Q&A: Sen. Al DeKruif Sits Down with Patch

Editor's note: With the 2012 Minnesota legislative session set to convene Monday, Sen. Al DeKruif (R-District 25) of Madison Lake sat down with Northfield Patch to reflect on his first year as a legislator, talk about some of the "off-season" political news and share some insights for 2012. Also be sure to read what had to say.

Northfield Patch: Let’s get it out of the way. The Vikings. What should be done and where should the stadium go?

Sen. Al DeKruif: I’ve not weighed in on that conversation. What I have done is have worked with some people on Racino and I’ve put that toward as a funding source. Where the stadium goes should between a local partner and the Vikings. ... Where it goes is not something I think the Legislature should (get involved with). The Vikings should decide.

Patch: With the recent injuries to Jack Jablonski and Jenna Privette, do you think the Legislature should step in like they did with concussion-related stuff, or do you feel the responsibility should remain with the high school league, coaches, parents, players, etc.?

DeKruif: I think those involved should take care of it and I think they are.

Patch: Seemingly a surprise to everyone, the state now has a reported $876 million surplus. How does that affect the budget focus in 2012?

DeKruif: I think it takes the conversation away from budget. I think it takes it more to policy. There’s not any money to spend because that $876 million went into, by statute, to pay our funds. There’s no money to spend, so I don’t see this being a real contentious budget year at all.

Patch: Looking back on your first year in office, what surprised you the most?

DeKruif: The amount of time it sometimes takes to get legislation passed. Sometimes things that seem pretty common sense takes time. It surprised me the governor when he said he wasn’t going to.

Patch: The Republican Party in Minnesota has taken a few hits here in the last few months with regards to  and former party chair, Tony Sutton. How do you feel about the party as the legislative session approaches?

DeKruif: The Republican Party of Minnesota and the Tony Sutton deal—I’m not involved in and don’t want to be. Sen. Amy Koch came before us in Senate and said she made a mistake and was very sorry. She’s human. Anyone who doesn’t make a mistake is not human. She admited to making a mistake and asked for forgiveness. Quite frankly, I want to leave her alone and let her finish her term.

Patch: A hot topic from last year that obviously isn’t going away is the marriage amendment proposal. It goes to the voters in November. Where do you stand on this issue?

DeKruif: The press frames it one way. What I voted on was to keep activist judges from making decisions in Minnesota. It’s not changing current law. The current law says marriage is between one man and one woman. I would like to see the people of Minnesota weigh in on this.

Patch: What is something you feel you’ve learned since becoming a legislator?

DeKruif: I’ve learned something about the process. It takes time to get a bill written, to get all the research done, get it introduced, get your people ready to testify. It’s a process and it takes a little time and experience to be effective at it.

Patch: Are there any bills you authored in 2011 that are carrying over or new bills you plan to push in 2012 that you want your constituents to be aware of?

DeKruif: I’m going to continue to work so that cities and counties don’t have to pay to the state. I don’t think one government entitiy should have to to another. I want to do what I can to bring a to Minnesota. I think that’s a bill that moves in that direciton.

Patch:  indicate you wouldn’t represent Northfield in 2013 (DeKruif lives in Madison lake) if you run again because of . That aside, will we see a DeKruif 2012 campaign?

DeKruif: I'm anticipating I’m going to be running again but I’m not planning to make an announcement until I know who am I’m talking to. A lot of my support comes from Northfield; I have a lot of friends in Northfield. If our two districts don’t align after redistricting, I’m going to have some disappointment as well.