Posted at: 01/29/2010 7:44 PM
By: Jill Kasparie

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Citizens Not Waiting for Legislative Session

(ABC 6 NEWS) -- It's a message we hear a lot, we're stuck in a poor economy.

Next week Minnesota lawmakers will begin the legislative session, where they'll work to turn things around for the state.

In the mean time, citizens are taking it upon themselves to find a solution.

This meeting isn't where you'd typically find Diane Hellie.

"On Saturday I volunteer with the meals program for the needy. I also volunteer with the Interfaith Hospitality Network. So I meet a lot of people who don't have jobs," Hellie said.

Now she's giving her two cents about the state's economy to help her community.

"I think everybody has to be involved and everyone has to contribute to the solution," Hellie said.

That’s exactly why the Rochester Citizens League gathered for this one-of-a-kind meeting.

"Every citizen pays taxes and every citizen probably uses some of the services in our state so if you look at all the things that have been going on, whether it's education or whatever we're all impacted," said Rochester Citizens League’s Sharon Tennis.

Participants are developed new ideas on health care and jobs, ideas organizers say will go to legislators and will hopefully play a role in solving the ongoing budget crisis.

"Solving problems the same way we've done before is probably not going to work, we can't cut enough services we can't tax enough to be able to balance the budget," said Rochester Citizens League’s Karel Weigel.

And they're getting a hand from the Public Strategies Group's CEO, A consulting company that recently studied nine ways for lawmakers to cut back, including health care.

"Talking about how can we get a way for a system that incentives people to get paid on the services they deliver as opposed to get paid for the health that's produced so that was a different kind of question to ask," said Public Strategies Group CEO Laurie Ohmann.

At the end of the day, Hellie hopes lending an idea will eventually lend a hand to those she helps as a volunteer.

The opening day of the Minnesota Legislative Session is Thursday, Feb. 4.