Partisanship, No Child Left Behind, Vikings Stadium Among Issues Aired at Roseville Town Hall Meeting

The Vikings stadium, the No Child Left Behind Act and rising concern about increasing political partisanship at the state and national levels were among some topics addressed at town hall meeting held Saturday morning by two Roseville state legislators.  

Dlstrict 54 Sen. John Marty and 54A Rep. Mindy Greiling held the meeting at the Ramsey County Library in Roseville with a special guest on hand: U.S. Fourth District Rep. Betty McCollum. 

In a Q and A session that last slightly longer than an hour, the three Democratic politicians:

• Expressed relief that the federal government has granted Minnesota a waiver from the requirements of the national No Child Left Behind Act. The state will now have more flexibility in trying to ensure that all students get a quality education and can meet basic educational standards, they said. (For background No Child Left Behind, to see Roseville Patch's most recent story.)
• Assailed growing partisan rancor on both the state and national level. Greiling told the crowd that rising political partisanship and the unwillingness of the House Republican majority to include minority DFLers in some committee and bill deliberations played a role in her recent decision not to run again for office. She contended there is less bi-partisan cooperation today than when she first began serving 20 years ago.
•  Criticized legislative proposals that would require photo ID for voter registration and voting. Marty said that he is "really bothered" by such legislation, contending it will impede homeless people, senior citizens and students in being able to easily vote. 

McCollum said that similar voter ID proposals on the national level are seen by many black people as a throwback to the days when minority people in the south were denied the chance to vote because of poll taxes.

"This is what (photo ID) feels like to them," she said. "Does every vote count? Or do we put up barriers to make it more difficult to vote?"

• Questioned dealing with more issues through proposed constitutional amendments. With Minnesota voters already scheduled to cast their ballots next fall on a constitutional marriage amendment, Greiling said there is also some talk among Republicans about trying to push voter photo ID to a proposed constitutional amendment for voters too. Greiling said she thinks a higher standard needs to be instituted to bring proposed state constitutional amendments to voters than just a simple majority approval of the state Legislature. 
• On the Vikings stadium, Greiling said that polls show that citizens, by a 5 to 1 margin, oppose a public subsidy to support construction of a new pro football stadium.