Advice for Legislature: Keep it simple this year

As far-fetched as it may seem, the 2012 legislative session could be one of the most productive and peaceful in years.

How can that be? Minnesotans fundamentally care about two things: their jobs and their children (OK, sports teams, too, but this isn't a stadium pitch).

They want to know that Minnesota will continue to be the place where the jobs of the future are created, and that their children will graduate from an education system that prepares them to compete for those jobs.

If legislators and the governor accomplish just three things this session, they can take credit for progress on both these important issues and leave St. Paul with a sense of bipartisan accomplishment.

Not a bad platform from which to launch reelection campaigns. Here's what they need to do:

1. Protect the 'surplus'

The $876 million budget surplus that was announced in November -- while certainly good news -- shouldn't be seen as a green light for new spending, particularly if you dig a little deeper into the numbers.

Additionally, all that "surplus" tax revenue is already committed to the budget reserve, rainy-day fund and paying back the K-12 shift. After years of deficits and contentious budget fights, the state is finally beginning to get its fiscal house in order. Now is not the time to spend money we don't have.

2. Make it easier to grow jobs

In the 21st century, people can go anywhere in the world to produce their latest innovative product. Our state should encourage that kind of entrepreneurial activity, not chase it away with high taxes and unnecessary regulations.

Our slow, inefficient and burdensome regulatory environment is causing us to lose thousands of jobs. Several large companies have had projects delayed or have expanded operations in other states due to our punishing regulatory climate.

While we can all agree that regulations that protect our health, safety and the environment are important and should be enforced, other states have figured out how to accomplish these goals with far less hassle and red tape than Minnesota imposes.

The Legislature should also continue their work with Gov. Mark Dayton to make state government operate smarter and more efficiently. Several large companies have volunteered to assist Dayton and state agencies in reaching this goal.

For Minnesota to compete with other states for new businesses, our agencies must operate at the "speed of commerce."

3. Pass education reform

We conducted, along with the Itasca Project and McKinsey, a study of the best education systems in the world. We found that more money is not the answer to improving the performance of Minnesota students.

What matters is great teachers, well-trained principals and access to data to drive improvement.

LIFO is an antiquated rule that forces school districts to fire teachers based solely on years of service, without regard to performance. Why would we subject our children to a system that rewards longevity, not competence?

LIFO, which exists in only 11 states, results in perverse situations, such as a future Minnesota Teacher of the Year who was laid off early in her career simply because she was "last in." It must be repealed.

Minnesota's education system, while still a national leader in many respects, is losing ground to other states and international competitors. Our students can't wait any longer for reforms that will help them compete with the rest of the world.

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As a former legislator, I understand the tendency for elected officials to want to "do a lot of stuff" when they go back into session. I was as guilty of that as anyone.

Maybe this will be the session where legislators give that a try

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