ST. PAUL, Minn. -
State lawmakers are off and running in the 2013 legislativesession.
The new session brings new lawmakers, new bills, and arenewed enthusiasm in the halls of the capitol.
Rep. Kathy Brynaert (DFL) from Mankato says, "Reallythere is a lot of excitement."
Rep. Tony Cornish (R) from Good Thunder says, "The firstday is always kind of a group hug and it starts of amenable and then they waituntil the first week to start tearing things apart and start dissectinglegislation and having our main arguments."
Although we might not see quite the arguments this session,since for the first time in over 20 years the entire state government iscontrolled by one party.
Brynaert says, "It certainly gives us the opportunity todo the work the people expect of us with out internal conflicts, it doesn'tmean there won't be intense discussions or disagreement, but we all have acomment goal of addressing the budget deficit."
Cornish says, "Well we won't have the gridlock by in away that is a little bit scary too, because if you've got one party in chargeof all of the branches."
While it is a budget year there are talks of a bonding billand if that is the case our local lawmakers will be vying for long awaitedmoney for a civic center expansion))
Brynaert, "Not only with local legislatures by fighting forbut I think really the legislature sees that region centers need to be fundedfor these kinds of developmental project."
Others say they support the project, but a bonding bill is atthe bottom of there to do list.
Sen. Julie Rosen (R) of Fairmont says, "This is a budgetyear, we have a billion dollar deficit we need to take care of, we have thehealth care exchange we need to take care of, we have a huge priority list ofthings the need to be done."
In the end, the common goal is to do the best work forMinnesotans, the struggle is deciding what exactly that is.
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