A $7 billion state deficit may be taking all the fun out of law-making for legislators this year, but it's particularly hard on the rookies, says a story from the Fargo Forum's state Capitol bureau.

“Even the veterans haven’t had experience with a budget [deficit] this big or an economy this bad,” Rep. Paul Anderson, R-Starbuck, said. “I’m just listening and seeing what others are saying and I try to offer my new perspective where I can.”

The budget problem makes it difficult for 23 freshmen — 12 Republicans and 11 Democrats -- who began their service Jan. 6, following orientation seminars offered by the House.

Rep. Tim Kelly, R-Red Wing, admits that he was naive about the budget.

“It first felt like whirlwind,” Kelly said. “Now I am getting a little antsy to get something moving. I am naïve about this massive deficit problem. I thought it would get the ball moving.”

Kelly said he ran into something similar to this on the school board in Red Wing. It had to cut 10 percent of the budget during his two-year term. “I’m not as apprehensive, I think, because I’ve dealt with this on a smaller scale.”

Rep. Mark Murdock, R-Ottertail, agrees with Gov. Tim Pawlenty that the solution for the deficit starts at home. He thinks that each individual household needs to look at what they can do without, and it moves up from there, to the city, county and state levels.

“I think we need to take a more common sense and open minded approach,” Murdock said. “I worked in retail hardware — it’s a people business. It prepared me to keep my head screwed on straight.”