Pawlenty opposes tax on medical device makers

Gov. Tim Pawlenty says a proposed tax on medical device companies would hurt the industry in Minnesota and elsewhere.

The GOP governor is asking the state's Democratic senators, Amy Klobuchar and Al Franken, to try to remove the tax from a health care bill being developed in the Senate Finance Committee.

Pawlenty says the tax threatens thousands of jobs in Minnesota at companies including Medtronic Inc., Boston Scientific Corp., 3M Corp. and St. Jude Medical Inc. He says it could also jeopardize a bioscience initiative involving the University of Minnesota and the Mayo Clinic.

The request was made in a letter Pawlenty sent to Washington on Monday.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)