DFL leadership and Gov. Tim Pawlenty will meet Wednesday, April 16, on the $935 million dollar budget shortfall. Minnesota Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher, House Majority Leader Tony Sertich and Senate Assistant Majority Leader Tarryl Clark will sit opposite the guv at the 10 a.m. session.
The DFLers’ press release claims that the lawmakers wanted the meeting in “a public setting,” but that the governor wanted it in private.
There’s certainly bad blood between the two factions after the transportation bill veto override and bonding bill cuts, so perhaps this is a step in the right direction to solving the state’s budget problem. Then again, more than one Capitiol observer cracked yesterday that the meeting could ensure that nothing gets solved.
So what was the point the Governor was making with the line item veto on the transportation bill? Was he trying to get back at the DFLers for forcing the ouster of his Deputy Governor from DOT? If so, it only shows pettiness on his part.
Also, it seems that in his zeal to show how fiscally responsible he is, he forgets that the public is really in favor of some of the projects he is opposing. If he is not convinced, then maybe he can try and push through a public referenda to be placed in next November’s election. But, defeat is very likely, and it will not be good for his record.
Then again, our Governor is too immersed in national politics to really care about the affairs of Minnesota.