Representative Loren Solberg On The Budget

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 30, 2009
By Marty Owings

When I asked folks around the Capitol to tell me who might be moderate enough to speak reasonalbly on the contentious budget issue, almost everybody gave the same answer "Loren Solberg". Representative Solberg has served at the Legislature from more than thirty years. He knows how the system works, but immediately strikes you as someone whose never let himself get too far away from the values of Bovey, Minnesota.

I sat down with Rep. Solberg for a conversation about the State budget and how this economic crisis has challenged Legislators. Solberg speaks in a slow, calming voice and you can sense the wisdom that his years in politics has brought him. He is passionate about the issues, but talks about them with a careful somewhat measured approach and almost always pushes the conversation toward one word, "compromise".

Solberg says we need to get past the "ten second sound bite" and "look at solving our state budget problems in very fiscally responsible ways". He adds that the key to getting through these issues is remembering that getting to the middle and compromising is the best way to get things done, especially in a tough budget environment, one he says is the worst he's ever seen.

Solberg says he strongly disagrees with the Governors budget proposal, saying that "securitizing tobacco bonds" (selling off the states future settlement payments) will not solve the budget issues. He says that the shifting of bond money is the wrong approach and adds that the Governor skirting the State Constitution by using bonds is akin to using one credit card to "pay off another card".

Full interview with Rep. Loren Solberg

Solberg says its important for the State bond rating that Legislators work together to solve the budget issues in ways that don't saddle future generations with debt, while balancing the budget. He says "we can't borrow or tax our way out of the current crisis". Solberg adds that in the end solving the State budget issues is going to be a "shared responsibility" which will require cuts, taxes and some shifts.

In the end, Solberg says that we have to get to the "middle" to serve the people better and quickly adds "if we don't get to that compromise then I don't think the state of Minnesota and the population is served the best". If it sounds like Rep. Solberg has been in these situations before, its because he has. He was a Mayor for the entire decade of the 1970's and joined the State Legislature in the last Great Recession of 82.

As I sat listening to Rep. Solberg I couldn't help feeling just a little bit better about the budget crisis we're facing in Minnesota. When the going gets tough we all want to believe our Leaders are living up to our expectations and looking for ways to get past partisanship and get towards solutions. For Rep. Loren Solberg the budget crisis is too serious not to look at every possible solution, including some compromise.

Openings For Radio Co-Host/Panelist

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 26th, 2009

We currently have two Radio Co-Host/Panelist positions available on our highly rated Saturday evening Internet radio program The Nation Speaks on Radio Free Nation.

Both positions are unpaid, volunteer positions. They offer the following:

1. Exposure to a wide audience of Internet and podcast listeners.

2. An opportunity to learn about Internet radio and be a part of an emerging new media.

3. A chance to debate and discuss politics and current event issues with fellow co-hosts, listeners and online chatizens.

4. An opportunity to build radio hosting skills and material for your demo. Great resume builder and experience for future radio career.

The Program Format:
The program's intent is to bring together a panel of individuals with different political, cultural and social ideologies to elevate the dialog around current events. Our program is mostly focused on political news, but we also discuss general current events and other timely or controversial topics.

This isn't a program to bring together AM Radio Ideologues who want to yell over each other or at the callers. The intent is to elevate the dialog and have intelligent, serious discussion. We are respectful to each other and the listener. We are not always going to agree, but we want to have a healthy, constructive discussion that engages the audience.

The program deals with controversial ideas and topics such as Politics, the Economy, Immigration, Education, Gay Rights, Abortion/Pro Life, Race, Gun Control, Crime and Punishment and many, many other interesting topics.

Popularity of the program. The program has an established following with both online LIVE listeners and podcast downloads in the thousands every week. The program has grown steadily and recently celebrated its one year anniversary. It has been recognized as "ground breaking" and "outstanding" by both listeners and media pundits alike.

The show currently has a Primary Host (Marty Owings) and one other Panelist (Doctor Mo) and we are looking to fill the Conservative and Liberal Co-Host openings.

The show airs every week on Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The show is CALL IN, so you can live ANYWHERE in the world as long as you have internet access and a phone.

Position 1:
A Conservative Co-host/Panelist who is familiar with current political events and has a strong conservative/Republican/Right leaning ideology. This person should be able to constructively debate and discuss contentious and controversial issues without taking disagreements personal. A sense of humor is a plus.

Person should be able to articulate their position and back up claims of fact with verifiable sources. Editorializing is welcome, but we require facts as well and the host must be able to deal with the issues in constructive and intelligent ways.

Co-Host/Panelist should expect to devote roughly 4 to 6 hours per week in preparation for the program in addition to the 2 hours of the program itself.

Position 2:
A Liberal Co-host/Panelist who is familiar with current political events and has a strong Liberal/Democrat leaning ideology. This person should be able to constructively debate and discuss contentious and controversial issues without taking disagreements personal. Person should be able to articulate their position and back up claims of fact with verifiable sources. Editorializing is welcome, but we like to mix in facts as well and deal with the issues in constructive and intelligent ways. A sense of humor is a plus.

Person should be able to articulate their position and back up claims of fact with verifiable sources. Editorializing is welcome, but we require facts as well and the host must be able to deal with the issues in constructive and intelligent ways.

Co-Host/Panelist should expect to devote roughly 4 to 6 hours per week in preparation for the program in addition to the 2 hours of the program itself.

Notes to applicants:
You DO NOT need to have previous Radio experience to be considered. Being a news and information junkie definately helps.

All applicants will be considered regardless of religion, socio-economic position, race, political ideology, cultural background etc. We are looking for a diversity of ideas.

Details on how to apply:
To apply for consideration please email owings1064 (at) hotmail (dot) com

Title the email: Co-Host Position - The Nation Speaks

Please include your name and telephone number, why you are interested in the position, including why you think you would make a good Co-Host/Panelist on this internet radio show.

Please list any experience you might have in debate, radio, speaking in public, politics, journalism or other related field.

Also, please list any questions you have about the program, its format or anything else you'd like to know about Radio Free Nation.

The deadline to apply for either position is April 15, 2009.

Unemployment Measurement Is Flawed

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 19, 2009
By Marty Owings

When you hear the unemployment figures mentioned in the news, what you're hearing is the U.S. Department of Labor measure of one set of statistics. What you're not hearing about are those who might be underemployed, employed part-time but seeking full-time, those with barriers to full-time employment and those who've exhausted their unemployment benefits.

Majority Leader Tony Sertich (DFL) today gave testimony about a bill he has proposed (H.F. 925) that would use a broader definition of unemployment and one that many say would be more accurate. The measure, called u6 and used by the Department of Labor includes the current unemployment measure, plus discouraged workers, those working part time who want a full time position, plus marginally attached workers and is considered by experts to be the broadest and most accurate measure of Unemployment.

Here are the measures currently used by the Department of Labor.

U1 = Persons unemployed 15 weeks or longer, as a percent of the civilian labor force
U2 = Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force
U3 = Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (the official unemployment rate)
U4 = Total unemployed plus discouraged workers, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus discouraged workers
U5 = Total unemployed, plus discouraged workers, plus all other marginally attached workers as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers
U6 = Total unemployed, plus all marginally attached workers, plus total employed part time for economic reasons, as a percent of the civilian labor force plus all marginally attached workers

Note: Marginally attached workers are those who are neither working nor looking for work but indicate that they want and are available for a job and have looked for work sometime in the recent past. Discouraged workers, a subset of marginally attached workers, have given a job-market-related reason for not currently looking for a job. Persons employed part time for economic reasons are those who want and are available for full-time work but have had to settle for a part-time schedule.

Sertich was questioned by some on the committee about the bill. Rep. Anderson (R) asked Sertich if Minnesota would be the only State using these figures. He answered by saying that Minnesota would be the first state, but quickly added that Minnesota would also use the same existing measures that other states use so that comparisons could easily be made. Sertich added that the numbers in the U6 measure were more honest and that Minnesota has an oppotunity to lead in this area.

Here are the details of the bill.

https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/bin/bldbill.php?bill=H0925.0.html&session=ls86

Press Credentials, Finally!!

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 18, 2009
By Marty Owings

On Monday this week I was informed by Andrew Whittenborg, DFL Director of Public Affairs that I would be receiving my House Press Credentials. In a brief meeting, Mr. Whittenborg told me that my application was accepted and that I could now have access to record and report from the House floor as well as committee meetings and hearings.

I expressed my interest in seeing other online Journalists credentialed and was informed that those applications were being reviewed for approval. Later that day however, I was informed by at least one online Journalist that his credentials had been denied. The Journalist, whose name I won't share here, stated that he believed his credentials were being denied because they had been revoked in the past. He said he'd "gotten in trouble" some years back for "behavior" and that's probably why he was being denied. He also asked if there should be a "statute of limitations" on his ban from the House floor.

I haven't heard from many others in the online Journalist community, but would hope that the process for them would now be much smoother. For his part Mr. Whittenborg no doubt worked hard with DFL leadership and others to make sure this issue was resolved. And despite the delays and frustrations, I think most of us genuinely appreciate the efforts being made on behalf of Journalists at the Capitol by Whittenborg and others.

My remaining concerns are simple. If there are new rules for "online" media, I haven't seen any. Perhaps we all fall under the umbrella of "Press", but then there remains the issue of updating the language to remove words like "television" and "radio", to be replaced with the more generic term "Press". If the process has not changed and the rules are what they've always been, then will every Journalist who applies for credentials have to wait two months and pester Legislators endlessly until they approve them?

My advice to anyone in a position of authority or power up at the Capitol is that you question from time to time what it is you're doing or being asked to do. If you find that it violates a principle, for example the First Amendment, that you question those above you. If you're the one making the decision you need look no further than the sacred documents our country was founded on. We aren't robots who execute our directives without question or consequence, we're Americans and we should always question things that aren't in keeping with our principles.

In the House chamber, up on the wall in big gold letters are reminders to us all of these sacred principles. It wasn't lost on me that during this whole process one of those quotes is from Thomas Paine a pamphleteer or the 1770's equivalent of a Blogger. Here is another of Mr. Paine's quotes that I enjoy, "Freedom had been hunted round the globe; reason was considered as rebellion; and the slavery of fear had made men afraid to think. But such is the irresistible nature of truth, that all it asks, and all it wants, is the liberty of appearing."

One last note. I was pretty tough on Chief Sergeant At Arms Sandy Dicke when all this began. As a matter of fact nearly everyone in her office knows me by name because I stopped in to see them everyday during the past seven weeks. Yes, I freely admit to being a pest, even irritating to some (my wife will support this), but I also like getting to know people. After seven weeks I can honestly say I've come to like Sergeant At Arms Dicke and many on her staff.

Let's face it, Sgt. Sandy, as I like to call her, was caught in the middle, never an enjoyable or enviable job. She was pinched between confusing and conflicting rules and having to enforce ambiguous guidelines. In the end she did so with respect and never treated me poorly, even when I might have been seen as irritating. Her staff, including Eric, Jeff and others have been polite and professional and I think we all can appreciate that, given the contentious situation.

Oh and before I forget, there's a guy up at the Capitol named Colin, he's helpful, efficient and principled. I don't need to list his last name here because everyone up there knows him. He believes in the notion that the average guy or gal is still as important as those in power. He's putting the people first at the Capitol. Nope, he's not a Law Maker or even a legislative aide, he's a Paige and Colin knows what some have forgotten or decided isn't important, that people, even those who are not in positions of power are created equal.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day Colin.

RNC Lawsuits Raise Serious Allegations

Saint Paul, Minnesota (RNC)
By Marty Owings

Attorneys Ted Dooley and Peter Nickitas filed lawsuits yesterday against the City of Saint Paul, Minneapolis, Ramsey County and individual Police Officers including Sheriff Bob Fletcher on behalf of eight Plaintiff’s stemming from events that occurred during the Republican National Convention.

In spite of a late winter snow storm about forty people attended a Press Conference held yesterday at the William Mitchell College of Law in which Dooley announced the lawsuits and introduced the Plaintiffs. Michelle Gross, Mike Whelan, Mick Kelly, Olivia Katz, Jason Johnson, Rebecca Sang, Wendy Binion and Vladimir Teichberg.

Some of those involved in the suits talked about what happened to them during the RNC. Mick Kelly said he was shot with a rubber bullet after Police ended their permitted protest early and told them to disperse. He held up a photograph of the dinner plate sized bruise he suffered on his abdomen as a result of the bullet.


Wendy Binion who had been charged with Felony Conspiracy to Commit Riot explained how she was arrested along with other Independent Journalists on the second day of the RNC. She suffered some bruises and stated she was not allowed to make a phone call to her attorney while she was initially detained. She said that her camera, which was confiscated when she was arrested, was returned to her broken.

Ms. Binion added that although all charges against her were dropped, she was told by city officials that she was still "under investigation" and that could continue for years.

Perhaps the most disturbing allegations came from Michelle Gross who said she was the victim of sexual misconduct while in custody. She stated a female Officer stripped searched her in the presence of other male officers and touched her inappropriately. Here is an excerpt from her suit.

"On 29 August 2008, in the vicinity of 627 Smith Avenue, St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minnesota, defendants A – E, jointly and severally, in their individual capacities as deputy sheriffs of Ramsey County, on information by direction of Defendant Fletcher, physically seized plaintiff without warrant, without probable cause, without exigent circumstances, without her consent, and without lawful authority."

"Defendants A – E had no articulable suspicion that plaintiff was committing a crime, fleeing law enforcement authorities, or possessing weapons or contraband on her person at the time of her seizure."

"Nevertheless, defendants A – E, jointly and severally, caused Ms. Gross to be strip-searched in the presence of men in a non-private location." One or more of the individual defendants physically touched plaintiff without her consent or lawful authority under her brassiere in a sexually offensive manner."

"The remaining individual defendants did nothing to stop or restrain the other individual defendants from seizing or touching plaintiff in a sexually offensive manner."

Other's attending the Press Conference expressed concern over the allegations and some shared their stories of encounters with Police during the RNC. Betsy Raasch-Gilman who has filed a separate suit against Ramsey County Sherriff Bob Fletcher said she saw evidence that the Sheriff was "spying" on citizens like her and was demanding in her lawsuit that she be allowed access to the file Sheriff Fletcher had about her activities.

When asked about the comparisons to the actions of Police at the RNC and those in 1938 Germany, Mr. Dooley responded by saying "You have to remember that what Adolph Hitler did, he did within the law" adding quickly "our law is only as powerful as our respect for it."

The combined lawsuits are seeking millions of dollars in damages for the alleged victims. Dooley and Nickitas also said that the lawsuits they filed on behalf of their clients would include injunctive relief and attorneys fees.

State Rep Tom Emmer Speaks Out On Voter ID

Minnesota State Capitol
Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 13, 2009

Republican State Representative Tom Emmer is known as a passionate advocate among his colleagues in the House GOP and as a polarizing sometimes ingratiating figure among his opponents at the Capitol. Either way, Emmer is committed to his ideology and ready to do battle on the things that he thinks are important to Minnesotans.

I sat down for a discussion with Rep. Emmer this week about Voter ID. The Bill would have required all Minnesotans to present an official ID before casting a ballot. Emmer is passionate about the subject and believes that requiring an ID to vote would help Minnesotans feel more confident about elections and add integrity to the system.

The Representative from Delano proposed Bill HF 0057 to address what he says is a problem before it becomes a bigger problem. He makes no apologies for wanting to be proactive and adds "it just makes sense when a majority of people want some form of ID to vote." Emmer says its partisanship that has kept the Bill from moving forward. "This year it appears to be incredibly partisan, its (Voter ID) not a partisan issue."

Critics of the Bill say it's completely unnecessary. Opponents say that Voter ID is aimed at a Voter fraud problem that doesn't exist. Emmer himself admits that he is "pleased" with our election systems in Minnesota, but quickly adds "we could do better". Controversy over the measure arose almost immediately during the first hearing for the Bill when Secretary of State Mark Richie testified against it and DFL members went on the offensive, calling the measure a "solution looking for a problem".

Emmer goes on to say that voters should be educated on the issues and the candidates before they vote. When I asked him if he was suggesting that we have a Poll Test, he responded by saying that the issue was about the way we are educating our kids, adding "we need to be talking about civic responsibility".

Emmer says that the Coleman Franken trial has brought into sharp focus some of the issues in Minnesota's election system. Without missing a beat he points out that some precincts in Minneapolis had more votes than registered voters. Whether you agree with him or not, there's no mistaking Emmer's passion on the subject.

Here is a link to the HF 0057:
https://www.revisor.leg.state.mn.us/revisor/pages/search_status/status_detail.php?b=House&f=HF0057&ssn=0&y=2009

Here is the video of my discussion with Rep. Emmer.

The Press Continues To Fight For Access!

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 11, 2009
By Marty Owings

Many thanks to David Brauer for his article at http://www.minnpost.com/.

Now to clear a few things up. First, I think we can now accept as fact that this would have gone NOWHERE if Marty and few guys from the UpTake were pressing the issue alone. Maybe it took the now infamous "Recording Rules" to bring it home for others. Whatever it was, we little guys appreciate the help.

So how do I know it was going NOWHERE? Well, because I knocked on doors, made calls, sent emails, and happily followed various unwritten convoluted processes I was told to follow, even spoke with more than thirty Legislators....and believe me, it was going NOWHERE.

I won't say there weren't Legislators or others trying hard to help out because there clearly were. Representative Hayden, Clark, Champion, Slawik and others all made inquiries and follow ups and were definitely interested in getting us, the online media, greater access. They probably played a significant role in moving it forward, to the extent it is. There were also those in the media both "mainstream" and "new" trying to help with this issue, some loudly, some more quietly.

Maybe there is a more profound issue in all of this. Maybe its fear. Fear among both the media and the Politicians. For some folks in the media perhaps it was viewed as someone else's fight or maybe they had a fear about spending "political capital" in a battle which they felt really didn't involve them. After all, they weren't throwing FOX news out of public meetings.

For my part, I'll also admit to being afraid. I didn't want to start my job at the Capitol by irritating half the Legislature, all of the Leaderhsip and the Chief Sgt At Arms. Maybe, I'm too stupid or too new at politics to know better, but one things for sure, I'm a bad quitter and that usually blinds me, at least temporarily, to the fear.

As for the Law Makers, I think there are probably some paranoid people who are worried about how they might look or sound if caught in a public meeting or space saying or doing something stupid. Its happened before, it'll happen again. A serious concern for some elected officials.

Perhaps, there are Law Makers who are genuinely putting their fears above principle. And then there are the "Trackers" that some Legislators point to as scary partisan political parasites who are looking to get them thrown out of office. Trackers are hired to document a Legislator in an attempt to embarass or dig up dirt on them. (Note: I've yet to meet any or even see any, but then again they're probably undercover.)

Then there's the whole issue about who is a Journalist and who isn't. It seems like a lot of hogwash designed to distract us from the real issue. After all, some of the best Journalists in history started with a printing press and an elementary education. And to be fair the same could be said for some of the greatest Political Leaders. Maybe we need to start asking who is and isn't a real Poltical Leader?

If this whole thing isn't an example of dubious and perhaps poor decision making, it's been an intentional attempt to "weed" out certain types of media or media types. Whether it is intentional or not it has had the same effect...it reduced and continues to reduce the transparency of our public officials and institutions. The Press at the Capitol has been severely diminished by the failing newspaper industry as well as the worsening economy and for some people in power that may suit them just fine. The fewer camera's and recorders hanging around the halls the better. (I'll get to that in a minute)

Mary Lahammer (bless her heart) had both Rep. Sertich and Rep. Seifert on Almanac tonight and asked them directly about these issues. Leader Sertich promised they were going to open up more access. We hope so. And we hope it happens very soon. But it was also mentioned that they worry about people "hanging out in the halls"....hey wait a minute, that's me, that's what I do. I hang out in the halls, hoping I can bring your story or thoughts about issues to the people of Minnesota.

I don't get invited to the big news conferences or get Press releases or even those exclusive interviews with the "BIG" hitters, but I show up...every day, looking for a story, hoping they'll talk to my listeners, readers and viewers. Hoping they'll talk to Minnesotan's.

One final note on all this. There have been a lot of people, both out front and behind the scenes, working on this, both from "traditional" media and "new" media. Some have been fighting this for years, others have recently come to the table, myself included. All seem to be united in the idea that a Free Press at the Capitol transcends turf or competition or even political ideology. They care about the principle. Yeah, I know its not in fashion right now, but it is important, it is noble and how often do we get to do something both important and noble.

Hat's off to Andy Driscoll of Civic Media MN for working so hard to make sure people would hear this story. To the Minnesota Independent for being out front on this. To Shawn Towle for not giving up. To Mary Lahammer for having more balls than some tough guys I know. To Noah and Jason for making the trail less rocky. To Tom Hauser for being a newsman. To Jay Weiner, Bill Salisbury, Don Davis, Eric Escola, Chris Steller, Paul Schmelzer, Art Hughes, Aethan Hart, Bill Werner, Tom Scheck, Mary Turck, Mike McIntee, Chuck Olsen, Pat Kessler, Esme Murphy, Richar Bowring and David Brauer. I know I missed some of you and if I did, I am sorry. Thank you for your efforts.

It isn't over yet and we aren't divided. Stay tuned.

Press Access At The Capitol Get's Some Attention

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 9, 2009
By Marty Owings

Today, I joined many members of the Capitol Press Corps at a meeting with Andrew Whittenborg, Director of Public Affairs for the DFL. The meeting began with Mr. Whittenborg stating the new proposed rules for public hearings and committee meetings were not being implemented and that he was holding the meeting to collect feedback, which he would be bringing back to the House Leadership.

The rules stated in part that members of the media could not record audience members nor could they record individual House members and that no recording could take place before or after meetings.

Most of the Capitol media was in attendance because these rules changes would have impacted their access and ability to record public meetings and House sessions. For those of us who are strictly online media, this has been a continuing battle since we applied for Press credentials. We've been asked not to record public meetings and even removed from those meetings for recording them.

Mr. Whittenborg said that credentialed media would be allowed to continue to record on the floor, but that no policies have been worked out. He added that who was and wasn't credentialed "was another issue." He added that "I don't see the rules for recording on the floor changing."

Mr. Whittenborg mentioned that space was one concern, but Tom Scheck from MPR said that he was concerned this was even being brought up as an issue, because two or three years ago there were "many more media on the House floor." Mr. Whittenborg reiterated that the policy for the House floor was not changing.

We then moved on to the issue causing all the controversy, the "proposed" media rules for access to public meetings and hearings at the Capitol.

Mr. Whittenborg mentioned that various people had "touched the Meeting/Hearing policy proposal from house attorneys, the Sergeant At Arms Office, House Leadership, Republicans and members of the media." and quickly added that "Your feedback to this has been sharp and instantaneous and nothing on this is going forward."

Mary Lahammer of TPT's Almanac suggested that any lawyer who proposed these rules should be "disbarred". Tom Hauser from KSTP agreed and added that it was "absurd" that any Law Maker would even propose these rules. Jason Barnett of the Uptake.org asked what the real issue was. Mr. Whittenborg said it ran the gamut from "space concerns" to "security issues." He said some concerns were raised about who was filming Law Makers and that some of them were "weirded out" while others welcomed the cameras.

Mr. Whittenborg pointed out that Leadership was aware that there were cameras every where now and that they were looking at these issues. Everyone in the room, including Mr. Whittenborg agreed that restricting cameras was not a solution. What about space issues? Mr. Whittenborg mentioned that this could be a concern. Noah Kunin from the UpTake.org suggested that space be allocated on a first come, first serve basis.

Some media in the room pointed to the recent canvasing board recount press conferences which were jammed with media, but said that everyone cooperated and it went off "great." It was pointed out the for 98% of the public meetings there weren't a large number of media clamouring to get into those, Mr. Whittenborg agreed.

Andy Driscoll of Civic Media MN and KFAI's Truth To Tell asked if we could meet directly with House Leadership in an effort to resolve the issue. Mr. Whittenborg said he would look into it. When it was suggested that credentials be issued uniformly for both House Floor and public Committee hearings, Mr. Whittenborg nodded his head in agreement. It was also suggested that the House and Senate should get together on credentialing so there would be a uniform policy.

With regard to credentialing, Mr. Whittenborg said he did not decide these things, but would take and share input. He was asked by a number of those in the meeting for help in finding out where the credential requests were at? When asked if there was even a process for credentialing, Mr. Whittenborg said "I don't think there was."

When asked about next steps, Mr. Whittenborg said that he would take the feedback he'd heard back to leadership and that he'd "get back to us." Is there a timeline for a resolution to these issues? Mr. Whittenborg responded by saying "we'll let know what progress we make on this."

Mr. Whittenborg seemed genuinely interested in getting the issues resolved and said he would make recommendations that allowed media the access they needed to do their jobs.

In the meantime, I hate to seem impatient, but we still don't have proper access. Stay tuned for more on this.

For additional context here are some references.

Scroll down to Truth To Tell -
Online Journalists - They Get No Respect - Play The Archive
http://www.kfai.org/archive/03/4/2009
Story in the Minnesota Independent:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/28517/new-rules-on-recording-at-state-house-wont-go-forward
Related stories:
http://minnesotaindependent.com/27331/online-media-in-the-minnesota-house http://minnesotaindependent.com/28455/new-minnesota-house-form-limits-what-would-be-tapers-can-capture
Story in the Twin City Daily Planet:
http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/03/07/freedom-press-not-mn-house-representatives.html
Minnpost Story on this:
http://www.minnpost.com/braublog/2009/02/24/6940/you_decide_the_legislatures_online-media_access_policy
CBS affiliate WCCO runs Story today on this issue:
http://wcco.com/local/house.media.restrictions.2.954613.html
More CBS Exposure:
http://cbslocalblogs.prospero.com/n/blogs/blog.aspx?webtag=WCCO_esmeblog

Minnesota Political Leadership Responds To Budget Crisis

Saint Paul, Minnesota
by Marty Owings

GOP Minority Leader Marty Seifert (R) discusses the budget, his plans to work with the majority and some ideas to reduce the massive deficit while preserving a safety net.



The DFL leadership in the persons of Speaker Margaret Anderson-Keliher (D) and Majority Leader Tony Seifert (D) discuss the budget crisis and their plans to address the looming state deficit.

Hey mnstories is funny!!

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 7, 2009
by Marty Owings

Don't know if you've checked it out yet, but Chuck Olsen produces a very funny video news site called http://www.mnstories.com/ . Mr. Olsen's productions are inventive and witty, but above all just plain funny. The production value, as if I know anything about that, is first rate which helps as you watch on the internet thingy.

Chuck has an afinity for Cat's and Cheeto's...not certain why exactly, but it makes for great fun. I recently spent an evening watching some of Mr. Olsen's work on "Eskimo Witch", a regular feature on http://www.mnstories.com/ , unlike other video sites it didn't suck. Matter of fact, I was hooked. I sent out links to some friends and before I knew it, they too were hooked.

In an age when doom and gloom monopolizes the media landscape, Chuck Olsen's mnstories is a bright, fun place to spend a few minutes or a few hours.

Here is a recent episode of Eskimo Witch that you're sure to enjoy.

Minnesota Budget Forecast Sucks

Saint Paul, Minnesota

March 3, 2009

By Marty Owings

Yep, its official, our State budget really, really sucks. How bad does it suck? State Economist Dr. Tom Stinson characterized it as "the worst economic conditions since World War II". In a rare moment at the Capitol everyone seemed to agree that Minnesota is facing a deep and likely worsening economy that will probably be longer than anyone anticipated.

While the federal stimulus money will help lower the deficit from a projected $6.8 billion to around $4.7 billion, Dr. Stinson said that tax receipts would continue to decline, prompting some to speculate that the forecast may need to be revised yet again to reflect worsening conditions.

The Governor responded to questions about tax increases by saying that Minnesota must avoid raising taxes if the state is to remain competitive. He added that if the DFL controlled Legislature pushed for higher taxes that it would "cause a collision".

For their part, the DFL leadership say that some of the things that the Governor is protecting in the budget must be on the table, such as K12 education and the rainy day fund. House Speaker Margaret Anderson-Kelliher stressed the difficult situation Minnesota if facing by saying that "The news that the number of unemployed Minnesotans could fill up the Metrodome and we're on track to fill up the Metrodome once again this year with unemployed Minnesotans is not a good piece of news today."

When it was suggested that the situation was bad enough to transcend politics and partisanship, both the DFL and GOP leadership pledged their willingness to work together....stay tuned for that.

Here is video of the Press Conference highlights from today.

Minnesota GOP Calls Out Dem's On Budget

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 2, 2008
By Marty Owings

In response to what the GOP leadership at the Capitol has called a "lack of leadership" on behalf of Democrats, they say the DFL has gone missing. Minority Leader Marty Seifert (R) said that House Democrats "have not put forward one concrete, solid idea for a budget solution." Stressing the fact that Legislators are 40% into the session with "nothing to show for it", Seifert called the situation urgent and serious.

Senate Minority Leader David Senjem (R) stated that "its almost as if we haven't started yet" and added "I can't tell you with any degree of accuracy of anything substantive that's happened so far." Both Senjem and Seifert questioned why Democrats were focusing on "Dog Parks and Body Art" and that their priorities did not line up with average Minnesotans. When asked if the DFL controlled Legislature was procrastinating, Seifert stated "Yes".

When questioned about the fact that the rainy day was being protected by the Governor, Seifert supported that effort, saying that Minnesota needed the fund to help improve its bond ratings and unallotment decisions. Even when pressed on the point, in light of the current economic crisis and a $6 billion state shortfall, Rep. Seifert said it was still important to put money away.

Below are the highlights of the Press conference.

Stonewalled At The Capitol

Saint Paul, Minnesota
March 1, 2009
By Marty Owings

There is a something very, well lets just say un-democratic going on at the Minnesota State Capitol and like all decent Journalists I wanted to get to the bottom of it. I'd heard rumors that online media people were being denied credentials. "This couldn't be" I thought, after all we're talking about THE major public instituion in the state.

So I set out to find the truth. I went to apply for credentials at both the Senate and House Sergeant At Arms offices as this is the first step in the credentialing process. On the Senate side, I was given a form which I filled out and returned to that office the same day. Then I went to the House side and before I was given any application form I was told I needed to meet with Sergeant At Arms Sandy Dicke.

Our meeting was brief. After explaining that I did some on air reporting for KFAI, but that most of my news was online, the Sergeant informed me that she wouldn't be taking my application. She told me that because they didn't have any rules governing "online" media, she couldn't issue me any credentials and promptly referred me to House Majority Leader Tony Sertich's Office. Well, being a former military person, I thought I'd better follow the chain of command and stop by my own Representatives office to explain my efforts and make sure they understood what I was trying to accomplish.

My first stop was Representative Nora Slawik. She didn't hesitate to invite me into her office even though I'd shown up unannounced at lunch time. She listened to my story intently and even placed a call to the Sgt. Dicke's office. She seemed sympathetic and assured me she would see what she could do, I got the impression that she definitely would. Then I popped into see Rep. Leon Lillie, also from my district. He also listened intently and said he's see what he could do. I thanked him with the assurance I would be following up soon, we shook hands and I left.

A few days went by and I'd heard nothing, so I sent some emails and left a few messages. Another day passed and still nothing.

I decided I needed to solicit some more help. I wondered how many Representatives might be interested in hearing about my troubles, so I went down to the House while it was in session and began to send requests to the floor. By the way, anyone is allowed to send notes to the floor during session to request a "hallway" meeting with a Representative, you should try it sometime, its fun if you don't mind waiting.

That first day I sent in about 8 notes...then I waited...and I waited and I waited some more. For four hours I waited outside the floor and no one came to see me. I left feeling a little like I was unwanted, but it was more likely that they were too busy to deal with my small issue, besides the hallway was jammed with important Lobbyist they needed to speak with first. I get, I understand.

That next day I left more messages, sent a few more emails....and waited. Still nothing.

The next day I went to a House Committee Hearing on the budget. I set up my camera and laptop and was streaming the hearing live when I was approached by a gentleman who said he was from the Sergeant At Arms office. He said he needed me to come with him. I told him I was streaming live and asked if it could wait. He told me, politely, if I didn't come along he would have me removed from the meeting.

So I left all my equipment and followed him out of the room. He said we needed to go see Sandy Dicke and that she could explain further. Funny, I hadn't felt this way since I was sent to the Vice Principles office in Junior High School. We arrived at Sgt. Dicke's office and with little explanation she instructed me to take a form and go up to see Majority Leader Sertich's Aide, Lisa Radzak. "Well" I thought "We're finally getting someplace"

When I arrived at Ms. Radzak's office she seemed surprised to see me and asked what this was all about. I explained my dilemma, from the beginning. She listened and asked me a few questions about how I'd handle online journalists. She said she was concerned that every blogger in the world would want access if they opened it up to "online media". I told here that it shouldn't matter. If a journalist is a blogger or working for a major news network, it simply shouldn't matter. At the end of our meeting she told me she would advocate on my behalf and she would so what she could do to resolve the issue. I got the feeling she'd heard this story or another one similar to mine many times...and since I didn't see too many online media people covering the House, I sort of got the feeling that Ms. Radzak wasn't telling me everything.

I'm such a bad quitter that I went back downstairs collected my equipment and waited for the House Session to begin. This time I sent in 24 notes. I guess someone upstairs likes me because finally I got to speak with a few Representatives. First, I spoke with Rep. Karen Clark from Minneapolis, who assured me she was sympathetic and said she'd get to the bottom of it. Then I spoke with Rep. Hayden, Rep. Champion, Rep. Steve Smith, Rep. Rukavina and a few others.

After a few more minutes Rep. Clark emerged from the House Floor to let me know she was working on it. She asked me a few questions about KFAI and RFN and was off again. A short while later she came back, this time with Rep. Hayden and my new friend Rep. Sertich's Aide Lisa Radzak. They assured me it was an important issue and they were going to resolve it soon. I left feeling confident that my elected officials would soon repair this injustice.

That night, I got word from Andy Driscoll, host of Truth To Tell on KFAI that a House rules meeting had been scheduled to discuss online press access and that it would be taking place the next day. As always, I got to the meeting early, set up my camera and my laptop and was ready to stream. Again, I was approached by a member of Sargeant At Arms Sandy Dicke's staff and told I would not be allowed to stream live. I put my equipment away without argument and took a seat, hoping I wouldn't be thrown out altogether.

When it came time for the issue to be discussed, Rep. Sertich who chairs the rules committee, decided that it wasn't worth discussing since its sponsor, Rep. Steve Smith wasn't present. He added that they'd work on the rules. No testimony, no sponsor, no advocate....and once again, no access.

About five or six others from online media outlets were present at the meeting, all were frustrated and disappointed. As a result, our journey for access to our public institutions continues. At least one prominent organization has come out in support of online media access at the Capitol. Here is an open letter from the Society or Professional Journalist written by Art Hughes.

http://www.mnspj.org/2009/02/26/mn-spj-supports-online-journalists/

While it may surprise some of your to hear about all this, it might even be more surprising to learn that almost a decade into the 21st century our Minnesota Law Makers don't recognize online media. But that's only part of the issue. When I was meeting with Lisa Radzak, Legislative Aide to Majority Leader Sertich, she mentioned some Legislators felt uncomfortable with camera's in public meetings. When I pointed out that House camera's were running in all the meetings, she responded by saying "yeah, but those are operated by the Capitol". To me, what this says is that Law Makers are uncomfortable with camera's they don't control.

As someone who thought that our Law Makers would welcome transparency, I find it almost impossible to believe this is even happening. In the meantime, I'll be joining hosts Andy Driscoll and Lynell Mikelson for Truth To Tell this Wednesday at 11 a.m. for a special program focusing on this issue. Other members of the online media covering the Capitol will join us as well, so don't miss it. http://kfai.org/ and streaming LIVE online at http://myradiofreenation.com/

For reference, here is a list of other online news organizations who cover the Capitol regularly or who have applied for credentials:

MinnPost
Look True North
Minnesota Independent
The Uptake
Checks & Balances
MnPublius
Minnesota Democrats Exposed
Radio Free Nation
KFAI Radio
Twin Cities Daily Liberal

Here are states that allow Floor Access to Journalists:
http://www.ncsl.org/programs/press/lincs/MediaAccess.htm