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N.D. Dems say ideas being co-opted

Feb 18, 2007 - 03:59:43 CST

When Rep. Arlo Schmidt, D-Maddock, campaigned door-to-door last fall, he got an earful about the difficulty of paying for college.

So when Schmidt arrived in Bismarck last month, he quickly introduced a bill to create a low-interest college loan program through the state-owned Bank of North Dakota.

His idea was approved last week by the state House. So why was Schmidt so visibly upset during floor debate on the measure that he was gaveled out of order?

"They took my bill and made it their bill, that's why it's so upsetting," Schmidt said of the House's Republican majority. "That's not fair."

The version that passed had a handful of Republican sponsors, with Schmidt's name nowhere in sight. His original bill was voted down.

Schmidt's experience is reflective of what's happened to a handful of Democratic bills this session. The practice has some Democrats piping mad, while Republican leaders are wondering what all the fuss is about.

Sen. Minority Leader David O'Connell, D-Lansford, said the Republican leadership has been stealing Democratic ideas on everything from minimum wage to renewable energy.

"The majority party controls the committees and controls the committee chairs. If they see a good idea, they put it in their bill," O'Connell said.

Then, he said, Republicans can go back to their constituents and claim credit for the bill's passage, while the Democrat whose idea it was gets no credit.

Rep. Steven Zaiser, D-Fargo, said he knows this experience all too well.

Zaiser introduced two bills - one to offer a homestead property tax credit and the other to raise the minimum wage - and then watched as they were killed in favor of similar versions with Republican sponsors.

"It was a clear indication of kill, lift and insert," he said.

Rep. Scott Kelsh, D-Fargo, fears the same will happen to him. Kelsh, a longtime advocate of wind energy, watched in amazement Thursday as Gov. John Hoeven and the Legislature's Republican leadership unveiled a $43.5 million plan to promote renewable energy in North Dakota.

Kelsh said he remembers offering similar ideas as far back as 1999 and having them laughed at - and then voted down.

"The whole issue is being co-opted," he said.

Republicans see the situation differently.

House Majority Leader Rick Berg, R-Fargo, seemed surprised when informed of the Democrats' complaints.

"If their objective is to pass laws, then they should be happy to see their ideas brought forward, however they're brought forward," he said.

Berg said the House leaders must consider the fate of a bill they like after that bill leaves their chamber. It's much easier to get the bill approved by a Republican Senate and Republican governor if there are Republican sponsors, he said.

On the Senate side, Majority Leader Bob Stenehjem called the complaints "political rhetoric" and said he hears similar gripes every session. He said it's all a part of legislative process, where bills are debated, shuffled around and amended in an attempt to come out with the best public policy.

"We have more important things to worry about than exactly whose idea it was," Stenehjem said.

(Reach reporter Jonathan Rivoli at 223-8482 or jonathan.rivoli@;bismarcktribune.com.)

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Comments

Perry wrote on Feb 21, 2007 9:05 AM:

" Maybe if Hoeven had an original idea of his own he wouldn't have to steal them from other people. "

Ha! wrote on Feb 19, 2007 3:21 PM:

" Someone ought to get the Democrats a hankie to dry their tears. This sounds like little kids in the sandbox - "he took my toy!" It's pure B.S. What matters is the end result. If you look at the "Democrat" bills, there was not a single Republican name on most of them. So much for "extending a hand across the aisle," eh, Merle? Maybe if they tried to work in coorperation with Republicans, things would go more in their favor. Rather, they've been working at being divisive this session. Lois Delmore had a great bill that would protect victims of sexual violence - it had BIPARTISAN support, and that's how it got through. Ben Vig also had a bill in that had BIPARTISAN support, and . . . surprise, surprise, surprise! It got through. This is simply the Democrats trying to make an issue out of a non-issue. If they're good ideas, they're going to get through . . . and who said that either party should have a monopoly on good ideas? "

disenchanted wrote on Feb 19, 2007 2:54 PM:

" When anything is plagiarised and the original author gets absolutely no credit, who gets the benefir of the (whatever) in question? If the shoe were on the other foot, Rep. Berg, would you "be happy to see your ideas brought forward, however they're brought forward",when taken by the other party as their own. This practice has been happening for a long time and it makes me wonder where statesmanship, integrity, and honesty have gone! If you truely have "more important things to worry about than exactly whose idea it was", Stenehjem, maybe you can start worrying about what many voters think of such deceitful pactics! "

Independent wrote on Feb 19, 2007 1:55 PM:

" Republicans have a lack of leadership in this state. The brains of the Legislature lies within the Democratic Party. Hoeven certainly steals his fair share of ideas from the Dems. "

Mitch wrote on Feb 19, 2007 1:11 PM:

" Politicians are always looking for a parade to lead. The rethugs have turned it into an art form. "

Greg wrote on Feb 19, 2007 9:40 AM:

" Rep. Berg's comments display the hypocrisy fully. Taking credit for others' ideas is nothing more than plagiarism - an offense that would mean the firing of a tenured faculty member on any campus. "

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