Pawlenty says the bonding bill is too big

St. Paul, Minn. — Governor Tim Pawlenty is criticizing the $925 million bonding bill that the Legislature placed on his desk this week.

The borrowing plan covers the construction of public projects throughout the state.

Pawlenty said the bill is too big. He has the option of vetoing the entire bill or using his line item authority to trim the cost.

During his weekly radio show today, Pawlenty singled out some of the projects he described as misplaced priorities.

"They've got landscaping for a new Bell Museum for a half a million dollars. There are theaters and civic centers and hockey rinks all over the state for tens of millions. All over the state there's lacrosse fields and recreational facilities and soccer fields, all of which are nice. But this isn't an issue of whether it's nice. It's whether it's necessary, and is it a priority in these challenging economic times," Pawlenty said.

The governor has until Monday to take action on the bonding bill.

DFL legislative leaders have encouraged him to use his line item veto on projects if he wants a smaller bill.