Bud Nornes, Greg Stumbo tackle issues

By Lauren Radomski (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, September 12, 2008

Photo Provided

Rep. Bud Nornes speaks from the legislative floor.

Candidates for the District 10A House seat met Thursday for the first of several forums on issues including education funding, government permitting and renewable energy.

Rep. Bud Nornes (R-Fergus Falls) and Democratic challenger Greg Stumbo spent roughly an hour answering questions from local businesspeople as part of the Chamber-sponsored event at the Otter Tail Power Community Rooms.

The forum touched on a wide range of topics, with the candidates sharing similar opinions on some issues. Both said they support increased local government aid (LGA) to communities with smaller tax bases, and agreed the method for distributing those funds needs to change.

So does the formula for school district funding. Stumbo, a first ward councilman, said he’s concerned by the state’s system of funding districts per pupil. Nornes described the formula as outdated.

Greg Stmbo

“That’s the one part of the formula that doesn’t work now,” Nornes said of per-pupil funding. “It worked when the districts were stable (in terms of enrollment). It doesn’t work now.”

Both candidates praised participants in local agriculture and were optimistic about the future of local bio-science endeavors.

The two also questioned the state’s long and costly permitting processes, with Nornes citing the roughly $1,000 in permitting fees facing a group looking to build a shelter in Glendalough State Park.

Other topics highlighted candidates’ differences. While both candidates voiced support for Minnesota Job Opportunity Building Zones (JOBZ), Stumbo said the program would be more effective if it was regionalized.

“JOBZ seems like an open toolbox for anybody to use,” he said, saying the major beneficiaries so far have been communities along the I-94/I-90 corridor. Greater flexibility for those in local government would also improve the program, he said.

On health care, Stumbo said attracting providers to communities in greater Minnesota will become even more important as the population ages.

“It’s basically the elephant in the room that everybody doesn’t want to talk about,” he said.

Nornes cautioned against too much government action on the issue, saying pressure on providers could actually drive them away.

When it comes to energy, Nornes said he supports many forms of renewables, from wind to solar to clean coal, and suggested lifting the moratorium on nuclear energy. At the same time, he said he’s concerned about potential increases in Minnesotans’ electricity bills.

“There are some ideas out there that would drive the cost of energy sky-high — and everything else is already sky-high,” he said.

Stumbo stressed the need for a comprehensive energy program that would reduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil while exploring renewable sources. Alternative energy is already a big part of some communities in southern Minnesota, he said.

The last topic of the day? Gay marriage in Minnesota. Nornes said he supports the constitutional amendment to preserve marriage, while Stumbo said his concern is with same-sex couples receiving the same kinds of rights and benefits as married couples.