With the 2008 legislative session beginning next week, State Rep. Paul Kohls took a few minutes to answer some questions from the Jordan Independent.

Name: Paul Kohls

Age: 33

House district: 34A

Residence: Victoria

Party affiliation: Republican

Committees: Taxes, finance, public safety finance division, public safety and civil justice

JI: What are your top goals for the coming legislative session?

PK: My top priority will be to work to ensure that as much of the approximately $1 billion bonding bill that will be passed this year is dedicated to roads and bridges. I think it is critical that we establish priorities and for me we must place our critical public infrastructure above local projects like hockey rinks and local projects that do not have statewide or, at least, regional impact.

Secondly, I will continue to work to ensure that the state lives within its means. The projected budget deficit has already led too many legislative leaders calling for tax increases, which I believe is the wrong way to resolve the shortfall. The projected deficit is only about 1 percent of our budget, and I am confident that we can find a way to balance the budget without asking taxpayers for even more of their money.

JI: Do you support additional funding for transportation issues? If so, what specific ideas do you have regarding from where that money would come?

PK: Yes. We currently spend no general fund money on roads and bridges, and I have introduced legislation that would change that. Roads and bridges are a statewide priority and deserve to be funded in part from our general fund. Although this is not a budget year, I will continue to advocate for this common-sense approach to significantly increase transportation funding that would not require a tax increase.

JI: Regarding transit, how important is directing additional funding toward light-rail transit and bus lines, such as SouthWest Transit?

PK: Clearly, transit is an important component of an overall transportation system, but light rail has yet to be proven to be cost effective. The startup capital and ongoing operational subsidies are a burden on already tight budgets. On the other hand, SouthWest Transit has shown that it can efficiently move people from our area to the other parts of the metropolitan area, and we should look to expand upon its success. I think we should be looking to spend our limited resources on what we know works rather than on what might be nice but is not economically efficient.

JI: Do you think Carol Molnau should continue to serve as the Minnesota Department of Transportation commissioner?

PK: Yes. Lt. Gov. Molnau has become a favorite political target for the Democrats, but absent evidence that she knew of safety problems and failed to address them, I think she should continue to serve as commissioner.

JI: The state is projecting a $373 million budget deficit by the summer of 2009. What does that mean in terms of what can be accomplished this session?

PK: Although $373 million is a lot of money, it is only about 1 percent of our general fund budget. We can and should be able to resolve this projected deficit without raising taxes and without a great deal of difficulty. Despite my best efforts and the efforts of many of my colleagues, there is still a significant amount of waste and inefficiency in our state budget, and we should use the deficit as an opportunity to eliminate as much of it as possible.

JI: Do you envision any legislation this year that will have a specific effect on your district?

PK: There are a number of proposals the county board has requested that I'll be working on, including, for example, obtaining funding to help purchase some of the remaining land that needs to be acquire to complete the Lake Waconia Regional Park. It's too early to tell whether this or any other bills that may have local impact will pass.

Paul Kohls, R-Victoria, represents Minnesota House of Representatives District 34A, which includes Helena Township. He can be reached at 651-296-4282 or rep.paul.kohls@house.mn.