Legislature targets Pawlenty's HHS budget

Posted at 4:51 PM on April 27, 2009 by Tom Scheck

Democrats in control of both the House and Senate are forcing Republicans to vote for portions of Governor Pawlenty's Health and Human Services budget. The Minnesota House defeated an amendment that would eliminate the Health Care Access Fund. That fund pays for MinnesotaCare, a state subsidized health insurance program. All but one person (GOP Rep. Mark Buesgens) voted against the idea. Pawlenty wants to eliminate the Health Care Access Fund and roll the money into the general fund.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Senate overwhelmingly defeated Governor Pawlenty's entire Health and Human Services budget proposal. DFL Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller offered the amendment even though he said he opposed it.

"I encourage members to vote against my amendment," Pogemiller said. "It's my request. I don't support the amendment. I'm going to vote against it but what I want to do is clarify what the choices are for Minnesotans."

The House and Senate are both proposing tax increases and spending cuts to balance the budget. They argue Pawlenty's budget plan will cause significant budget problems over the long-term.

Several Senate Republicans weren't happy with Pogemiller's move.

"I don't like this what we're doing right now," Sen. Paul Koering of Fort Ripley said. "I don't like when we on our side do 'gotcha amendments' either."

Fellow Republican Julianne Ortman urged her colleagues "don't take the bait."

The Senate defeated Pogemiller's amendment 54-9 (Day, Gerlach, Gimse, Johnson, Jungbauer, Michel, Ortman, Pariseau and Vandeveer voted for the amendment).

This isn't the first time DFLers forced Republicans to vote for a portion of Pawlenty's budget. The Minnesota House overwhelmingly defeated an amendment last week that would borrow $1 billion and pay the money back over twenty years with future tobacco revenues.

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