GRANITE FALLS -- Sen. Gary Kubly of Granite Falls says he's knocked on about 5,000 doors during this fall's legislative campaign and says the prominent issues on people's minds are education, health care, transportation and renewable energy.
Kubly, 62, a DFL'er, is seeking a second term in the Minnesota Senate from District 20. The district serves Big Stone, Chippewa, Lac qui Parle, Lincoln, Renville, Swift and Yellow Medicine counties.
Kubly previously served three terms in the House. He's opposed for the Senate by Republican Roger Dale of Hanley Falls.
Education is big, says Kubly.
"I think people feel that education can't take any more cuts out here. They look at the number of school districts that have had to vote on a special (operating levy) just for operating expenses, which is probably an indication that the state hasn't fulfilled its constitutional mandate of offering every child an equal, quality education,'' said Kubly.
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Kubly said health care is not far behind education. He said he hears more about the issue during each campaign. He likes a public-private approach proposed by Sen. Sheila Kiscaden of Rochester.
Her proposal was not brought up and Kiscaden is not seeking re-election, Kubly said.
"If the election turns out the way I want it to, I think I'll contact her and see if we can't do something with her legislation, in spite of the fact that she didn't get it,'' said Kubly. "I know she had a lot of supporters, but she had a lot of opponents."
Regarding transportation, Kubly says people are upset that $100 million went from rural Minnesota to the metro area. He also said people are disgusted that $52 million, including federal funds, were redirected to the state Highway 23 Paynesville bypass.
"Those are significant dollars for our transportation district,'' said Kubly. "They'd like to see an equitable form of funding that gives the rural parts of the state as much of a shot at the transportation dollars as any other part.''
He said the Legislature passed a bipartisan transportation bill that included a 10-cent gasoline tax increase, which was vetoed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty in 2005. Kubly said he'd probably support that again "if there isn't any other way to go about it.''
Kubly said passage of the proposed constitutional amendment to dedicate all motor vehicle sales tax funds to transportation would be helpful. But he said the Department of Transportation says the state needs a billion dollars a year for the next decade in order to meet all the needs, "and they've actually been saying that for a couple of years.''
He said Wisconsin indexed its gas tax to the rate of inflation in 1988 when both Minnesota and Wisconsin were at 20 cents. Minnesota is still at 20 cents and Wisconsin is at 32.9 cents. Yet motorists are hard pressed to find a place in Wisconsin that sells gasoline for more than it's sold in Minnesota, he said.
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Kubly said his appointment to the Senate Energy Subcommittee was fortunate because there's a lot of interest in wind energy, particularly in the western part of the district, although there's also interest in other forms of renewable energy.
"They want to know not only whether or not you support the expansion of the wind industry in Minnesota, but they want to know whether you would support individuals owning a small piece of the production. I think that the primary interest is in owning a piece of the production,'' he said.
Kubly says he's never been asked about the same-sex marriage issue. But if asked, he provides a written statement. It says the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that marriage is the union of a male and a female. The ruling has been upheld in federal court.
A recent Supreme Court ruling in New York has upheld the defense of marriage law in that state. This highlights the strength of such laws and why an amendment is not needed, the statement says.
"At the Capitol, I witnessed extreme fear and hate tactics used by some supporters of the marriage amendment,'' the statement says. "As a Lutheran pastor, I simply cannot support governing by fear and hate.''
