Efforts to build professional sports stadiums in Minnesota by expanding gambling are old hat.

Monday, December 17, 2001

Efforts to build professional sports stadiums in Minnesota by expanding gambling are old hat. A bill has resurfaced this year to put slot machines at Canterbury Park. But a new plan introduced last week by Rep. Tony Kielkucki of Lester Prairie takes the gambling gambit to new heights.

Kielkucki has proposed allowing two privately owned and operated casinos in the Twin Cities. Investors would front $450 million for the right and provide up to $70 million more each year to the state’s general fund. Voters would have to approve a constitutional amendment to enable the plan, but Kielkucki says it would keep pro sports here without a public commitment to build new stadiums for the Twins and Vikings.

Do you support expanding gambling to fund stadiums? Would you be willing to bet that this plan will receive the approval of the legislature, the governor and the public?

Same-sex benefits

By virtue of a deadlocked 5-to-5 vote, a joint House-Senate legislative subcommittee recently forwarded a controversial proposal to the full legislature essentially ratifying state employee union contracts that include health and dental insurance for partners of gay and lesbian state workers. Under legislative rules, the contracts will take effect Dec. 21, but the legislature could still reject the contracts when it convenes in 2002.

Concern was raised that the contracts are unaffordable due to the budget deficit. AFSCME members will get a 3.5 percent pay raise in each of the next two years ($84 million) and MAPE members will get 3 percent pay hikes each year ($74 million). The contracts are retroactive to July 1.

The contracts will have a tough going in the House and Senate. Even though it didn’t become law, last session, House members voted 78 to 54 to ban same-sex benefits in future state employee contracts. The Senate passed similar legislation but then narrowly reversed its position by passing a bill barring interference with collective bargaining agreements.

Leaving aside members’ personal and moral concerns, questions were raised about the potential for fraud. If the state provides benefits for gay partners, wouldn’t it be discriminatory to deny benefits to any persons living together? Looks like the courts may become involved at some point.

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Tax amnesty

With the legislature facing a $1.9 billion state budget deficit, I am introducing legislation that would create a 120-day tax amnesty period to encourage tax cheats to pay up. Under my bill, plan, the state would waive a portion of the penalties and interest that has accrued on overdue sales and income tax debts. Many other states have tried tax amnesty programs and collected millions in past due taxes. Minnesota had a tax amnesty program in 1984.

There may be as much as $250 million in overdue and uncollected Minnesota taxes, not counting accrued penalties and interest. Most of it would likely be unrecoverable, but the state could possibly collect millions of dollars from past-due tax accounts. I think it’s an idea worth pursuing.

I want to whish everyone a very happy Christmas holiday!

What do you think? I welcome your input and ideas. Please call me at home at 377-9441 or at the legislature, toll-free, at 1-877-377-9441. My legislative office address is 579 State Office Building, 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155. My e-mail address is: rep.dan.dorman@house.leg.state.mn.us.