This past week, the House took the first step toward balancing the state budget. House Finance Committees hurried to contribute their individual parts of a budget bill to eliminate the current-year $356 million state deficit. The House Ways & Means Committee met through Friday to have a bill ready for a possible floor vote on Monday.

House leaders planned on matching the governor’s higher figure of $486 million, which would allow a $136 million cushion to guard against further drops in 2003 revenue. Within this legislation, K-12 classroom funding was preserved and programs to protect our elderly were kept intact.

Sitting in the committees as the budget bill was being assembled, one had a glimpse of the beginning of the 2004 campaign season. Remember last fall? You might have seen an advertisement or heard one on the radio claiming that candidate so and so &uot;is against kids&uot; or &uot;wants to throw grandma out on the street.&uot; These accusations were usually based on a vote for or against a meaningless amendment. For example, in the Jobs & Economic Development Finance Committee this past week, we passed our part of the budget reduction. But opponents offered several amendments to restore the reductions without saying where they would get the money to pay for them. They were empty amendments, intended to score political gains only.

Government waste?

According to the legislative auditor, the state could recoup $5 million to $22 million a year by more closely monitoring premiums owed by people enrolled in the state-run, low-income MinnesotaCare insurance program. The report said the program could gain as much as $20 million in revenue if participants’ income is checked every six months, rather than once a year, to see whether they have exceeded income guidelines. MinnesotaCare is partly funded by a tax on clinic and hospital bills and by matching funds from the federal government. The report also said that the program could become more efficient in processing applications and determining eligibility.

Investigations into other state agencies such as the MnDOT are revealing excessive waste. One wonders if during our &uot;surplus&uot; years, there was any urgency in state government to be accountable. One benefit of the deficit and thus Gov. Pawlenty’s reinvent and reform initiatives is that we will have the opportunity to squeeze out savings from state programs that weren’t doing the job.

Got a question or concern? Write me at 579 State Office Building, 100 Constitution Ave., St. Paul, MN 55155, or call me, toll-free, at 1-877-377-9441. My e-mail address is rep.dan.dorman @house.mn.

Rep. Dan Dorman, R-Albert Lea, represents District 27A, including all of Freeborn County and part of Mower County, in the Minnesota House of Representatives.