Rep. Kris “Chainsaw” Hasskamp

It was brought up during the negotiation that reached a power sharing agreement between the House DFL and Republicans that Rep. Paul Torkelson (GOP-Hanska) had the most complete and significant chainsaw collection surpassing the number Rep. Melissa Hortman (DFL-Brooklyn Park) owns. Rep. Torkelson has, he thought, seven or eight chainsaws in his collection.

Rep. Torkelson’s chainsaw collection is impressive but more impressive was Rep. Kris Hasskamp’s (DFL-Crosby) actions taken during a Feb. 2, 1998 hearing of the House Environment and Natural Resources Committee. Rep. Hasskamp brought a chainsaw (I believe she fired it up briefly) during the hearing to demonstrate the amount of noise personal watercraft can make on Minnesota’s lakes. Rep. Hasskamp’s bill (HF1690), which she dubbed the personal watercraft safety and courtesy act, had several provisions which included a ban on all personal watercraft from lakes of 200 acres or less in size, an expanded no-wake zone from 100 to 200 feet and reduced hours for full-throttle operation. The bill passed the Environment and Natural Resources Committee and was referred to the House Environment and Natural Resources Finance Committee where it died.

After the Nov. 1998 election newly elected Gov. Jesse Ventura, the owner of several personal watercraft, let it be known that any bills from the 1999 Legislature that restrict the use of personal watercraft would be vetoed.