The Minnesota Legislature is, for the most part, a rather traditional institution.

Saturday, February 16, 2002

The Minnesota Legislature is, for the most part, a rather traditional institution. We conduct our business in suits and ties, even the most bitter enemies address one another with parliamentary politeness, and we typically tackle problems with tried and true approaches. However, a growing trend of &uot;thinking outside the legislative box&uot; is bringing about some interesting and unusual solutions to issues we’ve struggled with for years. Some of these ideas are brilliant, while others are best described as simply &uot;creative.&uot; In any case, however, Minnesotans should be proud of lawmakers who bring such foresight and daring to the legislative process.

One of the best bills of the 2002 session would instruct the Department of Health to create a &uot;voluntary health care provider program&uot; to coordinate free health care services. This legislation was based on a Salvation Army free clinic in Rochester, which is currently running very successfully on the volunteer services of local physicians.

Each year, the legislature holds heated debates over how much the state should, or can afford to, spend on welfare and medical assistance. This bill finds a new way around that argument by taking advantage of the many doctors and nurses who are more than willing to volunteer their time and talent to serve the health needs of families with low incomes or no health insurance. Until now, no state oversight or support has been provided to help these clinics succeed. I hope this bill will enable these charitable efforts to expand and prosper.

One of the most dreaded hazards of Minnesota’s winters is the rust-inducing salt used to keep highways clear of ice and snow. While this highway salt wreaks havoc on our automobiles, drivers have always figured it’s the price we must pay for safety. This year, however, one legislator may have found the best of both worlds in his proposal to replace salt with – corn!

Experts say corn based de-icers are less corrosive and actually work even better than salt at clearing icy roads in below-zero temperatures. While corn de-icer is more expensive per ton than salt, the state could save money on road construction since highways would likely deteriorate more slowly. In addition to cutting down on road and vehicle abrasion, supporters of this bill say it would benefit the environment and help our farm economy to boot.

At the legislature, we have spent many hours since Sept. 11 analyzing our state’s preparedness to deal with terrorist threats. After taking hours of testimony from the commissioners of Public Safety and Health and Human Services, we now know that while Minnesota is better prepared than most states, our emergency management systems and personnel could use some improvements.

Obviously, these upgrades require money, of which – with a $2 billion budget shortfall – the state has little to spare. In a creative, if controversial, attempt to fund needed anti-terrorism efforts, Rep. Stanek (R-Maple Grove) has proposed an Osama bin Laden scratch-off lottery ticket. The lottery ticket would feature the face of the hotly pursued terrorist, which players would have to rub out in order to see if they’ve won. At least 60 percent (the highest amount allowed under the constitution) of the revenue raised through the sale of these tickets would be used to help foot the estimated $25 million bill for new homeland security measures.

Our forefathers and the greatest minds in America knew that the best solution is not always the most obvious or the most popular. I am proud to show these bills as proof that we have some of that good old American ingenuity working in our very own state legislature.

Sen. Grace Schwab, R-Albert Lea, represents Freeborn and Mower counties in the Minnesota Senate.