Margaret Anderson Kelliher: Minnesota's leaders now must deliver on recovery

Disaster victims have no choice but to move forward. Their government must be at their sides.

By Margaret Anderson Kelliher

Last update: September 6, 2007 - 7:01 PM

Late in the evening of Aug. 1, Gov. Tim Pawlenty, Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and I gathered at Minneapolis City Hall. The Interstate Hwy. 35W bridge had collapsed hours earlier. The three of us began a conversation that resumed the next morning at the site of the bridge.

We agreed we would do whatever it took to ensure that Minnesota recovered from the disaster.

All around our state, Minnesotans joined in similar conversations. Much was said and written. Some fingers were pointed in various directions. And, unbelievably, our state suffered yet another disaster when floodwaters ravaged much of southeastern Minnesota.

As new horrifying images replace older ones, it might be easy to overlook all that our state has endured. But the families who have lost homes and businesses are our neighbors, and Minnesotans have not forgotten. They remember the flash flood that nearly destroyed Browns Valley, the wildfires that swept along the Gunflint Trail and the drought that continues to take a toll across much of rural Minnesota.

People are wondering when there will be a special session of the Legislature. They ask about property-tax relief and aid for their local communities. They believe our state must do something, but not just anything. Minnesotans want to know their state leaders can manage a reliable and responsible recovery from these disasters.

In the days after the bridge collapse, the agenda for a special session quickly began to take shape. State leaders who had long disagreed about the best way to fund transportation saw the necessity to finally resolve the stalemate. Early on, the governor talked of his willingness to support an increase in the gas tax. Then he backtracked and supported only a temporary increase. In recent days, the governor has shown little interest in negotiating the prior agreement he says is necessary for a special session, while lawmakers have signaled a willingness to focus on emergency items put forth by local leaders.

It is time to turn our stated intentions into action. Missouri's state leaders have already concluded a short special session to address their transportation issues. It is time to do the same here in Minnesota.

State lawmakers are ready to return to St. Paul for a one-day special session. We have asked the governor to be very clear about the specific items he is willing to support.

As summer gives way to fall, those families most affected by these disasters have little choice but to move forward. They continue to face difficult challenges on a daily basis. Parents of children injured in the bridge collapse wonder where they will find the money to cover medical expenses. Businesses near the bridge and throughout southeastern Minnesota face a struggle to survive. Families in the flood zone ask when they will have a safe and secure place to call home.

The pace of any recovery effort cannot be fast enough for these people. While our country has witnessed some painful examples of what happens when help is slow in arriving, Minnesota has the resources to help our people recover. It is time for all of us to act together as Minnesotans first.

Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis, is speaker of the Minnesota House of Representatives.

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