Late last week, the Minnesota House approved nearly $5 million for a worker’s lung health study linked to the asbestos-related disease mesothelioma. This occurred just hours after the state’s governor sent letters to legislators asking them to turn down the funding.

According to an article in the Hibbing Daily Tribune, in his letter, Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty says that though he supports the study, “the bill in its current form will likely be vetoed.”

The bill would appropriate the money from the worker’s compensation special fund, and “will result in an increased assessment on all employers in Minnesota,” according to Pawlenty’s letter. He suggests using the Iron Range Resources Board’s Taconite Environmental Protection Fund as a possible funding source, the article points out.

“They won’t have to raise rates on any businesses,” said Sen. Dave Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, who has been promoting the bill. “I don’t believe that they will.” In fact, the fund would have a surplus of $11 million in 2011 if it keeps the rate schedule, he said.

However, because the governor’s wishes for the study funding have become clear to his constituents, House Republicans attempted to pass an amendment on the bill and take the money from the taconite fund instead.

“It’s the wrong thing, absolutely the wrong thing, to use a special assessment,” said Rep. Denny McNamara, R-Hastings, who introduced the amendment. “We don’t need to raise taxes,” because there’s money in that taconite fund, he said.

“What you’re asking us to do, you’ve asked no one else in state,” argued Rep. Tom Rukavina in response to the proposed amendment. “Nobody made Austin citizens pay for flood damage or Cottage Grove citizens pay to clean up their water,” he continued. “What’s with this that the Rangers have to pay? Aren’t we part of this state?”

The Iron Range has already paid its share, Rukavina continued. The Taconite Environmental Protection fund spent $250,000 to jump-start the study earlier this year, when the governor pledged his support.

The Range shouldn’t have to pay for the whole study, Rep. Tom Anzelc, DFL-Balsam Township, pointed out, noting that mine workers hail from various regions of Minnesota, not just the Iron Range area.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 16th, 2008 at 11:30 am and is filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.