Minnesota Legislature's 2007 session

Pawlenty threatens to veto tax bill

(AP) - Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Tuesday that a tax bill approved by the Minnesota Legislature is "headed in the direction of a veto" but its demise wouldn't force a special session.

Pawlenty said he made lawmakers aware of his opposition to a provision that would put inflationary increases back into budget forecasts, but it ended up in the bill anyway.

The Republican governor said a special session to redo a tax bill isn't necessary.

After days of negotiations produced no final budget agreement, lawmakers rushed through a slate of budget bills Monday in a chaotic conclusion to the 2007 session.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

Guests

• Mike Mulcahy: Minnesota Public Radio political editor.
• Laura McCallum: MPR reporter covering the press conference.
• Mark Zdechlik: MPR reporter. Zdechlik was at a DFL press conference in St. Paul this morning.
• Tom Scheck: MPR Capitol reporter.

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