The Cook County Chamber of Commerce and Cook County Higher Education Director Karen Blackburn hosted the Wednesday, December 9 Zoom meeting held with Senator Tom Bakk and Representative Rob Ecklund. Through Zoom, a wide array of Cook County leaders took part, asking questions throughout the one-hour session.
Cook County Chamber of Commerce liaison in St. Paul, Judy Erickson, told the group, “We continue to have a divided government in Minnesota,” adding the recent state revenue forecast was good news for everyone. However, at the end of February, the next revenue forecast will probably paint a different picture and it will be time for the legislature to “Roll up their sleeves and work on the budget,” she said.
EDA Director Mary Somnis discussed various projects the EDA is working on. They included: affordable housing, developing a housing and redevelopment authority, working with a company on a potential assisted-living facility, redeveloping properties, working with all property owners, and reaching out to potential developers.
Blackburn asked Bakk and Ecklund to, “Respectfully include Higher Education in that list of protecting (Iron) Range higher education.”
When asked why he joined with fellow Iron Ranger Sen. David Tomassoni to form an independent caucus, Bakk replied, “The (DFL) senate came back in the minority—if you are in the minority, you kind of get nothing. You’re left in the dark.” That’s why he and Tomassoni decided to form an independent caucus so they could vote with the “republicans sometimes, and vote with the Democrats sometimes,” and take care of the district.
Tom added, “We have a metro dominated legislature.”
Bakk said he has long worked across the aisle. He was first elected to the Minnesota Senate in 2002, and every four years, he has been reelected. From 2013-2015, he served as the senate majority leader, and from 2016 until February 2020, he was the minority leader until he was challenged by Susan Kent of Woodbury, who beat him and then became the minority leader.
Republican Senate Majority leader Paul Gazelka announced that he would appoint both Bakk and Tomasonni to committee chairmanships. A strange move, perhaps, until Gazelka, who graduated from Virginia, Minnesota, high school, said the three have long worked together on issues that benefit northern Minnesota.
Since forming a caucus with Tomassoni, there has been talk that Bakk will be named chair of the Senate’s Capital Investment Committee. This organization determines where the state’s bonding dollars are spent.
“All committee assignments are embargoed until Monday, December 21,” Bakk said in an email. Still, he hopes he will be placed on the Rules committee, Tax committee, and Redistricting committee, as well as chair the Capital Investment Committee.
This coming session Bakk said he would attempt to put a bonding bill together with no local projects in it. None. Nothing sexy, just projects everyone needs to get done. He said the DNR has a list of almost $3 billion in maintenance that needs to get done. Getting those jobs done this year means that during the next bonding cycle, there will be more room for local projects if we can do this, he said, but added, “Clearly, it has got to be bipartisan to get this done.”
While the state might not have much money for local projects, the Iron Range Resources Rehabilitation Board (IRRRB) might have more dollars than usual in the coming year to distribute, said Bakk.
“Watch how many tons of pellets the mines will be able to produce this year? If they are below 30 million tons, that money will stay with the IRRRB. We are a little over 29 tons right now. I don’t think they can get there. We will have more money for local projects.
“In a year, when everything runs full out, they (the mines) make 40 tons, Bakk said.
If he gets to serve on the taxing committee, Tom said it is probably the most powerful committee in the legislature.
The redistricting committee will draw the district maps for the next ten years. He said. The House and Senate will produce a bill that will draw the maps which will go to the courts. “Cook County will probably be in my district, but it might get another number. It just depends on how they count coming across the state,” he said.
Representative Rob Ecklund spoke next. “I’m excited about this next session. I’m the only vet in the DFL caucus right now.”
This past year Rob chaired the Veterans and Military Affairs Finance and Policy Division committee. His other committee assignments were Agriculture and Food Finance, Policy Division, Environment and Natural Resources Finance Division, Jobs and Economic Development Finance Division and Labor. He said he thinks the committees he has served on have been, “A good fit for northern Minnesota.”
“When Senator Bakk and Tomassoni became independent, I started getting calls asking me what I was going to do. I told people I’m staying right where I’m at, adding he didn’t know what committees he will be on this coming year.
As far as the roll out for the COVID-19 vaccinations, Rob said he’s getting lots of requests from industry about the vaccines.
Chamber Director Jim Boyd took time to acknowledge the hard work of the late Hal Greenwood. Boyd said Greenwood was a chief supporter of the two politicians and will be greatly missed.”
Questions came from the remote audience via ZOOM.
Greg Wright, Director of North House Folk School, asked Bakk and Ecklund to continue their support for the Legacy fund, adding those dollars were vital to North House and the Art Colony. Both affirmed their support to continue those funds.
Kim Corliss, North Shore Winery, asked for an increase in wine sales, but Bakk said, “liquor bills are hard to pass.” He said there is little reason to have limits on sales at this time, and the legislature is getting closer to lifting those limits, but it’s a slow process.
Increasing the sales of growlers was also brought up, but Bakk said, “It’s a pretty heavy lift.” Ecklund replied, “We thought we had a deal last year, but then the COVID-19 disruption occurred.”
On the hot topic of COVID-19 vaccinations, Bakk said he didn’t think the legislature had any business weighing in on who should get vaccinated first. Still, clearly, “first responders and front line workers, care center residents, teachers, and educators will be on the front line to get shots.
“We’ve got to get schools open. Get the economy back to normal. Some kind of normal. There is nothing like dealing with people in person,” Bakk said, adding, “We need to get some degree of normal.”
On the record number of special sessions the governor was calling, Baak replied, “Special sessions used to be rare. They’re not rare anymore, so why do we call them special? I would rather we have our work done on May 17. It shows people we can get our work done on time.
Howard Hedstrom said he hoped the legislature wouldn’t borrow money from schools if there was a budget shortfall.
With the recent budget forecast showing a surplus, Bakk said the urgency over the budget “isn’t there anymore. If the numbers hold.” He said one reason the state borrows from schools is that “Schools can borrow at one percent, and the state can’t borrow money.”
Mike Larson thanked Bakk and Ecklund for ushering a tax bill that will help people who own short-term rentals. But he asked if someone is a multiple property owner in Cook County or the state that has any additional property over one, does the new law address that?
Bakk said people can have more than one commercial or seasonal recreational property, but only one can be homesteaded.
Don McKeever, Schroeder, asked about Governor Waltz wanting to adopt California emission standards for Minnesota.
“I have some concerns about it,” said Bakk. “If California makes changes, they will happen in Minnesota.” He noted that Minnesota is a cold weather state and electric car batteries don’t work as well here. People also have longer commutes to work. “I have a lot of questions about it. Significant changes like this issue need to get vetted better in front of the legislature. I think this is a pretty big change not to go through the legislature.”
“I agree with Tom,” said Ecklund. “Not that I’m against it. This needs more thought, and I don’t think there is enough thought about the rural area versus metro area,” with this issue.
Howard Hedstrom asked if the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) would get enough funding to continue to reforest the state’s forests.
“State law says we have to reforest, but the legislature doesn’t always fund it,” said Bakk. However, he noted that funding for reforestation fits with the infrastructure bill. “If we get a bill, we will have some money for reforestation.”
Without reforestation, loggers and lumber mills will run into limits of harvest, “and you don’t want to do that,” Hedstrom added.
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