Change in state House of Representatives create challenges, opportunities for transit in 2005 session

The fall election results brought good news for transit to the MN legislature, when several anti-transit and anti-tax legislators were defeated in the House and many of the newly elected lawmakers campaigned on creating a more multimodal transportation system. The House is now almost evenly divided between Republicans and DFLers (68 and 66, compared with 81 Republicans and 53 DFLers in 2002-2004). This change could result in more compromise among lawmakers and more influence from the moderates of both parties.

However, House leadership reorganized committees and appointed new chairs, and the changes may make it more difficult to advance needed transit legislation. The key committees for transportation issues are the House Transportation Finance Committee, the House Transportation Policy Committee, and the House Capital Investment Committee. Both transportation committees lost several transit allies in the reorganization. The Capital Investment Committee gained a more moderate Chair, Dan Dorman of Albert Lea, who replaced Phil Krinkie. And longtime transit champion Alice Hausman became the lead DFL. The Capital Investment Committee writes the bonding bill, and it is hoped that this year’s bonding bill will include funding for Northstar commuter rail, Cedar Avenue busway, Central Corridor LRT, and other transit projects.

Below is the new committee membership for the three committees mentioned above. If your legislator is on one of these committees, consider letting them know what transit issues are important to you this year, via personal letter, e-mail or a phone call. Let TLC know if you are interested in meeting with your legislator, along with TLC staff, during the session. For more information on committees or the legislature, go to www.house.leg.mn.us.

House Transportation Finance Committee

• Chair: Mary Liz Holberg (R, Lakeville)
• Vice Chair: Connie Ruth (R, Owatonna)
• Lead-DFL: Bernie Lieder (DFL, Crookston)
• Ron Abrams (R, Minnetonka)
• Bruce Anderson (R, Buffalo Township)
• Ron Erhardt (R, Edina)
• Frank Hornstein (DFL, Minneapolis)
• Dan Larson (DFL, Bloomington)
• Doug Magnus (R, Slayton)
• Michael Nelson (DFL, Brooklyn Park)
• ex-officio Jim Knoblach (R, St. Cloud)

House Transportation Policy Committee

• Chair: Ron Erhardt (R, Edina)
• Vice Chair: Peter Nelson (R, Lindstrom)
• Lead-DFL: Dan Larson (DFL, Bloomington)
• Bruce Anderson (R, Buffalo Township)
• Ray Cox (R, Northfield)
• Lloyd Cybart (R, Apple Valley)
• Denise Dittrich (DFL, Champlin)
• Patti Fritz (DFL, Faribault)
• Paul Gazelka (R, Brainerd)
• Mary Liz Holberg (R, Lakeville)
• Frank Hornstein (DFL, Minneapolis)
• Melissa Hortman (DFL, Brooklyn Park)
• Bernie Lieder (DFL, Crookston)
• Leon Lillie (DFL, North St. Paul)
• Scott Newman (R, Hutchinson)
• Mark Olson (R, Big Lake)
• Sandra Peterson (DFL, New Hope)
• Connie Ruth (R, Owatonna)
• Dan Severson (R, Sauk Rapids)
• Katie Sieben (DFL, Newport)
• Steve Simon (DFL, St. Louis Park)
• Judy Soderstrom (R, Mora)

House Capital Investment Committee

• Chair: Dan Dorman (R, Albert Lea)
• Vice Chair: Denny McNamara (R, Hastings)
• Lead-DFL: Alice Hausman (DFL, St. Anthony Park)
• Laura Brod (R, New Prague)
• Matt Dean (R, Dellwood)
• Randy Demmer (R, Hayfield)
• Rob Eastlund (R, Isanti)
• Pat Garofalo (R, Farmington)
• Larry Howes (R, Walker)
• Mike Jaros (DFL, Duluth)
• Phyllis Kahn (DFL, Minneapolis)
• Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL, Minneapolis)
• Jim Knoblach (R, St. Cloud)
• Ron Latz (DFL, St. Louis Park)
• Tim Mahoney (DFL, St. Paul)
• Mary Murphy (DFL, Hermantown)
• Joe Opatz (DFL, St. Cloud)
• Gene Pelowski, Jr. (DFL,Winona)
• Neil Peterson (R, Bloomington)
• Steve Smith (R, Mound)
• Loren Solberg (DFL, Grand Rapids)
• Kathy Tingelstad (R, Andover)