I finished tabulation of my 2003 Legislative Survey. I want to thank all those who took the time to complete it and return it to my office. My survey is not a scientific poll by any means, but I think the results are a good barometer of how many people in my district feel about particular issues. I want to share some of the results with you. Answers are presented in percentages of all those who answered a particular question.

BUDGET. I asked constituents if they believed the state budget could be balanced without raising taxes. A majority &045; 55 percent &045; agreed, with 45 percent saying &uot;no.&uot; I then asked a follow-up question for those who answered &uot;no,&uot; asking them which tax should be raised in order to balance the budget. Half of the respondents &045; 50 percent &045; opted for the sales tax. Twenty-eight percent said income tax, 16 percent chose &uot;other&uot; and 6 percent selected the property tax.

This past week, House Republican leaders released their budget targets for the session, and as in the Governor’s budget, there is no proposed tax increase. But I like the House budget blueprint better because it offers more protection for nursing homes, local government aid and ethanol.

VOTER ID. A large majority of respondents &045; 88 percent &045; said they favored a change in the law that would require Minnesotans to show a valid photo ID to prove their identity and residency before they are given a ballot to vote in an election. Just 12 percent were opposed.

HIGHER ED WORK STUDY. A slight majority &045; 60 percent &045; said they would not restore money to work study and child-care grant programs if it meant reductions in other areas of the higher education budget. Some 40 percent indicated they want the programs restored.

PARK FEES. Another large majority of respondents &045; 84 percent &045; indicated that they would be willing to support increasing state park fees to keep state parks open. Some 16 percent were opposed. Earlier this year, in an effort to deal with budget restraints, the DNR was looking at the option of closing state parks for several months of the year.

HUMAN SERVICES. Finally, most respondents &045; 89 percent &045; said that in light of the state’s budget problems, they favored the idea of Minnesota reforming its human services programs to more closely match programs in border states; 11 percent were opposed.

You can view my entire survey results by going on line and visiting my web page at www.house.mn/27A.

Racino?

The prospects of slot machines at Canterbury Park picked up last week after I and other House Tax Committee members narrowly passed a bill that would permit a gambling &uot;racino&uot; at the horse racetrack in Shakopee, Minnesota. The vote was 13-11. I believe there is growing sentiment to support a casino if it can help the state during its budget problems. The Tax Committee amended the bill to ensure than more than half of the proceeds from the venture go to the state’s general fund.

The racino concept has been adopted used in at least four other states, including Iowa. The project is estimated to generate about $100 million a biennium for the state’s general fund, create 700 construction jobs, add 1,400 full-or part-time jobs, and provide a financial boost to the state’s horse-breeding industry.

E-mail newsletter

Just a reminder, if you have a computer and Internet access, be sure to sign up for my legislative e-mail newsletter. Just go to www.house.mn/27A, and enter your e-mail address after clicking on &uot;Email Update.&uot;

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, consisting of Freeborn County and part of Mower County, in the Minnesota House of Representatives.