The Senjem Agreement?

Posted at 1:58 PM on May 16, 2007 by Mike Mulcahy

No, it's not a new Robert Ludlum novel. It's what could happen today at the Capitol.

It all started when the DFL-controlled Senate was all set to begin debating a new round of budget bills. They had come up with a new K-12 plan, a higher ed bill, a health and human services funding bill, a plan for state agencies and one for economic development. The idea was to pass them all by midnight and send them to the House for agreement, and let the governor decide whether to sign or veto them.

Gov. Pawlenty was upset. At an Eagan restaurant where he signed the smoking ban bill he vented his frustration.

"No governor in my memory has been asked by the Legislature to veto one set of omnibus bills, much less two, as a way to negotiate an end to session. I think that's unprecedented. And it's a very troubling and disturbing set of actions from my standpoint," he said.

But then Senate Minority Leader David Senjem stood up and called for Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller to meet with the governor to try to avoid a standoff.

"We're not going to get this resolved by dancing through the exercise on the floor, taking the votes. That is absolutely not the way this thing is going to work. Unless we come together in a negotiation rather than a floor vote we are never going to get out of this place. And we're going to see special session and who knows what else," he said.

Pogemiller agreed to try a meething with the governor and that's what he and DFL House speaker Margaret Kelliher are doing now.

It reads like a public policy thriller (well, sort of). Will it lead to a session-ending agreement? Stay tuned.

UPDATE: The meeting in the governor's office is over. They all left without talking to reporters. The word is they don't want to negotiate in the media. The Senate is back on the floor and has begun debating its budget bills.

Services

• Hourly Newscast
• HD Radio
• iPhone App / Mobile
• E-mail newsletters
• RSS feeds
• Podcasts
• Submit your photos
• Videos
• Weather
• Most e-mailed stories