Super Bowl XLVI vs. Minnesota Legislature MMXII

After watching last night’s big game, I realized that Super Bowl XLVI and the Minnesota legislature’s 2012 session seem to have a lot in common this year.  With tongue firmly in cheek, here are a few of the similarities.

GREAT QUARTERBACKS.  House Speaker Kurt Zellers (R-Maple Grove) and Senate Majority Leader Dave Senjem (R-Rochester) can't fling a football 60 yards like Tom Brady or Eli Manning.  But even a Democrat like me would tell you that they are both experienced, talented, smart leaders. 

INTERRUPTIONS.  What do Super Bowl ads and constitutional amendments have in common?  Generally, nothing.  This year, however, there are about as many proposed changes to the Minnesota Constitution – a record-breaking 39 of them – as there were ads during yesterday’s Super Bowl game.  A key difference?  Constitutional amendment campaigns are a lot more expensive and not nearly as funny.

BILLIONS OF TV VIEWERS.  Okay, so I may have exaggerated this one a bit.  The Super Bowl only drew 1.2 billion viewers.  The Minnesota legislature is broadcast on public television to a slightly smaller audience, and I'm pretty sure two of those viewers are my parents.  Sometimes, my mom will call to let me know if my tie isn’t straight. 

TRICK PLAYS.  On the first day of the 2012 legislative session, the new Republican leader of the Senate offered a warm welcome to his returning colleagues, describing the Senate as a family.  Without warning, he then cut the Senate Democrats’ staff by $400,000 while leaving the Republican staff untouched.

HALFTIME ENTERTAINMENT.  We’ll be hearing from Gov. Dayton when he delivers the State of the State Address about midway through the legislative session.  No one is expecting a Madonna-like performance, however.

SACKS.  Last week, the Senate sacked former Democratic Senator Ellen Anderson as Chair of the Public Utilities Commission on a party-line vote, labeling her “too extreme.”  

AN IRATE COACH.  Gov. Dayton, who had appointed Anderson to chair the PUC a little over a year ago, was incensed that the Senate Republicans would fire her for being “too extreme.”  Dayton called the Senate Republicans “too extreme to govern” and pointed out that during Anderson’s tenure as the PUC’s Chair, she voted in the majority on 216 out of 221 votes.  

HARD HITS.  On Monday last week, a former Senate communications director hired lawyers to pursue a claim for wrongful termination and harassment against the Senate.  Two days later, the House passed a Senate proposal that would make it much harder to pursue a wrongful termination or harassment claim in Minnesota.  (Though I voted against it, the proposal passed.  In my opinion, that’s not just a hard hit, it’s a dirty hit.)

WILD FINISHES.  Fast and furious endings may make for exciting football, but it isn't good for making laws and setting budgets.  This session is actually scheduled to finish up several weeks before the mid-May deadline set out in the Minnesota Constitution, and I applaud Speaker Zellers and Majority Leader Senjem for doing their best to avoid frenzied finishes like we have sometimes seen in past years.   

SATISFIED FANS.  Too soon to say.  Unlike the Super Bowl, where there is only one winner, Minnesotans win only if both Republicans and Democrats work together to get good things done.  While this session hasn’t started all that well, there is a long way to go and I expect to keep doing all I can to bring folks together to get good work done.

As always, if readers have questions, comments or concerns about legislative issues, or just want to chat about the Super Bowl, please give me a call at (651) 296-4192 or email me at Rep.Joe.Atkins@house.mn.  There is also a survey at www.JoeAtkins.com to conveniently and anonymously weigh in on legislative issues.