Simon, Latz Split On Blue-Ribbon Budget Panel

While former Republican Governor Arne Carlson's and former Democratic Vice President Walter Mondale's of elder statesmen was greeted in some corners with excitement, Hopkins' legislators raised doubts that the group will come up with a politically workable solution.

"I welcome and encourage the move," Rep. Steve Simon said. "I think anytime you get smart, accomplished, experienced people in a room to offer an alternative, that's a good thing."

Simon said that doesn't necessarily mean the governor and legislators will adopt what the committee proposes.

"From what I know, the Republicans in the legislature have already rejected it," said Sen. Ron Latz, "It shows how extreme the Republicans in legislature see themselves to be: this panel reflects bipartisan broad ideological range and very, very credible experience with the [state] budget."

Michael Brodkorb, deputy chair of the state Republican Party and spokesperson for the Republicans in the state Senate, seemed to support Latz's expectation by tweeting on Tuesday that the Carlson panel's plan would likely be "tax increases & runaway spending."

Latz, for his part, said he hoped the committee will produce "something reasonable and moderate that reflects the middle ground, where Minnesota is."

Latz rejected the idea that the Carlson-Mondale panel's formation meant the legislature had failed to "do its job" to enact a budget, shifting blame onto his Republican colleagues. He alleged that Republicans have lost touch with their constituents, interpreting some narrow election wins as a sweeping popular mandate supporting their positions on taxes and budget cuts. 

"I think the Republican majority has failed to do their job," he said. "They never passed a budget the governor could sign."

Simon sounded a more hopeful note.

"I don't see the harm in trying," he said of the committee. "The key thing is to resolve this in a mature, responsible way. If that helps advance that cause, then great."