What do three highways in west central and southwestern Minnesota have in common with the St. Louis County Administrator's job?

This isn't a trick question. State Reps. Tom Rukavina of Virginia and Dale Swapinski of Duluth on Friday saw a bill titled, "A bill for an act relating to highways; transferring three state highways and vacating one state highway'' (SF3293/HF3135) -- and decided to attach an amendment to abolish the job of St. Louis County Administrator by Dec. 31.

There's no connection. None.

Rukavina and Swapinski were simply up to vindictive, irresponsible mischief. Wanting to pay back St. Louis County Administrator David Twa and county commissioners for policy disagreements over nursing home beds, they abused the legislative process and their power as legislators.

The Rukavina/Swapinski amendment was sprung on the House floor Friday afternoon when legislators were considering a bill passed 60-0 in the Senate to transfer Route 191 to Traverse County, Route 266 to Nobles County and Route 273 to Redwood County. The House bill was exactly the same; that is until Rukavina and Swapinski hijacked it.

Of our local legislators, only Tom Huntley of Duluth stood up to oppose this nonsense. He said that it ought to be a local decision whether St. Louis County should have a county administrator, not a legislative decision. Kudos to Huntley.

The Minnesota Constitution requires that all bills coming out of the Legislature "embrace only one subject.'' That way, people have a chance to follow bills and legislators have a chance to know what's in them when they vote. This and "germaneness'' rules are supposed to prevent legislators from combining into one bill diverse measures which have no common basis.

Legislators should have insisted on striking the Rukavina/Swapinski provision that had no plausible connection to the bill on highways. Instead, as the House Journal for Friday reports, "The question was taken on the Rukavina and Swapinski amendment and the roll was called. There were 64 yeas and 60 nays.'' Then the bill on highways with the Rukavina/Swapinski amendment came up for a vote. It passed 129-2, with only Huntley and another legislator voting "no.''

With this one act, the northeastern Minnesota legislative delegation, with the exception of Huntley, has thoroughly undermined its credibility -- showing that legislators are willing to go after the jobs of local officials if they disagree with them on particular policies. The clear message is: "Do as we like, or we'll eliminate your job.''

The majority in the House, too, is implicated in this serious abuse of power. All 64 who voted for the Rukavina/Swapinski amendment should be embarrassed about their vote -- including local legislators Irv Anderson, Tom Bakk, Mike Jaros, Rukavina, Tony Sertich, Loren Solberg and Swapinski. Legislators Bill Hilty and Mary Murphy weren't present for the vote.

Fortunately, the Senate is having none of this. When the House sent over the amended bill, the Senate replied curtly that it "does not concur'' with the amendment. Unfortunately, the Senate will now have to waste time appointing three members to a conference committee to iron out differences with the House -- i.e., they'll have to insist on a clean bill on highways, minus the Rukavina/Swapinski amendment.

It should be up to county commissioners and the people of St. Louis County to evaluate the performance of their county administrator -- and to decide whether they want to have a county administrator.

Not only did House members meddle in what are properly local matters, they abused their own House rules to do so. Shame on Rukavina and Swapinski -- and all who went along with them.