Media blackout

Posted at 5:41 PM on May 16, 2007 by Tom Scheck (1 Comments)

Governor Pawlenty and legislative leaders met this afternoon to discuss the budget. I wish we could tell you what they did but we're told there's a self imposed media blackout even though these are discussions dealing with taxpayer money.

So I figured I would give you a session recap of where we are at this point in the session:

Governor Pawlenty released a budget in January that increases spending 9% but the 9% isn't an across the board increase since schools aren't getting a 9% increase in revenue. Since then, Pawlenty has called for the Legislature to compromise with him even though he hasn't moved an inch on revenue in public discussions.

Meanwhile DFLers in control of the House and Senate have decided to send Governor Pawlenty an income tax increase even though he has repeatedly said he would veto it. They said they were optimistic he would sign it. Now they're sending him another slate of budget bills that Pawlenty didn't agree to and may be veto bait.

Republicans in the House have spent the last five months doing everything they can to make the DFL majority look bad. Most noticeably are the multi-hour floor debates on bills that pass with 120 or more votes.

Republicans in the Senate can't decide if they want to vote with the DFL majority or the Governor. In fact, some members speak at length on how bad the DFL budget bills are but then vote for them.

Now back to regularly scheduled programming...

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Comments (1)

Gee, this is exciting. (Seriously!) All of them are refusing to talk to the press at the same time! Bipartisanship at last.

I hope they go into Special Session again. These are really just the exhibition games, if there's a special session.

The DFL can win in Special Session, by the way, if they hammer TP's "no property tax relief because I want to protect the rich kids" scam. The voters will understand that, if the DFL fights it out with the Gov and the GOP in the papers and the broadcast media.

Pawlenty doesn't want to sign prop tax relief, but he doesn't want to look like he can't govern either (that ends his McCain dreams.) And if the voters see that TP and the GOP are fighting to keep their prop taxes HIGH--well, that will take a big chunk out of the GOP tax rhetoric, won't it?

Posted by Bill Prendergast | May 16, 2007 6:03 PM

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