Gov. Tim Pawlenty, or at least members of his senior staff, will come to a Dec. 7 hearing of the state Senate Tax Committee to discuss the governor's proposed constitutional amendment that would limit state spending.

Committee Chair Sen. Tom Bakk, a DFLer running for governor in 2010, invited the governor to discuss the issue with the legislators and the governor replied:

"Commissioner Tom Hanson and others will look forward to outlining the proposal in detail and receiving input from the committee at the Dec. 7, 2009, hearing."

The governor also declined Bakk's offer to hold a special session before the end of the year to pass a bonding bill, saying his staff is conducting reviews of capital investment projects for the bonding bill and hopes to present them by Jan. 15.

"Given these timelines, and the efforts underway, along with the scheduled Feb. 4, 2010, start of the regular legislative session, a special session just 30 days prior (or even less) to the regular session would not make a real difference," he wrote to Bakk.

Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post's  "The Fix" political blog, notes R.T. Rybak's filing for governor with a bit of praise:

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak filed for governor Thursday, giving Democrats their strongest candidate to date in the 2010 Minnesota governor's race. In an e-mail to supporters about his decision, Rybak said his travels across the state convinced him that Minnesotans were "looking for leadership focused on more jobs, better schools and affordable health care." Rybak joins a very crowded Democratic field that includes seven other candidates seeking to replace Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R). Seven Republicans are running for the Republican nod with an eighth -- former senator Norm Coleman -- considering the contest but not likely to decide until next year. The Minnesota governorship is seen as a ripe pickup opportunity for Democrats given the state's progressive leanings.

U.S. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said today that unless "delaying tactics are employed" he expects a vote Saturday evening on the 1,990-page health-care reform bill as well as the 219-page Republican substitute proposed this week.

If a conclusion isn’t reached Saturday, members would come back into session Sunday afternoon and continue Monday and Tuesday as needed, said Hoyer, a Democrat from Maryland.

Hoyer said he and other supporters are trying to assuage Democratic caucus members’ concerns that no federal dollars will cover health care for undocumented workers or abortions except in cases of rape, incest or risk to the mother’s life. "Clearly, that’s not the intent," he said. "We don’t think that’s what the bill does, but we want to make sure that members are comfortable with that reality."

The House vote is just one step toward enacting health-care reform. The Senate still has to pass its legislation, and Senate-House conferees must work through their differences. (Politico has a good comparison of the major differences.) 

"I expect the conference to be relatively lengthy and difficult because of the differences, but the good news is I think the conferees will be committed to passing legislation," Hoyer said during a Families USA conference call with reporters. "I think we can come to agreement and bridge the gaps between the two."

For now, the focus is on lining up 218 votes in the House to support the Affordable Health Care for America Act [pdf]. "We’re very close," Hoyer said.

"Unless there are delaying tactics employed, or something happens that I don’t foresee, I think we can finish the debate by 7 to 8 o’clock tomorrow night and finish the bill by then," he said.

Before taking questions from the media, Hoyer said Democrats had "subjected our proposal to an enormous amount of scrutiny" and that he had never seen this "level of examination and debate" in his 29-year career.

"We had more than 3,000 events in local districts, 100 hearings in Congress, and over 160 hours debating and amending the bill in committees, and as a result it’s a stronger, better bill," he said.

News editor and staff writer Casey Selix can be reached at cselix[at]minnpost.com. Follow her on Twitter.

Sen. Al Franken has introduced a diabetes prevention bill,that he says will bring "significant health care savings and better health for Americans."

Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana is the co-sponsor.

It's called the Diabetes Prevention Act of 2009 and provides:

• Grants for diabetes prevention model sites for those at high risk for diabetes. These grants will assist community-based diabetes prevention (CDP) programs working with health care delivery systems to identify, refer and provide those at high risk for diabetes with cost-effective, group-based lifestyle intervention programs.
• Development of a recognition program for eligible entities to serve as community-based diabetes prevention programs. The CDC will require each program to provide a description, ensure adequate training, and agree to submit data for outcome evaluation.
• Creation of a training and outreach program. The CDC will develop curriculum and training for lifestyle intervention in partnership with state diabetes programs, academic institutions and community-based nonprofits.
• Quality assurance for community-based diabetes prevention model site and for other CDC recognized CDP sites. The CDC will provide evaluation, monitoring and technical assistance to each CDP program. A public registry of the CDC-recognized programs will be established.
• Applied research grants to advance the national strategy for community-based programs, improve communication strategies for high-risk communities and examine model benefit and payment designs for diabetes care.

November is American Diabetes Month.

Less than 48 hours after the polls closed in his victorious Minneapolis mayoral race, R.T. Rybak announced to his supporters today that he has filed paperwork with the state to create an R.T. Rybak for Governor Committee.

This is not exactly a surprise, given the fact that throughout the mayoral campaign, Rybak was also showing up at forums involving other DFL gubernatorial candidates.

In an e-mail sent to supporters late this afternoon, Rybak said: “I’ve been open with people as I’ve considered this important step, so I doubt this will be a surprise. But it is an important step, and I want you to know why I’m taking it.’’

In his e-mail, Rybak said he can do for Minnesota what he’s done for Minneapolis.

“We’ve shown in Minneapolis that we can make progress, create jobs and get action to create real change. We’ve strengthened our economy, improved public safety and streamlined city government. Most importantly we’ve restored a sense of hope and shown that even in the toughest times we can do great things when we come together.’’

Filing the committee papers is only step one in the process, which will lead to formal announcement of candidacy at some point in the future.

Rybak, who just won a third term as mayor Tuesday night, faces some big obstacles. First, of course, is an already crowded field of DFLers. Second is the reality that no Minneapolis mayor has made the jump to the governor’s office, though, of course Hubert Humphrey used the position to as a springboard to the U.S. Senate.

It's a Big Buck event, but it's not a high-powered Republican fundraiser. This time.

It'll be all about hunting when Gov. Pawlenty speaks at noon Friday at the annual Big Bucks luncheon to help launch the deer hunting season. The firearms deer season opens Saturday.

Also at the luncheon, at the Ralph Engelstad Arena in Thief River Falls, will be Department of Natural Resources Commissioner Mark Holsten and Explore Minnesota Director John Edman.

When Delores LaFollette of Brainerd turned 60, her individual health-insurance premium shot up to $587 a month.

"My birthday gift," she said ruefully, adding that the premium was higher than her house payment. "That’s when I kissed it goodbye," she said about canceling her insurance and crossing her fingers that she remains in good health until she is eligible for Medicare coverage next year.

On Thursday, LaFollette and three other AARP volunteers from Minnesota shared their health-insurance woes shortly after the national advocacy group announced its endorsement of pending health-care reform legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. (Here's a video of the national press conference.) 

AARP’s endorsement is considered a major coup for the White House and House Democrats, who could vote this weekend. The House legislation includes language important to Americans age 50-plus, including: preserving Medicare, the health-care program for age 65-plus Americans; lowering prescription costs by closing Medicare Part D’s "doughnut hole"; prohibiting insurers from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and limiting how much more insurers can charge older Americans than younger citizens.         

LaFollette joined national AARP board member Hubert H. "Skip" Humphrey III, a former Minnesota attorney general, for a press conference in AARP’s St. Paul offices.

"Our endorsement is based upon what our members say they want and need," Humphrey said. "The joy I have is that we don’t worry about partisanship. We worry about substantive [issues] ... and I think the House bill does that."

One remaining worry, he said, is how long pharmaceutical patents will be in force before more affordable generics are allowed on the market. AARP wanted a five-year limit; the White House wanted seven years, and each chamber of Congress has proposed a 12-year limit. The cost of "biologics (insulin, etc.) will do people in," Humphrey said. 

LaFollette, who is self-employed and operates rental properties, said she didn’t think she was giving up all that much by canceling her insurance four years ago. She faced a $3,000 deductible for "next to none" coverage. Still, "I hold my breath every day and my kids yell at me when I go up on the roof," she said.

Harry and Char Jebens of Brooklyn Park, ages 68 and 67, are hopeful that the Medicare Part D doughnut hole will close. Each October, they have to figure out how much they need to put aside each month to cover their prescriptions. "Our biggest fear is cancer or having to pay for insulin," Char Jebens said.

Retired nurse Molly Sullivan, age 62, has watched her extended COBRA coverage, negotiated as part of a union contract years ago, balloon to $800 a month from about $350 in 2002. The expense leaves the Maple Grove resident with about $500 a month to live on, and she has tapped her home equity line of credit to cover the COBRA costs. As a diabetic who also suffers from arthritis, she cannot buy a less expensive policy because she is considered "uninsurable."

"I’m very careful with my decision-making and planning," she said. "If this could happen to me, it could happen to anybody."

Casey Selix, a news editor and staff writer for MinnPost.com, can be reached at cselix[at]minnpost.com. Follow her on Twitter.

Rep. Tim Walz has been named vice chair of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, which is part of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. The full committee, of course, is chaired by another Minnesotan, Rep. James Oberstar.

Said Oberstar of the appointment: “[Walz] is respected as a hard worker who is focused on real solutions, I am happy to see him gaining prominence and respect in our committee and in the House.”

The railroad assignment will be of much interest to Walz's constituents, with proposals for a high-speed train to run somewhere through the southeastern Minnesota district, and controversy over a proposed railroad bypass south of Rochester.

Walz also serves on the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Agriculture Committee and the Congressional Executive Commission on China.

A new study (PDF) from the Minnesota Taxpayers Association confirms what we've all suspected: Property tax rates are up in the state and rose faster than market rates.

"This is the first year-upon-year rise in effective tax rates since the early 1990s," says the report.

Some key points in the report:

• Although effective tax rates remain at historically low levels, "rates based on home values provide little insights about the fairness of the property tax system. A new state database that links household incomes with property tax data should provide new perspectives on Minnesotans’ ability to pay their property taxes."
• On a statewide basis, commercial-industrial, railroad, apartment and utility property subsidization of residential, farm, and cabin property taxes declined.
• Also, "commercial-industrial property still provides a substantial subsidy to other types of “preferred” properties. Commercial-industrial property comprises 13.36% of all market value in the state, but is liable for 31.63% of all net property taxes in Minnesota. Comparable numbers for residential homestead property show that such property comprises 54.00% of market value statewide in 2009, while accounting for only 46.40% of net property taxes."
• Effective tax rates vary considerably from county to county. Overall rates ranged from a low of 0.47% in Rock County to a high of 1.58% in Hennepin County. Homestead rates ranged from a low of 0.31% in Cook County to a high of 1.53% in Red Lake County. Commercial-industrial rates were lowest in Cass County (1.32%) and highest in Mahnomen County (4.29%).

The tax association calculates an "accountability index" for different classes of property, which "measures subsidization by comparing each property class’ share of the total property tax burden to its share of the total tax base."

When that index equals 1.00, it says "owners who live and vote where their property is located (such as homeowners and farmers) pay an appropriate share of property taxes for the local government services provided."

And the group says that currently, residential homestead property is at 0.95, the same as last year, and the highest ever calculated.

Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and several legislators will get an on-site look this morning at construction of the hydroelectric project on the Mississippi River in downtown Minneapolis.

The 10-megawatt Lower St. Anthony Falls plant is being built on the Mississippi River at the Lower St. Anthony Falls Lock and Dam. Construction began this spring, and when it's finished at the end of next year, it will generate more than 63,000 megawatt hours of energy per year to Minnesota — enough to power 14,000 homes a year.

Rybak and Rep. Bill Hilty, Sen. Ellen Anderson, Sen. Scott Dibble and Rep. Kate Knuth will view the site at 11:15 a.m. from the Stone Arch Bridge.