Minnesota's new elected leaders

Senator Kathy Sheran recently sent a letter of explanation of the changes that the legislature made in the area of Market Value Homestead Credit. It is a complicated issue and I will not attempt to explain it. There are plenty of other smart people who have done that.

The information that Senator Sheran shares about how the action came about is what is making my hair rise on end! She explains the first proposal came from the GOP house in March 2011 and it followed the same month in the Senate. Evidently it never got hearings or came up for a vote on the floors because it was not a part of the final budget proposal.

As a result, Senator Sheran writes, "I never supported or voted for this proposal". What does that mean? It means that laws are being made without our elected representatives having an opportunity to vote yes or no. It means that our representation has been taken from us.

The new laws come about because of closed door sessions with no input from anyone except the leaders. decision. (This time it was done in order to get the state back working.) Perhaps the ends justify the means, but this is not the kind of government Minnesota is known for.

This is not democracy, this is oligarchy. end