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Written by Margaret Martin
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Tuesday, 11 March 2008 20:23 |
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The house DFL was concerned about the gas tax increase's effect on the poor--so much so that that they offered an amendment on the transportation policy bill that would have given free towing to anyone already on welfare--at taxpayer expense. It got cut from the bill during the conference report stage, when the Senate and House versions are blended together but it still shows you where these guys are going. Via the House Republican Caucus:
The amendment was offered by freshman DFL Rep. Jeremy Kalin to the Transportation Policy Bill (HF 1351) (Hornstein). It passed the House by a 85-47 margin on May 10, 2007 at House Journal Page 6255. The language has been dropped from the Conference Report on the bill.
During the debate, Rep. Kalin said on the House Floor that "welfare recipients are the real working people of Minnesota, because they are trying to get to the top of the economic heap."
Rep. Marty Seifert disagreed.
What the amendment really did was waive towing and impoundment fees (above the value of the vehicle) for anyone who could prove that they were merely eligible for the nine programs: Food Stamps (EBT); Emergency Assistance (EA); Minnesota Family Investment Program(MFIP); Diversionary Work Program (DWP); Medical Assistance (MA); General Assistance (GA); General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC); Emergency General Assistance (EGA); Minnesota Supplemental Aid (MSA); MSA-Emergency Assistance (MSA-EA); or Energy Assistance (LI-HEAP).
Republicans voting for the Kalin amendment: Jim Abeler, Ron Erhardt, Sondra Erickson, Bud Heidgerken, and Neil Peterson.
Nervous DFLers voting against the Kalin amendment: Dittrich, Kranz, Lenczewski, and Morgan.
I have to offer an amendment to the post--I was so blinded by the stupidity of Kalin's remark that I neglected to notice that the amendment was from last session as it states in the quote. Not from this session's transportation debate. Same argument applies though. So they wanted to give them free towing BEFORE they raised the gas tax. Also, it shows that they might try to do something like it again in the near future.
Cross-posted and comments welcome at Anti-Strib. |
