Minnesota legislator receives a hero's welcome for saving disability services from more budget cuts

From The Daily Globe in Minnesota:

WORTHINGTON, Minn. — Dist. 22B Rep. Rod Hamilton (right in picture) got a hero’s welcome June 1 — and a Superman cake, too.

Area disability providers, along with other citizens and clients, were present at the Client Community Services Inc. building, surprising Hamilton with an event coordinated to thank him for his efforts to reduce funding cuts for people with disabilities and their caregivers.

“We’re here to thank our hero, Rod Hamilton,” said CCSI Executive Director Marty Rickers, who helped organize the event.

“I thought I was coming down to have a cup of coffee and visit about a couple of things going on at the Legislature,” said Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake.

Hamilton described how he took an abandoned amendment to the House Health and Human Services Funding Bill offered by another legislator and moved it forward.

“As I’m listening, I’m thinking, ‘I’m absolutely going to support that,” Hamilton recalled of the amendment, which was withdrawn shortly afterward. “I then resubmitted the exact same amendment, and put ‘Hamilton’ on that.’”

The chair of the Ways and Means Committee, however, said the amendment wasn’t in balance, so Hamilton decided to withdraw the amendment and do the research necessary to fiscally restructure it. In the end, an amendment that reduced funding cuts for disabilities and caregivers by 2.58 percent passed.

“It’s all about setting priorities,” said Hamilton, who was visibly emotional upon starting his remarks. “I’m not the most educated person up there, not the smartest person up there, but I do what I can to get involved, and gather as much information as I possibly can to make the right decision.

“One of the biggest benefits of this was when I went to Windom … and met a number of individuals,” added Hamilton, who recognized numerous caregivers and clients by name. “Just to hear the stories of the people who provide the services and why they do it, those folks that I’ve met have made a huge impact.”

Hamilton called the representation of the disability services sector at the Capitol during the legislative session “phenomenal.” He also urged those same individuals to be active, as the looming budget unallotments by Gov. Tim Pawlenty could result in significant budget changes in several areas.

“I would really stress the position the House and Senate took on the 2.58 percent, and to get engaged and do it now,” he said. “l’d be contacting the governor’s office ... and sending letters to the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s (unallotment) going to happen in July or before, so get started right now.”

Hamilton also reflected on the just-completed session, acknowledging the frustrations he said both legislators and Minnesota citizens feel from the outcome.

“The unallotment process, I absolutely hate it,” Hamilton said.

“Regardless of whether or not you agree with Gov. Pawlenty, what he had said early on is, one, it’s constitutionally required to balance our budget, two, we need to live within our means, and three, we don’t raise taxes in the worst recession in 60 years. You have five months to get it done,” Hamilton continued. “It can be argued that we did collectively have the chance. … We didn’t take that for whatever reason, and now we have unallotment.”

Hamilton noted he was upset by Republicans’ receipt of a 40-page budget package 10 minutes before the legislative session was scheduled to expire, leaving no time to read the proposal and ask questions. He also was disappointed with other components of the session.

“Where I was extremely upset ... I found it extremely difficult that were passing bailouts for Xcel Energy and building trails versus funding other needs,” he said. “It’s extremely difficult to be building hockey arenas ... the list goes on and on.”

Hamilton added that an override to Pawlenty’s budget veto never gained momentum because of the “quiet” of citizens this time around — in comparison to the push by the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and other entities to override last year’s transportation bill, when Hamilton was one of six House Republicans to vote against his same-party governor.

CCSI’s Rickers was one of the many who offered thanks to Hamilton Monday afternoon.

“I think you are the most responsive person I’ve met in your position, and I really appreciate that,” Rickers said.

Also attending Monday’s event was Robert Vanasek, a former DFL legislator from New Prague who served as House Speaker during gubernatorial terms of Rudy Perpich and Arne Carlson.