BY DENNIS GEISINGER

“The Republicans are very skilled at making messages that resonate but make no sense,” said first-year Minnesota State Senator Patricia Torres Ray, DFL-Minneapolis, during a breakfast interview at a Lake Street grill. Torres Ray represents District 62 which encompasses much of South Minneapolis.

Republican Governor Tim Pawlenty, in his opposition to a provision of the omnibus tax bill which called for a return to inflationary adjustments in budget expenditures, has said it would put state spending “on auto pilot.” He cited the inflation adjustment as one of the major reasons for his veto of the bill sent to him by the DFL-majority legislature at the end of May.

Minnesota has not considered inflation as part of its budget expenditure forecasts since 2002, making it the only state in the union that does not, according to the Minnesota House.

“There is no such thing as auto pilot,” said Torres Ray. “We have to approve every dollar that’s spent,” she said.

Pawlenty is on record as saying that adjusting budgetary items for inflation would lead to an unchecked growth in spending.

“The claim that this [adjusting budget forecasts for inflation] puts government on automatic pilot spending is false,” said State Auditor Rebecca Otto on the Star and Tribune’s op ed page on Tuesday. “… No budget is automatic,” said Otto. “Informed budget decisions must be made every year, and those decisions should be based on accurate baseline forecasts,” she said.

“I wish the DFL could be better with making its messages,” said Torres Ray. “It’s easier to do when you get behind one thing,” she said.
In a press release issued yesterday by the governor’s office, Pawlenty said “the 2007 legislative session achieved many of the goals he outlined in his inaugural andState of the State addresses.”

“I think Governor Pawlenty has accomplished his goal of positioning himself for a national office,” Torres Ray said.

Pawlenty is national co-chair of Senator John McCain’s presidential campaign committee and has been forecast by many, including former Minnesota Republican Congressman Vin Weber, as a favorite for vice-presidential running mates on a McCain ticket.

“I think it’s tragic for Minnesota,” said Torres Ray. “The state has been used. I don’t think that anyone has used the office of governor to this extent for their own political gain,” she said.

“I don’t even think he’s been appealing to his base here in Minnesota,” she said. “I think he’s been trying to appeal more to a national constituency, especially in the South.”

Speaking to Republican criticism that the DFL did not deliver on their promises, Torres Ray said, “It’s a tough year to make that kind of analysis. You have to factor in the refusal of this governor to work with the legislature,” she said.
“It was a great surprise to me that the governor would be such an obstacle,” said Torres Ray. “As a freshman senator, what do you do with that?” she said.
“We moved all the bills we promised we would at the beginning of the session,” said Torres Ray. “The Republicans quickly realized they were no longer in power, so the only way they could regain some of their power was to join the governor,” she said.

Chosen as a majority whip, Torres Ray helped rally her DFL colleagues during the session and keep them in line with objectives.

“Under the majority leadership every freshman had the chance to become a vice-chair of a key committee, usually for issues that they cared a great deal about,” said Torres Ray. “I think it made a big difference, everyone was very engaged,” she said.

Torres Ray wrote 44 bills during this year’s session, three-quarters of them related to health or education. Fifteen of her bills got the governor’s signature, but the one she perhaps cared about the most—a proposal for state universal health care—never made it to the senate floor.

“There were several versions of universal health care legislation written,” the Senator said. “Senator [Linda] Berglin’s was the one that found support,” she said.

According to Torres, controversy over the single payer provision was the reason universal health care didn’t receive wider support.
“I think most people in the senate were waiting for what is going to happen as far as federal reforms in health care,” she said.

“But I think that this going to be the year for a universal health care bill,” said Torres Ray. “Those of us who feel very strongly about the single payer provision are going to push very hard for it,” she said.

As of yesterday, Governor Pawlenty had not ruled out the possibility of calling for a special session to stitch up some of the business his vetoes have unravelled.
“There’s been a lot of speculation about a special session,” said Torres Ray. “There’s so much to do before the end of the year,” she said.