Aside from the obvious, Governor Tim Walz’s decision to forgo a third term gives him the opportunity to focus entirely on the road ahead without the constraints of partisan considerations. We are now a month away from the opening of our next legislative session, and there is an absence of discussion relative to where we are going.
Both nationally and in Minnesota , there has been a shift away from intelligent discussion of public policy to endless partisan warfare with a deadening impact on the public. Just consider this: Only 17% of Americans trust their government and 85% do not believe elected officials care about “what people like them think” (Pew Research).
The upcoming State of the State speech gives Walz a unique opportunity to set a new tone in Minnesota. One that minimizes partisan conflict and builds partnerships for success. While the fraud controversy dominates, it is imperative to restore competence and integrity, and a first step would be to work with our state’s business community and create another LEAP (Loaned Executive Action Program) whereby business experts work with the state’s management to improve efficiency and competency, as was done by Gov. Wendell Anderson in the 1970s.
A necessary second step is to restore honesty to state government, and this means the abolition of legislative caucus fundraising, which involves the granting of special favors to wealthy donors as outlined in a University of Minnesota study released in May, 2021. Among those favors is the opportunity for special interests to “shape” legislation. This is both corrupt and illegal.
Gov. Walz can utilize the upcoming State of the State speech to bring Minnesotans together and restore both competence and honesty to our governance.
A bit of history may be helpful. Our Constitution requires the governor to report to the Legislature on the condition of the state, although it does not specify content or time. Gov. Harold LeVander, in 1969, transformed that minor happening into the dominant political event of the year by bringing all three branches of government together and, with all the appropriate pomp and formality, having the governor deliver a true State of the State speech outlining a clear vision for Minnesota’s future. Television and radio carried the message statewide while newspapers analyzed it in depth. That moment helped the public understand that principled policy inevitably produced good politics. And, perhaps, its greatest strength was that it focused on the betterment of Minnesota.
This attention to quality of life, captured in the State of the State address, helped rally Minnesotans around common goals.
On August 13, 1973, TIME magazine featured a smiling Gov. Wendell Anderson in a red lumber jacket, proudly holding a freshly caught fish against a sparkling Minnesota lake. Across the cover was the headline, “The Good Life in Minnesota”, and inside was a story titled, “The State That Works”, which praised Anderson’s leadership and the spirit of Minnesota governance during a time when the nation was mired in the Watergate scandal. Specifically cited were clean government, educational funding reforms (the “Minnesota Miracle”), low dropout rates, and open governance.
That success was no accident. It came from a meaningful partnership with leaders from business, labor, academia, media, the arts, non-profits and government all working together toward shared goals.
A key catalyst was the governor’s State of the State Address, which served as our roadmap to a better tomorrow. For the next 40-plus years, it compelled the political system to elevate public policy above partisanship and vision above cynicism.
Sadly, that focus has faded. The timing of the address has drifted into March or April, and, too often, it serves little purpose beyond partisan theater. This decline reflects a deeper erosion in that it has created a culture of mediocrity that has seeped into too many corners of our government and weakened our collective will to improve.
Today, Minnesota must once again choose the Road to Excellence, and that begins with the governor delivering a substantive and unifying State of the State Address at the opening of the legislative session. This would involve defining a vision that brings Minnesota together and fully committed to betterment.
As Robert Frost reminded us, two roads diverge before us. One sustains the status quo; the other requires courage, clarity and commitment. Let us take the road to excellence — and make all the difference.
Arne Carlson, a former Independent Republican governor of Minnesota, wrote this column on behalf of himself, retired DFL legislators Tom Berkelman of Duluth and Janet Entzel of Minneapolis and Duke Skorich, president of Zenith Research, Duluth.
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