Polinaut: February 5, 2009 Archive

The Daily Digest: 2-5-09

Posted at 6:56 AM on February 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck
Filed under: Daily Digest

Senate Republicans propose a wage freeze on all state and local government employees.

WCCO Reality Checks the issue.

DFLers vow to fight for health care aid.

Forum Communications takes a deeper look at Gov. Pawlenty's LGA cuts.

A bill would give students money for graduating early.

The annual start school before/after Labor Day debate begins again. The fist robin of Spring must not be far behind.

The Pi Press says Minnesota has a low counselor to student ratio.

2008 U.S. Senate race

The Minnesota Supreme Court hears arguments today on why Gov. Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie should issue an election certificate to Al Franken.

Meanwhile, the recount trial continues one ballot at a time.

Forum Communications says the ballot review could take weeks.

Ramsey County's elections official proposes some changes to the system.

Congress

President Obama is scheduled to address Congress on February 24th.

He signed an expansion of SCHIP. It raises the tobacco excise tax.

Obama met with moderate senators about the stimulus bill.

He also calls for salary caps for executives of bailed out firms.

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar backs the freeze and talks about the stimulus package.

Politico and The Hill says Klobuchar stole the show at a Congressional dinner.

Several steel-state lawmakers are vowing to save the "Buy America" provision in the stimulus bill. DFL Rep. Jim Oberstar is mentioned.

Oberstar is also backing a bill that would raise standards for granting antitrust immunity to airlines.

Congress postpones the TV switch to digital TV.

Obama plans a review of faith based policies.

Homeland Security officials will meet with Somali community leaders in Minnesota.

Finally

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Klobuchar's speech

Posted at 12:29 PM on February 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck

DFL Sen. Amy Klobuchar's speech to the Washington Press Club Foundation received rave reviews. Here's the video. She starts at about 36 minutes in.

Pogemiller says it's time to get real on budget deficit

Posted at 12:41 PM on February 5, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (2 Comments)

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, says he believes there are going to be cuts in K-12 education funding.

His prediction came this morning during a Senate tax committee review of Gov. Tim Pawlenty's budget proposal. The state is facing a projected $4.8 billion deficit, but Pogemiller isn't buying the Republican governor's solution, which includes the use of one-time money, spending cuts, shifts and borrowing.

"I believe that there is not yet an acceptance of the seriousness of the situation we're in, Pogemiller said. "And I implore members and governors to get real quicker here."

Pogemiller says a structurally-balanced budget would require across the board spending cuts of 13.65 percent. That means a $1.5 billion cut for K-12 education. Gov. Pawlenty spared K-12 education in his budget and proposes increased spending for some school purposes. But Pogemiller says you can't keep
40 percent of the budget off line.

The DFL majority leader asked Pawlenty's commissioner of management and budget, Tom Hanson, to be more realistic when he crafts a supplemental budget after next month's release of the February economic forecast.

"We are in a deteriorating situation, Pogemiller said. It is not in the long term interest of the state to try to do this with bubble gum and act like we're doing something."

Commissioner Hanson defended the governor's budget, saying it provides Minnesotans a cushion in tough economic times. Hanson told committee members that the governor will have a supplemental budget, to reflect the February forecast and an expected larger budget hole. But he warned there will no education cuts or tax increases.

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This morning's Supreme Court hearing

Posted at 1:05 PM on February 5, 2009 by Tom Scheck

The Minnesota Supreme Court heard oral arguments this morning regarding Al Franken's attempt to force Gov. Pawlenty and Secretary of State Mark Ritchie to issue an election certificate declaring Franken the winner. He's making the argument even though Norm Coleman's challenge of the recount is still being heard in court.

Here's the full audio of the arguments:

Listen

House GOP weighs in on Pogemiller prediction

Posted at 3:05 PM on February 5, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (1 Comments)

House Republican Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, issued a news release this afternoon in response to earlier comments from Sen. Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, on the budget and K-12 education funding. Here's the text of the statement:

"I've said that getting Democrats to talk about balancing a budget is like getting a mime to sing. Well, today the mime sang and he's horribly off key."

"It was not a good week for K-12 education at the Capitol. On Tuesday, Democrats launched their first strike at the QComp program and today Senator Pogemiller is talking about cutting funding. I don't think that slashing K-12 funding and dumping quality improvement programs is the right answer to what ails Minnesota."

"Everyone knows there will have to be cuts, but frankly Im shocked to hear a leading Democrat say education should be on the chopping block. It makes me wonder what Democrats are going to hold up as their priorities when they get around to offering a solution of their own. We are more than one month into the legislative session and this is the first time we've heard serious talk about what Democrats might be looking at to balance the budget."

"If they intend to raise taxes and cut K-12 education funding, they should come out and admit it so Minnesotans will know where Democrats in the Legislature stand. I can tell you that as I travel the state, there aren't a lot of people who ask me to raise their taxes and cut funding to their schools."

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...and the Senate GOP weighs in too

Posted at 4:37 PM on February 5, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

Late this afternoon, Senate Republicans sent out this news release:

In response to statements today from Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller that members of the legislature and Governor Tim Pawlenty "get real..." about the seriousness of the growing budget deficit, Assistant Senate Republican Leader David Hann (R-Eden Prairie) released the following statement:

"I would respectfully like to remind Senator Pogemiller that his caucus has failed to 'get real' about the seriousness of the growing budget deficit by completely ducking their responsibility and pointedly refusing to produce a plan addressing Minnesota's budget deficit.

"Instead of their continuous chorus of complaints about the budget offered by Governor Pawlenty, Senator Pogemiller and the Senate DFL Caucus can show Minnesotans they can 'get real' about the state deficit by immediately offering an alternative budget proposal."

Pawlenty traveling to Germany for security conference

Posted at 5:07 PM on February 5, 2009 by Tim Pugmire (1 Comments)

Gov. Tim Pawlenty is heading to Germany for the weekend to attend the 45th Munich Conference on Security Policy.

Pawlenty's office quietly announced his trip abroad with just a few details listed on his public schedule for Feb. 6-9. The governor is traveling with a delegation that includes members of Congress, military and security officials and others.

The event is Friday through Sunday at the Hotel Bayerisher Hof in Munich. Vice President Joseph Biden is scheduled to speak Saturday, along with French President Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Dr. Angela Merkel. On Sunday, Gen. David Petraeus and Hamid Karzai, president of Afghanistan, are among the speakers.

Pawlenty made the same trip last year to attend 44th conference.

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