Editorial: Dorman led Legislature to compromise

Published 12:00 am Wednesday, April 13, 2005

As leader of the Capital Investment Committee, Dan Dorman deserves some of the credit for passage of the bonding bill, which will help pay for several Freeborn County and Albert Lea projects.

Among those projects are:

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$1.5 million for the Blazing Star Trail

$5.1 million for Riverland campus projects

– $2 million for flood mitigation efforts &045; including $600,000 for Albert Lea and $400,000 for the Turtle Creek Watershed

The House and Senate found a compromise this session, an off-year for the bonding bill, something they couldn’t accomplish during the last session.

Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin, also had a hand in reaching a compromise on the Senate side, but we tip our hat to Dorman.

As the chairman of the committee, he set the tone which allowed for a spirit of compromise. The deal could have gone sour over a $194 million difference between the House’s $781 million total and the Senate’s $975 million, but the Senate gave a little and the House upped the ante a little, allowing for an $886 million compromise, which also appealed to the governor.

Dorman showed he has the attitude to make things happen at the Capital &045; finding a win-win solution that comes close to meeting everyone’s needs.

That’s how negotiations are supposed to go &045; each side giving a little &045; with the residents of Minnesota the winners.

We applaud Dorman and look for more great compromises as he leads discussion on other issues which could prove divisive.