. (00:08:41) Hi, is that really a question? It's just you know, I appreciate the big six dollars a week tax cut. I got from the Republicans and I'm sure the people making a quarter of a million a year probably appreciate their larger tax cuts. My concern is is when when is the power structure of that of the House and Senate here going to actually address the problems of minnesotans rather than trying to buy votes from the upper income brackets. Gary yes, I guess Carl did not identify what he considered the problems of minnesotans to be (00:09:18) Carl. Can you give us a couple items that you'd like to see (00:09:21) emphasized? Well low-income housing once for instance when they were talking about this big tax cut which for me was six bucks a week came around. This is all will be able to reinvest it by house. Why can't do that with six bucks a week? I'm sure mr. Swig him and all his wealth can probably buy me a house for what his tax cut but I can't and this tax cut its Mickey Mouse you guys were holding up everybody in the state's sales Bay tree sales tax rebate so you can give the upper income on half half a percent. Well half percent is a lot when you're making half a million. Yeah a car lover. First of all in Gary, I think we all recognize maybe where Carl is coming from from a full-up philosophical standpoint. Let me first tell you I'm not into class Warfare Envy or greed or any of that type of stuff. I'm just not into that. I will tell you that everybody enjoyed that part of the tax cut of this last session permanently. It was aimed at middle-income minnesotans middle-income minnesotans received the greatest percentage of the tax cut and the highest rate cut and went to middle middle-income minnesotans. Now during the last session Carl specifically. We also had the largest housing bill from the standpoint of housing grants housing AIDs that we had passed in past years as well. So besides providing a substantial tax cut funding education adequately we did provide money to housing and and Carl. I think that there was a pretty balanced package that came forward from the legislative session now now I understand that there are those that you know think we should go out and tax some people more and some people less than but we're looking for fairness. We're looking for balance and and and and I do recognize that the Colin I'm others might just have different philosophies. (00:11:10) Setting aside the the issue of who gets taxed and how much they get taxed. What about the the other part of the question there and mr. Speaker though that we got the big tax cut last session and yet there are clearly some pretty pressing needs in the state and all while the legislature was able to provide good funding for education and housing in the rest there continues to be a demand for more funding in some of those areas than we turn to rural relief and those kind of programs isn't it time that the legislature may be focus on the spending side of the equation a little bit. (00:11:48) Well, actually, I think we focus on the spending side of the equation this last year fairly. Well Gary, you know again a very balanced session best education Bill and probably the last decade substantial housing increases, you know, Gary you look at the entire package. I think it was a fairly balanced legislative session. We are coming Into a session that is not supposed to be the spend part of the biennium. We spent this last biennium and and I would hope that we would be able to live within the spending amounts that we that we did pass this that last biennium now if you remember or and I know you do have this before you because you mentioned it earlier in the in the program as we looked at our agenda. Now, this is kind of just your general as of this point and we haven't focused in on specifics but as we look to our agenda for the mm session, first of all, we would probably be the only caucus as last session who came forward with an agenda to tell the people what our inspection report what our issues agenda will be to be measured against is a product but we SEC we talked about the need of rural development and the hurt that exists in the farm sector and the farm Society. I'm a farmer myself and I recognized the difficulty. Our farm friends and farm families are having from from North to West East to South in the In the state and we also then to also talk about some infrastructure commitment investment specifically in the area of roads and bridges to help individuals may be relieved those problems those congestions in their life a little bit that it affects their way of (00:13:28) life. Okay. Tim your question, please. (00:13:31) Yeah, actually I have two questions and I'll make him real quick. What is the Surplus the rainy day fund? I Jeep need to know what that's actually for for one thing and number two. Have you ever thought of actually eliminating employees of the state the cut the budget because everybody's talking that there's way too many people that actually work for the state the state of Minnesota actually has the largest number of employees that work for the state compared to any of the other (00:13:57) states. Okay, first of all, what is the rainy day fund for (00:14:02) misspell the rainy day fund which I think is approximately six hundred and twenty two million dollars in addition to that the 350 million dollar cash flow. So you can make your payments from month to month is basically that it's a it's a rainy day fund is set aside in case the economy word is turned down in this in a slight way so that we would have some cash some resources available without having to go retrench spending or raise taxes immediately in some type of economic downturn. It's kind of like your savings account that you may have yourself personally in your bank. Somebody might have a you know, $1,000 or $2,000 in a savings account in the bank to kind of prepare be there for for a difficult time. It's the Tim's other question had to do with reducing the size of state government, (00:14:56) right? There's too many state employees. Yes (00:14:58) Tim well, Well, you know, I would like to let him and others know. I think we have some wonderful state employees who really do their job and do their function well, but I guess I would tend to agree with Tim that in fact, maybe we could reduce the amount of state employees specifically. In fact, let me start specifically with the legislature as you might remember Gary the first action. I took when becoming speaker was in the legislature itself to lead by example, and we reduced the number of house committees. And the number of house employees now was the first actions I took as being speaker and and going forward and setting that example in the legislative session. We we had our state departments bill from the house side. Anyway, the house side did come forward and we actually did freeze and reduce. The number of we actually reduced the number of employees that work for the state in non-essential Services. Now that did not end up getting Ultimately through the Senate and through the governor's pain, but that was in fact what happened with the house when we when we said our budgets is a Tim we did do a reduction in the number of (00:16:12) employees. Is there a lot of waste in state government? Mr. Speaker in other words if you if you were able to Pare away at it. Would you save a significant amount of money (00:16:20) or is there a lot of waste Gary I would I would tell you that there's in all sectors of life, especially, you know public there tends to be some waste at some point and I would not tell you be so bold as to tell you that there's no waste and that we couldn't become more efficient. Obviously, you know, we can be I know we can be Tim and so does everybody else know that we can become more efficient with the services we have and we're trying to work at that. In fact, we have set aside that we've started a new task force in the house Republican caucus and that task force is called priorities 2000 where we're looking at the Ways of being able to appropriate maybe going to a performance-based budgeting process as opposed to what we've now done over the past decades or just accept the bases from the past years and then just talk about the increases. We're going to actually get into base budgets and get into justification of programs that have just been accepted as as being you know appropriate and that the funding levels have been appropriate in the past. We don't think that that's the right way to run a business to run your family or to run state (00:17:30) government back to the phones car is on the line with a question for the speaker. Go ahead, please (00:17:35) yeah, my question is basically when you talk about your tax cut and yet the great you use a term like middle-class income. Why don't you tell us what income range that is? Ok, so people really understand that. They probably aren't middle class according to the numbers. Okay, Corey according to the numbers and and Corey. Excuse me, if I'm up I'm up few hundred dollars off one way or another here, but we have three tax brackets in the state of Soda, we have the lowest tax bracket the middle income tax bracket and then the upper the high tax bracket and if my memory serves me correctly within it within a couple of hundred dollars. I think the the lowest tax rate which used to be six percent and now will be five and a half percent applies to like the first twenty four thousand dollars of income the next middle income tax bracket, which was reduced by three-quarters of a percent goes from the 24,000 figure up to about 90. Mm. And then over that 92 93 thousand the eight and a half percent tax bracket or the upper bracket kicks in so when we talk about middle income tax bracket, it's somewhere between 24 and and 92-93. If I remember correctly. (00:18:51) I know mr. Speaker. You said that there's been no agreement among caucus members Republican caucus members specifically what taxes would be Cut next year assuming there's a surplus but which ones do you think are most likely going to be going down when you target the income tax again, or would you turn on turn to some of these other taxes like the vehicle registration fee or something like that? (00:19:14) I think it would be the latter Gary and and let me just lay out some options as we look to reducing the tax burden upon the Working Families again in the state. You remember six years ago the state started what many people term the temporary half cent sales tax when we increase that sales tax by half a percent or half a cent in the state. I think it would restore a lot of credibility from the legislature back to the citizens. If in fact we were to eliminate that temporary and I'll put that in quotes half cent sales tax. So that's an option is to reduce the sales tax and other option would be to go forward with the sick tax elimination that provider tax that Gary has you know You and I have both spoke about in the past that was in the house tax bill this last year to eliminate that sick tax on people who go to the doctor the dentist chiropractor ophthalmologist. Whatever. Another option would be the the certainly the car license tab fees that we have talked about that the Governor Ventura had had focused in on that certainly is an option a health care tax credit, very interesting option was been brought forward by by some caucus members in relationship to Health Care premium health care costs and that would be to provide some type of a credit that tax credit deduction for for health care costs in the state. So, you know, there's many options before us obviously we would not be able to do them all that would that would not be possible, but we'll try to focus in on one maybe two of the options that that I've laid out or were others that are available to (00:20:55) what's your best guess mr. Speaker in terms of that list that you were. Channing which one or which ones would be most acceptable to the Democrat since of course, they have to sign off on it in the state senate. (00:21:06) Well, they do have to sign off as well. I mean there's it's all part of negotiations. It's all part of balance give-and-take and certainly the last legislative session was like that as well Gary if I were going to guess as to which one we might come forward with and again, I'm putting myself ahead of caucus members which is a dangerous thing to do sometimes but I'm going to guess restoring The credibility of by reducing that half cent sales tax. That was a quote temporary on quote Acts, or at least it with perception of being that it's broad-based. It applies to everybody everybody equally whether you happen to be buying a broom or buying a car and and I think that that may be where we focus in although again, I have to not say this with great Assurance because We do have a process that involves 70 caucus members not just (00:22:03) myself. Let's get one more caller on here before we break for news Nancy. (00:22:08) Hi. Hi, these questions are for speakers. So again, both Governor Ventura and the Republican Party have been promoting cutting of the government and I hear nothing mentioned about the Metropolitan console. Would he like to explain to the listeners how much we're spending on that? It is in a taxation without representation because we're not voting on it. And also I was thinking a permanent task could own property tax. I know under the Democrats with a surplus, they start cutting taxes for businesses and apartment house owners. Hopefully, we thought they were going to be able to continue on permanent property taxes. However, they do not get reelected. And also I want to close with a comment to speakers Wiggum that he's beginning to sound like Jesse. He's promoting ideas. By personally attacked attacking other parties and other people and I don't appreciate that. (00:23:04) What can you can you elaborate on the last point there? What's upsetting to (00:23:10) you? Always they're coming at he wants to build consensus. He wants to build a bridge to the Democrats. I never heard the previous speaker attack like he attacks. It was always trying to get the bridge built and everybody working together in the state of Minnesota. He now takes credit for giving back tax money that actually Governor Carlson and the Democrats if you want to take a look at it built the Surplus and I appreciate him looking at many areas, but I'd like to hear about the Metropolitan Council. I know Governor Ventura and the Republicans just love to cut government. But how about a starting there? And also how about us continuing on permanent tax cuts such as the business God under a Democrat and the apartment house owners got all right. Let's hear about permanent property tax (00:23:58) cuts. Okay. Well, let's get Some comments from the speaker here before we take a break met Council on on The (00:24:04) Hit List should it go? I think it certainly was from the standpoint of but the vagaries of some of your callers. I think don't necessarily like my leadership, but I understand that's the that's part of it. I obviously cannot get everybody in the group in the state to agree upon a philosophy that that my caucus may have and I fully respect and understand that but maybe to die Nancy's first question or the question that concerned me the most scary and then I will talk about the Met Council when that was the one of Building Bridges and at attacking the other party. Yeah, and then see if anything I have not done that if anything I have tried to build Bridges and tried to work together. In fact, if you've noticed anything about comments or my speeches, it's been about working together. It's been about the balance that exists in Minnesota. It's been about being cold. Operative rather than confrontive and I would take exception to your comments about the partisanship because if if anything I've been trying to build into work those bridges, so I just hope you are not a selective listener and hearing just a few things the Met Council as you know, Governor Ventura during the campaign, I think had mentioned elimination of the Met Council doing away with the Met Council. I haven't heard anything to that effect from the governor's office since election date, but we certainly in the house would be willing to look at that and look at any savings efficiencies in the Met Council as well as in state government itself and and property tax we continued to to drive to try to help that property tax situation and property tax balance. And as you know during this last session, there was substantial. In sizable property tax relief reform that was brought forward for farmers in the state of Minnesota recognizing the difficulty of the of the egg situation and and and now Nancy probably not going to appreciate this. But Nancy that property tax reduction for Farmers was certainly driven in the Minnesota house by the house Republican majority (00:26:21) and one quick follow-up on the Met council issue speaker swag mm. Would you feel differently about the Met Council if it were elected is her point. We have a situation of taxation without representation. Is that a legit argument? (00:26:36) I think that's a legitimate argument. It's been an argument certainly in the at that Capital halls for probably the last two decades that I can remember at this point. We maintain the appointed let met Council and that but there I believe there's been bills introduced each and every year in fact if I remember correctly votes in the house floor if if I remember correctly. I think there was On the house floor to go to a elected councillors opposed to point. It just has not prevailed at this point (00:27:06) house Speaker Steve. So I come is our guest this hour we're talking about the house agenda house Republican agenda for the upcoming legislative session among other things the Republicans want to zero in on further tax cuts assuming there is a budget surplus right now estimates are that the state is accumulating 500 to 800 million in Surplus over and above what we heard about previously. If you'd like to join our conversation give us a call here at 6512276 Thousand outside the Twin Cities one eight hundred two, four two two eight two eight right now. Let's catch up on some news headlines as Kathleen hallinan Kathleen. Thank you Gary earthquake survivors and turkey are reliving The Experience after a powerful new Tremor struck Western turkey today one person was killed and more than 160 hurt two weeks ago a huge Quake hit the region killing more than People Dennis is weakening now barely a hurricane as it churns about 150 miles off North Carolina, but it's still causing trouble for people along the coast some lawmakers at the justice department may have wanted or some lawyers rather at the justice department may have wanted to keep some details about Waco a secret from attorney general Janet Reno. The Dallas Morning News says a federal prosecutor in Texas has warned Reno that Justice officials trying to keep quiet about the FBI's use of tear granted tear gas grenades. Jury selection has begun in the second Texas dragging death trial suspected white supremacist. Lawrence Brewer is accused of helping to other men chained a black man to a trunk and dragged him to his death. The first trial ended in a conviction. Another alleged accomplice is awaiting trial the same Paul woman accused of planting pipe bombs under California police cars dead. Way to go returns to court stay in California. Sarah. Jane Olson will get a trial date during today's hearing Olson is the former fugitive Kathleen. So Leah authorities are investigating two fires in two days in the Anoka Hennepin School District a fire gutted a portable classroom at McKinley Elementary School in Ham Lake today early yesterday fire destroyed a similar building at Blaine high school officials. Don't expect the fires to delay the start of the school year tomorrow the state forecast for today includes partly cloudy skies, it will be windy and warmer. There's a slight chance of rain around Grand Marais. Hi should range from 75 near Duluth to the 80s elsewhere in the Twin Cities. It will be partly sunny today Breezy and warmer with a high around 82 Gary. That's a latest out of The Newsroom. Thank you Kathleen 24 minutes know before noon wisdom. If you want a picture that looks like reality use the camera mimicry. How much more (00:29:57) Ramona do you want hot dish Polka Band VFW (00:30:02) reverence? Oh I-94 the almighty Interstate the causeway of fools hear it all every Friday night at 6:00. I'm word-of-mouth a radio guide to the Arts right here on Minnesota Public Radio Canada wfm 91.1 in the Twin Cities. And while you're making your program schedule up, we hope you'll include the second hour of our midday program on the schedule. Today. We're going to hear from u.s. Education secretary Richard Riley talking about a new survey of high school students and what they what they hope to get out of their education interesting speech will hear that over the noon hour programming at NPR is supported by Ecolab dedicated to improving cleaning and sanitation standards for leading Hospitality Healthcare and food processing customers worldwide on the web at Ecolab.com Our Guest this our Minnesota house Speaker Steve Swig mm who has joined us to talk a little bit about Republican plans for the upcoming. Legislative session topping the agenda assuming the revenue keeps pouring into State coffers topping the agenda tax cut another tax cut you like to join our conversation. If you've got a question for the speaker give us a call here at 6512276 Thousand outside the Twin Cities 1-800 to for 22828 Paul your question, please (00:31:21) afternoon gentlemen, you know why people might think you're doing a pretty decent job. I'm not a Republican or a Democrat and one of those guys that think of less government is better as long as you can maintain the services that we need but my question and statement and I'd like to respond to some of the things to say but pertains to property tax and in general a lot of people believe that property taxes have gone way beyond the original 10th intent and I've gotten to the point where they're actually cruel and unjustified. It's the only type of tax that there is that is not finite. You never really own your home. You continually pay property taxes. For your whole life as long as you want to property and that is really not fair in that that is not the way that the property tax system was set up. And what ends up happening is that punishes people that don't have hobbies that for instance maybe construction is their hobby of a gentleman who's a friend of mine that built his whole home for approximately $40,000 and it's valued at $150,000 and he can't afford to pay the taxes on it. Now the house he has put all his Blood Sweat and Tears into he's going to have to sell because the government will not allow him to stay there and I think really the biggest issue at hand and the state isn't so much the Surplus, you know, you need an operating Surplus that's definitely true in all forms of government and you have sales tax rebates and you know yada yada yada goes on and on but the really bad bad thing in this particular government right now is the property tax system and I'm wondering is there a way that you can actually eliminate this Navy by making a higher sales tax type situation either property tax at least people know that hey, it's some The game I'm going to hold my house and I don't want anything on it. Okay, Paula of first of all during the last session, we did continue property tax reform both the rental housing rates the commercial industrial rates Farm values of farm rates went down during this last session. So we did continue some property tax reform and I think that was a question that Nancy had a little bit earlier Paula is the comment about and I think that we you are correct regarding the the the necessarily lack of finances that individuals might have in their life to pay property tax and we are going to continue the focus focus on property tax. Not as the only tax and when you talk about elimination Paul, I would caution from from saying that there's that we would eliminate the the property tax as such I'm personally I think that there needs to be some type of a balance between the Is that we have in the state between income sales and property and if we were to totally eliminate one and place all the burden upon the other tax, you can understand that there would be some type of consequences in the market. That would might not be very positive say eliminate the property tax and and doubled the sales tax. Well, my guess is if we double the sales tax that there be a lot fewer cars sold in Minnesota, but a lot more cars sold right across the border in North Dakota or in in Wisconsin. If you were to eliminate the sales tax and double the income tax again, we might sell more cars but I get my guess is that it would it would help people make a decision to to locate their their households in Texas or in Florida or in Arizona these states that do not have an income tax. So so some type of a balance I think is necessary in the property tax itself in my personal feeling. Kind of My Philosophy should reflect the services that are received and that helped the property property is helped by Emergency Services by fire protection by police protection. They affect the value of property and I think there's a relationship there. I think there is no relationship between the property and schools education and that's why we're trying to move towards more State support of (00:35:19) education. Do you see mr. Speaker the state eventually picking up the entire cost of Education get it off the property tax rolls all together. (00:35:28) Well Gary that's certainly a direction. We're going to go all the way to a hundred percent would probably be further than we financially have available without you know, greatly increasing one of these other tax burdens substantially, but we certainly have gone in the direction including this last biennium. I think we're now over 70 percent. I think the last number I saw was 71 percent State support for education. And then of course the remaining twenty nine percent locally and we're going in that direction. Gary I think I might stop short of saying that it would ever be a hundred percent but we certainly have enhanced and increased the state support Sarah your question. Yes. Hi. I have been out of state for a while and when the welfare reform it just begun and now that I'm back I have noticed that the people on welfare as up something like 40% with the poverty level hasn't or the percentage of people on the in the poverty level hasn't dropped it all and I'm just wondering how the Surplus and what your plans are to try and continue this and somehow find a way to make these people not be in the poverty level anymore because it's really a pointless Center for them Sarah course. We you know over the past three or four years. We have entered into substantial welfare reform in Minnesota moving people towards work towards jobs off government dependence and included in that some reasons that their welfare rolls are probably less now. I hope a lot of it is due to the reform some of those probably due to the economy as well. You know with people that basically their jobs being available. Although not all of them are are $20 an hour jobs or even $15 an hour jobs, but there's jobs available people want to to find work there what I think we will try to continue to do at least for My Philosophy is to continue to help people assist folks as they move from welfare to work as I moved from dependency to self-sufficiency in the form of daycare help. They care assistance in the form of transportation assistance in the form of healthcare assistance so that they can continue health care benefits as they're working themselves toward self-sufficiency. And then that's where I would like to put our Focus put our resources is towards that help that support to helping people be (00:37:54) self-sufficient. Mr. Speaker in your Is it the government's responsibility to lift people out of poverty or simply provide a safety net in terms of welfare payments if they really fall in hard times (00:38:11) Gary you're getting a little a little philosophical now. I think it's it's government's responsibility might be a little bit strong of a word. You know II think the government has a responsibility towards towards Justice government has a responsibility, you know in the functions of Roads Bridges education, but certainly we can assist as Government. We need to be able to make sure that we can have programs have philosophies you have laws that that that provide the incentive for people to be self sufficient to provide them then the Avenues of safety net or Avenues of financial incentives. So so that they can move themselves from a dependency to To a self-sufficiency and Gary. I don't know if answer your question directly enough, but it was kind of a tough one. (00:39:06) Well a lot of people debating that very issues art your next go ahead (00:39:10) please well. Hello, mr. Speaker. I have a question for you. And I realize this might be very difficult to respond to but I'm a person that owns property up and Crow Wing County. Okay in one of the things that's happening is that the the Indian gaming has caused a lot of money in that community. And so they're buying a lot of land taking it off the tax rolls. And what's going to do is cause all the property taxes for the people that remain Property Owners up there to go up because there's no other base to suppress, you know spread that that tax burden over and I'm wondering if the state at the state level has any opportunity to pass some laws or if it's totally non issue any longer to try to stop that from happening. I don't have any problem with the Indians owning land. I do have a problem with them taking off the tax rolls with coming off the tax rolls in the burdens being placed upon other types of Is in yours is probably a seasonal wreck property. I would guess are in Crow Wing County. I would think it might be art. I don't know what the state can do legislatively regarding that rather than say something that would be wrong. I think I just will recognize your concern tell you that it is one that I have heard over this past year to and probably need some better research in order to correctly respond to your question as to whether we have any ability to make sure those those properties stay on the tax (00:40:29) rolls. Our guests. Our is Minnesota house Speaker. Steve swag am joining us from his home in Kenyan talking about the Minnesota House Legislative agenda retreat was held last week and caucus members got together to talk about some of the things they hope to emphasize next year and Topping the list assuming there is a budget surplus will be further tax cuts Jay your question for the speaker. (00:40:53) Hello. Mr. Speaker. Hi Jay. Carpenter by trade and independent self-employed remodeling contractor and just watching the building going on and watching the news the one thing I thought maybe the legislature would take a stand or somebody in the legislature has an opinion on is the Myron our fields of this world and the Metropolitan Council on deciding. I guess it seems it seems to be a de facto policy going on of restricting growth and urban sprawl being a newspaper and magazines all the time trying to Push towards the government policy of telling people where they can build what they can build how they can build. It doesn't seem like we have any new highway miles coming online anytime soon. But if you've been up to the Fish Lake interchange, you know, it's pretty nasty, of course traffic's bad everywhere and we have a train going to the mega mall. I don't know how many people work at the MegaMart that seems like a lot of a lot of money to spend to get people, you know, making $8 an hour to work when they could take a bus at already goes there seems like a lot of a lot of government agencies working towards a policy that I don't see being endorsed by our government legislators this something they're going to endorse her something you want to address and channel and different means. (00:42:12) All right a couple of questions there. It seems to me. Mr. Speaker number one this whole issue of sprawl for lack of a better term. Is that going to be a knock-down drag-out at the Capitol? (00:42:25) It has been in the past. Of course Jay referred to the or field legislation that we've had in the past and And we will be faced with before and with again and the whole concept and now it's being term smart growth Jay. You know, I think will be before the legislature. I would think that there's certainly room for for some type of balance to be brought between the the needs of communities to be able to plan but still the rights of freedoms the freedoms of an individual or a family to make a choice in their life as to what the build where to build and when they want to build, you know, that that's very important Freedom we have in this country. And I know that there's all kinds of planners that want to tell you and me and whoever were to live that I can't have my house an acre and garden and my kids have a dog but still I think that's a very very important part of life and families ought to be able to have that decision that right Tim to do that Jo. I think that you and I would probably think much alike regarding that when you mention the The Interchange the road interchange a part of our agenda and this is again, we need to focus it in a little bit better than we have but our caucus would like to use some monies whether they be mining money's there whether they be Surplus Monies to help relieve some problems in people's lives and you know one would be if you affect people's lives who are tax cut you're affecting their life their freedom their pocketbook you reduce the class size of their children's school, you're affecting their life. And if you can reduce that that time that they spend on the highway somehow or another and the bottleneck. So you mentioned Fish Lake interchange now, what could a bridge 6 10 to 12? There's a lot of these bottlenecks that I think we could appropriately use some dollars that would be available in the next session to to relieve the burden that that individuals people feel in their lives (00:44:30) long. I know you've pretty well ruled out a gas tax increase for next (00:44:35) year. There will not be a gas tax (00:44:37) increase longer-term. Do you think that that one is going to be needed to make sure that we do have the highways and bridges that we (00:44:44) need longer term. I would think you know, depending on how long term you want to you want to State Gary obviously some increase in resources revenues will be necessary for our roads and bridges in the future. You know, I don't want them to say long term as next year or two years from now because I you know, I don't know that well enough to say that but in the long term and long term not being defined more resources certainly will be necessary (00:45:13) now next year, of course, mr. Speaker is an election year and how how is that going to play into your caucuses plans? Do you think there's going to be good bipartisan cooperation next year or Folks or try partisan cooperation or you folks going to be sniping at each other quite a bit. (00:45:36) Let's hope that what happens next year will be a another shadow of what happened this last legislative session where in fact we were three and a try partisan Arrangement able to get together shake hands and obviously not everybody get everything they want but to reach out and move Minnesota forward in a very balanced way. I think that can happen Nigeria type. I believe in my heart that if you have good policy, you'll have good politics that the two are mutually inclusive that they are not exclusive of each other and and so I think that if we Center in as a caucus with an agenda that is good policy relieving the tax burdens and people's families talking about discipline the school's talking about rural development and and the farm crisis situation and and may be addressing some Transportation concerns in a short legislative session. I think we're coming for With with good policy that that will correspond to a good Politics as we enter into November of a year from (00:46:37) now Our House Republicans going to pass that proposal to put the unicameral question on the (00:46:42) ballot. Well, as you know, we had a group I'll go down to Nebraska yesterday and and viewed the Nebraska legislature in a real fact-finding Mission. They talked to Citizens. They talked to the governor. They talk to legislators. I talked a lobbyist they talk to you about as many people as they could they talk to one of the individuals that came back last night and he said they were impressed but he was still unconvinced my guess is and again, I'm trying to Crystal Ball here and my crystal ball is sometimes not very clear. But I think that if Governor Ventura makes the unicameral single house legislature a an issue and uses his quote bully pulpit for that this session the house will pass the can the unicameral issue next spring (00:47:28) and very briefly the other half of that equation. That's been talked about the the idea of turning the legislature are returning the legislature into a nonpartisan body. Do you think that's going to fly (00:47:40) boy? I again I would I would say that the the chances of that would be the same as a single house legislature and I want you to know that I am Gary a personally supportive of both, you know, I think that if individuals caucus and get elected for the individual the person themselves as opposed to carrying the flag of some political party. I think we're all better served and and I would I would be glad to do that. I think it might enhance and eliminate some of that quote partisan politics bickering that we're trying to get rid of and I know a couple of your callers today Gary refer to that and and my message certainly the perception certainly the reality that I think we ought to be able to bring forward from our caucus is that we have brought balance and that in fact we did get our job done and the Moving Minnesota forward with the with the balanced approach to (00:48:33) governing gotta run. Thanks so much for joining us. Hey, (00:48:36) thank you for the opportunity. You have a wonderful day (00:48:38) YouTube Minnesota house Speaker steals Wiggum joining us from his home in Kenyan talking about the House GOP agenda for the upcoming legislative session 5 minutes now before 12