Lawmakers not in a sharing mood

Posted at 3:00 PM on March 16, 2009 by Tim Pugmire

Gov. Tim Pawlenty's proposed requirement that public schools work together to purchase goods and services has suffered a major setback in the Legislature.

The "shared services" measure failed a preliminary vote today in the Minnesota Senate by a two-vote margin. The Republican governor unveiled the pooled-purchasing plan back in January as a bipartisan effort to help public schools save money. But Sen. Terri Bonoff, DFL-Minnetonka, the bill's chief sponsor, says school leaders objected to the state creating another mandate. Bonoff says she hasn't given up on the bill, but she says she needs more help from the governor.

"I think he's got more work to do," Bonoff said. "You know because really with only three Republicans voting for an initiative that the governor said was important to him was a surprise."

The Senate voted down the bill 33 to 31 under general orders. Bonoff says she'll ask for reconsideration of the bill if she can gain enough support.

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