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Hockey museum included in bill passed by House
The House passed an economic development bill that spread state dollars across Minnesota and narrowly approved a state government finance bill..
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Lurching through another amendment-filled day, the House on Thursday passed an economic development bill that funded biosciences, increased money for affordable housing and made plans to resurrect Eveleth's Hockey Hall of Fame.
Later, it passed an omnibus higher education bill and, after that, narrowly approved a state government finance bill with controversial proposals to extend domestic partner benefits.
'Send the Money North'?
At $371 million, the economic development bill is far richer than the governor's proposal of $314 million, and includes enough funding for northern Minnesota that one Republican legislator called it the "Send the Money North" bill.
But the longest debate on the bill came over one of its smallest provisions: a $187,000 appropriation for the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame museum in Eveleth, which has been closed since last year. The money was to be raised by a 25-cent surcharge on college hockey tickets across the state, but after Republican protests, the fee was dropped. House Democrats pulled money from other parts of the bill to cover much of what the surcharge would have brought in.
The bill also creates a "Meatpackers Bill of Rights," which would set aside $200,000 a year for an industry ombudsman.
And the bill increases funding for state services for the blind, for youth worker training and bumps up funding for the State Board of Arts by nearly 10 percent more than the governor's proposal -- $20 million for 2008-09.
Domestic partners
The state government bill came up for debate Thursday evening. Republicans were so disgusted with the measure -- which includes health coverage for the same-sex partners of state employees -- that they stopped trying to remake it and forced an unexpectedly quick vote after two days of prolonged post-midnight sessions.
"The payback to the special interests, the overspending, the bloat, the waste, the outrage -- it's all in this one bill," said GOP House Minority Leader Marty Seifert.
That bill squeaked by on a 68-64 vote, with 17 Democrats voting no. The bill would require the state to offer health insurance to gay and lesbian partners of state employees, and would allow local governments to do so if they choose.
Pawlenty -- who worked to remove the domestic-partner benefits from state government employee contracts in 2003 -- said the bill deserves his veto, and not just because of the same-sex provisions.
"There may be 15 reasons for vetoing that one," he said.
Earlier Thursday, gay rights advocates had amassed on the State Capitol lawn by the thousands for their lobbying day and had scheduled more than 750 activists to meet with lawmakers, according to C. Scott Cooper of Outfront Minnesota.
Finishing up
Much earlier Thursday, after a 10-hour debate that began Wednesday afternoon, the House had voted 119-13 to approve a $14 billion spending bill covering preschools through high schools. That bill must be melded with a Senate version.
The House is scheduled today to take up its last major appropriations bill, health and human services.
The Senate has finished its major appropriations bills and is waiting to begin conference committees with the House.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Patricia Lopez • 651-222-1288 • plopez@startribune.com
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