Legislative Q&A: District 48 Sen. Steve Cwodzinski

The following article by Patty Dexter was posted on the Eden Prairie News website February 15, 2018:

The 2018 legislative session convenes on Tuesday, Feb. 20.

The newspaper contacted Sen. Steve Cwodzinski for a Q&A previewing the session.

Right now, the thing I am hearing most about from my constituents is the federal tax bill, and the increased taxes that they will pay because of it. The cap of $10,000 for deductions of state and local taxes will massively impact residents of Senate District 48. I am hopeful that both DFLers and Republicans can come together to find a way to reclassify some state taxes and restore these deductions. Other hugely critical issues are affordable health care, Southwest Light Rail, environmental protection, and opioid abuse prevention.

How would you characterize the legislature’s relationship with the governor?

I am hopeful that having a GOP lieutenant governor and a DFL governor will provide an incredible opportunity for bipartisanship. Only two other states have a split executive branch like this, so we can really be a model for the rest of the country. Every single one of my colleagues is here to make the world a better place and interacting with each other helps us focus on what we have in common, instead of what divides us.

What ways will national politics impact Minnesota politics this session?

As I mentioned earlier, the impact of the new federal tax bill is going to be huge. Aside from that, I think there will still be a lot of uncertainty surrounding health care, since we do not know whether to expect additional changes coming from DC. There are two issues where I am incredibly hopeful: infrastructure and opioid abuse prevention. President Trump has made both items a top priority for 2018. With the legislature poised to address them as well, I envision a great partnership developing between Minnesota and Washington, D.C.

How will the legislature keep operating in 2018 if it runs out of money?

I do not believe that it will come to that. Governor Dayton has already agreed to sign a bill to fund the legislature on day one, if it is a clean bill. There does not seem to be any indication that the bill will be controversial, so we should be able to put this all behind us.

What should the legislature do about the $43 million request by Gov. Mark Dayton’s administration to fix the Minnesota License and Registration System?

This is an incredibly difficult issue. If we do have the funds, and are not in a deficit, I would still like to know what other options there are. I’m not sure what choice we have other than seeing this through but have been working to see what possibilities we have.

What are your thoughts about the latest delays in the Southwest Light Rail Transit project?

These delays are completely unacceptable. Our state has put together the resources necessary to get this done, and now the federal government is leaving us waiting. As I said earlier though, I am very hopeful that out state and the federal government can build an effective partnership on infrastructure. Southwest LRT is the cornerstone of that, so am hopeful that we will receive the federal funds this year.

What tax changes would you support to conform with the federal tax changes?

As mentioned earlier, I would like to explore ways to remove the cap on state and local tax deductions. One such possibility I have heard would be to classify all state income taxes after $10,000 as charitable giving. I’m still doing my research on this, to make sure that it gets done right. Whatever solution we find, it will likely be bipartisan, so we should be able to get something done.

What are your thoughts about the lawsuit related to Sen. Michelle Fischbach’s desire to retain her position as the president of the Minnesota Senate while acting as the lieutenant governor?

I believe that too much of the focus right now is on the lawsuit. This conversation is just too negative, and the courts will decide whether Lt. Gov. Fischbach can hold both positions. Regardless of the decision though, we will have a GOP lieutenant governor. I mentioned earlier that this is really an incredible opportunity for bipartisanship. This really has the potential to be such a positive success story, and that is where our focus should be.

How should sexual harassment be addressed at the capitol?

We need effective sexual harassment training. We should make trainings more insightful or inspiring to really get through to people. It will take time to change attitudes, but we will get this right.

View the post here.