Nov 14, 2008 - 04:05:28 CST
House Democrats unanimously re-elected Rolette Rep. Merle Boucher as their minority leader Thursday night, also tapping Rep. Kenton Onstad as their assistant minority leader.Boucher has served in the House since 1991 and will enter his seventh term as minority leader for the 2009 session with 58 Republicans on the roster to the Democrat's 36, three more than the 2007 session.
Boucher said many of the issues that he campaigned on during his unsuccessful bid for lieutenant governor, with Fargo Sen. Tim Mathern as the gubernatorial candidate, will resurface in the next legislative session, especially property tax relief.
"If we're going to address the issue of property tax I know we're going to I would like to think we won't have to spend 78 days or 79 and set a record like we did last time to come up with a plan that only was good for two years," Boucher said. "We're going to do it for the long term."
Boucher said he agrees in principle with Hoeven's property tax relief and education spending proposals, adding he wants property tax relief to last for more than one biennium. If tax relief is passed every biennium it looks politically motivated, he said.
With oil trust fund proposals likely to re-emerge next session, Boucher said he would keep an open mind on the issue.
"We have to keep in mind what the public told us on Nov. 4," Boucher said, referring to the failed Measure 1 that would have amended the state constitution to create an oil trust fund.
Some House Democrats wanted to delay their leadership election until later this month.
"The message that's going to come out of this meeting is that we're doing the same old thing," Minot Rep. Kari Conrad said, advocating for a delayed leadership vote.
Democrats also discussed their post-election losses and gains from last week, noting a strong showing in the eastern half of the state but losses in the west.
"I think we need to have a 53-county strategy for this party," Conrad said.
Onstad said Democrats need to become more aggressive and take credit for legislation to expand their numbers in the House and Senate, where Democrats trail 26-21.
"Our 2010 elections really start now," Onstad said. "It starts, again, with passing meaningful legislation for those people that are going to be up for re-election."
Bismarck Sen. Tracy Potter said while the Democrats did not gain any Senate seats, they picked up seats in the House and that the ballot measures the Democrats were against failed.
"We won this election because of the measures," Potter said. "We were against Measure 1 and we beat Measure 1. We were against Measure 2 and we beat Measure 2."
Senate Democrats will select their leaders later this month.
Lansford Sen. David O'Connell said he will run again for the minority leader post. Mathern said he will also run for the job.
Rep. Al Carlson, R-Fargo, and Sen. Bob Stenehjem, R-Bismarck, were elected majority leaders on Wednesday. Rep. David Monson, R- Osnabrock, was selected as House speaker.
(Reach reporter Brian Duggan 223-8482 or brian.duggan@bismarcktribune.com.)
Demos You Have Just Got to be Kidding wrote on Nov 14, 2008 8:18 PM:
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