Now here is a something you will never see here in TPRS: a debate over snowplowing policy. Yeah, you read that correctly. Besides, how DO you plow around palm trees anyway??
Minnesota legislators know a timely issue when they see one.
So when they convened their 2004 legislative session Monday during the heaviest snowfall of the season, they immediately started debating the state's snowplowing policies....
After the opening-day floor session, House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, renewed his criticism of Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration for cutting the state's snowplowing budget.
"There's no question that when you have fewer plows on the road, we're going to have more accidents," Entenza told reporters.
DFL lawmakers will push to restore the $950,000 the administration cut from the Department of Transportation's plowing budget, he said.
House Speaker Steve Sviggum, R-Kenyon, dismissed the criticism as baseless partisan rhetoric. He said Lt. Gov. Carol Molnau, who also serves as transportation commissioner, had assured him the roads would be plowed as quickly as they had been in the past.
"You mean the Democrats are complaining that the Republicans made it snow?" Sviggum joked.
Now, I went to college with Entenza, and I've always known him to be a reasonable sort. Still, when you get a foot of snow over the course of 48 hours, you're going to have some problems getting some of your roads plowed.
As far as I know, at least this episode can't be blamed on Republicans- yet. We'll get back to you if that changes, OK?
This, kids, is why I no longer live in Minnesota....
