Special session: The epilogue

We kicked butt last night.
I got home just in time to meet Chan at 4:45 a.m. as he was leaving for his morning workout.
Yesterday morning, when a special session was called for the afternoon, we had two key staff members on vacation. They came to work!
When session began, we went into action, over the next 12 hours, our writing staff cranked out 12 stories about the 12 major bills passed by the Legislature and sent to the governor. Here's the link if you want a nonpartisan, no-frills read http://www.house.leg.state.mn.us/hinfo/sdaily.asp. Our TV staff provided minute-to-minute coverage of the floor action. We tweeted, we updated our facebook page, we uploaded photos to Twitpic. I didn't know this old girl still had it in her.
Now that it's over, what did I think of this special session? I'll stick to the process. It is shameful that the public had little or no time to view the bills that made up this $34 billion budget. I covered the bonding committee this past session, and there was NO bonding bill... but there was last night! So no input really. One of our writers covered pensions, and there was no pension bill this past session, but there was last night!
These 12 bills were massive and, for instance, people had little less than 15 minutes to view the education bill before it was voted on!
When you consider your candidates during the next election cycle. PLEASE ask them about the process of law making. This is extremely important. If your candidate doesn't think that compromise trumps personal or party principle... then I'd look elsewhere. If any candidate says what happened here "in the dark of night" is sometimes necessary, then look elsewhere.
There was a lot that went wrong in the process, but if we, the electorate don't give a rip, then I guess we get what we deserve - a government by the few and for the few!
Thanks, it's a wrap!
Chan and I are going to Grand Marais for a long weekend with the Schutz kids and grandkids, to visit the favorite aunt and hubby and cousin.
Here's to quilt shops, wine, beer, good food and LAKE SUPERIOR.

Day 18- Government Shutdown -open meeting law

Thanks to those of you who have asked questions:
1. "What the heck can citizens do to help resolve this shutdown? I don't know if you can post about that or not. But, we were chatting about it in my office today and nobody really knew what to do! Seems crazy to me ..
- The best thing to do is contact your representative or senator by e-mail or phone. Some will respond and others won't. But they'll get the message... here's how to find out who your representative is and their contact information. LINK
2. Isn't the Legislature subject to the open meeting law?
- Well, sort of. According to House Research: "The open meeting law that applies to the Legislature (STATUTE 3.055) applies to sessions of the House and the Senate and meetings of legilsative ocmmittess and commissions. The meetings between legislative officials and the governor are not meetings of a legilsative committee, and no official action can be taken at these meetings. Although the meetins may be important, technically they are informal gatherins. So there is no law or urle that requires these meetings to be open."

Day 17 Minnesota Government Shutdown

Those of you who know my background know where I stand on openness in government. I'll go to court over it, even get fired from a job over it.
It is difficult for me to even comprehend that our lawmakers are behind closed doors in the closed capitol and SOB crafting nine major budget bills that contain provisions that none of us are privvy to.
You may wonder how the meetings are not subject to the open meeting law. I think I wrote about this earlier, but there's a slight twist to the law, so these meetings can be closed. Those that are really interested in the subject, I suggest you follow Rich Neumeister's blog....Open Secrets. I have a lot of respect for this citizen lobbyist who is always out to cover privacy issues.
Anyway, I understand that even the Democrats are not involved in the meetings. BUT in some of the reporting I have read that "others" are brought into the meetings.... I hope that by "others" they don't mean "lobbyists." But I saw for sure one in the SOB the other day..... Just thinkin' that's all.
The bills are to be posted on line before the special session for public review. But let me tell you, as someone who has to write about these bill.... they are pages and pages long, and the language is cumbersome for anyone to read. I'll let you know when they are up online.