ST. PAUL -- Minnesota legislative leaders appear on board the Bemidji sales tax express.
Leaders who talked to a group of Bemidji residents Tuesday and Wednesday said they see little problem obtaining legislative approval for a half-cent sales tax to fund 60 percent of construction costs for a new events center. Bemidji voters narrowly approved the tax measure last November, with the expectation that the Legislature will be asked to appropriate the other 40 percent next year.
"I don't think that will be a problem," Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, told about 25 Bemidji leaders during a Wednesday breakfast at the Kelly Inn, near the State Capitol.
The breakfast followed Tuesday, Bemidji Day at the Capitol, when two buses brought about 90 Bemidjians to help lobby for local issues.
Pogemiller said he accepts an agreement reached between events center supporters and legislative leaders to approve the sales tax extension this year, but wait until next year for further funding.
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House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, went through a list of reasons not to support more sales taxes, but in the end said he sees no problem with the voter-approved Bemidji tax.
The current half-cent tax is scheduled to sunset after raising $9.8 million for parks and trails improvements, and the extension would allow it to raise up to $50 million for the events center.
Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem, R-Rochester, took a jab at the Bemidjians' distinctive red-and-black sweaters, which was the common attire on Tuesday but few wore on Wednesday: "You're not the same without it."
Senjem and others told the Bemidji delegation they were impressed with a map showing the size of the Bemidji School District, which is bigger than Rhode Island.
Seifert took off on that, saying he wants a school funding formula based on a district's needs. As it is, rural districts like his and Bemidji's get cheated out of money because they have so many miles of bus routes compared to larger cities.
Sen. Mary Olson, DFL-Bemidji, and Seifert held an impromptu transportation funding debate.
Seifert defended Gov. Tim Pawlenty's position of opposing a gasoline tax increase to support highways and transit programs. While he predicted some type of transportation funding bill will pass this year's Legislature, he could not say how funding would be obtained.
The minority leader said Republicans are open to talking about increased funding. "We're open minded, but no so open minded that my brains fall out."
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Olson, however, said a gasoline tax increase is needed to fund transportation. It has not gone up since 1988.
"Over the past four years, we have drawn down resources," she said, fearing more transportation funding problems without a tax increase.
Don Davis works for Forum Communications Co., which owns the Bemidji Pioneer.
