Senate committee sinks measure for environmental, cultural funds
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The proposed constitutional amendment would raise the state sales tax by three eights of one percent. That's an extra $3.75 in sales taxes for every $1,000 of taxable spending.
For the state, that translates to nearly $300 million a year in extra revenue. The money would be divided three ways. One fund would upgrade habitats for hunting and fishing. Another would improve water, parks and trails. The third part would pay for arts and cultural programs. Public broadcasting is no longer a designated beneficiary in either the Senate or House bill.
DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller of Minneapolis described his bill as a "one Minnesota" approach to solving problems.
"You have a constitutional amendment that a vegetarian in my district can vote for. You have a constitutional amendment that a hunter fisherperson on an island in northern Minnesota, in Senator Bakk's district, can vote for, even if they never go see their daughter in a dance recital. This is a bill that brings Minnesota together," he said.
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But Pogemiller couldn't inspire enough togetherness in the Taxes Committee to advance his bill.
Sen. Warren Limmer, R-Maple Grove, likes the idea of added funding to help habitats for hunting and fishing. But he doesn't like a ballot question that combines funding for the arts with hunting and fishing. Limmer also thinks Minnesotans might be tired of new taxes when the amendment comes to a vote in 2008.
"The opportunity to raise our sales tax at that time may be just the last straw on the camel's back that would kill this proposal if it goes to the public. I, as a sportsman, don't want that to happen," he said.
All four Republicans on the committee voted no. They were joined by three Democrats, who mainly objected to dedicating funding in the constitution. They don't want to tie the hands of future lawmakers if there's a budget shortfall.
Sen. Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, says making the measure a constitutional amendment is bad state policy.
"This is one more step in a direction we should not be going in," he said. "It doesn't have to do with what this money was going for. It has to do with should we be budgeting through the Minnesota constitution? And I've come to the conclusion we should not."
The committee vote was an unexpected setback for the bill's chief author. But Sen. Pogemiller described the defeat as "a bump in the road." He says the tax committee could soon reconsider the measure. Otherwise, Pogemiller says he believes the full Senate would support the bill if put to a floor vote.
"I just can't tell you how strongly I feel about passage of this bill this session," he said. "And I believe once members start to get over their partisanship and start to consider one Minnesota, I believe this bill will pass."
Sportsmen and environmentalists who've worked on the bill for several years aren't giving up either. John Schroers, past president of the Minnesota Outdoor Heritage Alliance, says the proposed amendment is far from dead.
"We'll just have to work harder," Schroers said. "Maybe we'll have to do another rally or something like that to garner more attention again. It's obvious that at the grassroots level we'll have to continue to hammer on our folks to get that response."
A similar constitutional amendment bill is still alive in the Minnesota House. DFL Majority Leader Tony Sertich of Chisholm, the bill's author, says he's confident an outdoors and arts amendment will be on the ballot in 2008.
