UPDATED: Local Legislators Vote Against Reducing the Number of State Employees

Despite opposition from local legislators Jim Metzen and Joe Atkins, a pair of omnibus finance bills that cut deeply into state agency budgets and the number of state employees passed through the Minnesota House  and Senate.

Atkins, the District 39B representative, cast his vote last week against a state government finance bill proposed by Rep. Morrie Lanning (R) that would cut general fund spending on state agencies by 34 percent.

The bill also reduces the budgets of most agencies by 8-15 percent, and calls for a 15 percent reduction in the number of state employees by 2015. It would also freeze state worker pay for two years and loosen restrictions on outsourcing and consolidating services across agencies, according to a press release issued by the non-partisan Public Information Services.

In a six-hour debate, House supporters of Lanning's budget bill said it would streamline state agencies and empower state employees to become more productive. The bill would also reduce spending from $913 million this biennium to $602 million over the next biennium. Democrats, however, claimed the bill was a "thinly-veiled attack" on state employees, the press release said.

While Atkins believes that the state will eventually have to make cuts to its agencies, neither the Republican budget proposals nor Dayton's February budget proposal have struck the right chord with the legislator.

“I don’t mean to point fingers and not take responsibility for it by myself," Atkins said. “But thuse far both the governor's and the House and Senate Republicans' budgets have had giant shortcomings."

It will be the job of both Republican and Democratic legislators, Atkins said, to "pick the best parts of the majority’s budget and the best parts of the governor's budget" — and brainstorm other ideas — to come up with a workable solution.

Lanning's budget bill passed 72-61 on Wednesday in the House, and now goes back to the Senate, where a similar version of the spending bill passed in March, according to the press release.

Metzen opposed the Senate's version of the bill, which went to the Senate floor on March 30 and passed 36-29. Metzen was not immediately available to comment on his vote. The state is currently facing a $5 billion budget deficit.

Sen. Jim Metzen

New Activity:

—Metzen is listed as a co-author on a bill that would appropriate $576,000 for the city of Floodwood to install one mile of utilities along Hwy. 73 for the purpose of commercial development. SF 1132, introduced on April 11.

Existing legislation:

—A bill authored by Metzen that would appropriate $200,000 for the construction of a transit station along the Robert Street corridor is awaiting a vote by the Capital Investment Committee. SF 531, introduced on Feb. 28.

—A bill authored by Metzen that would appropriate $3 million from the state transportation fund to construct noise barriers along Hwy. 52 is awaiting a vote by the Capital Investment Committee. SF 391, introduced on Feb. 21.

— A constitutional amendment co-authored by Metzen that would increase the terms of state legislators by two years is still awaiting a vote on the State Government Innovation and Veterans Committee. SF 868, introduced on March 17.

Rep. Joe Atkins

Existing Legislation: 

— A bill authored by Atkins that would allow bed and breakfast businesses in Minnesota to serve a limited amount of Minnesota-produced beer was referred to the Commerce and Regulatory Reform Committee. HF 1326, introduced on March 29.

— A bill authored by Atkins that strengthens the state's enforcement capabilities against identity theft had several authors added to it. HF 343, introduced on Feb. 3.

— A bonding request proposed by Atkins that would provide funding for the creation of the Darvan Nature Center in Inver Grove Heights was referred to the Legacy Funding Division. HF 658, introduced on Feb. 24.

— A bill co-authored by Atkins that would provide funding for the renovation of indoor ice arena facilities is still awaiting a vote by the State Government Finance Committee. HF 684, introduced on Feb. 24.