Ewald at the Capitol - March 12, 2010

Bonding Bill Sent to Governor
Pawlenty

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Key Legislative Contact Info
House Information Office
651-296-2146

Senate Information Office
651-296-0504

State Legislature Website
www.leg.mn

After weeks of negotiation between the Legislature and Governor Tim Pawlenty’s office, legislators were able to move forward with a bill this week that includes some priorities and concessions from each side. On Thursday, both the House and Senate passed the bonding bill, which is nearly a billion dollars, with bipartisan support. However, Gov. Pawlenty has already stated that he will line-item veto the bill “down to size.” Observers believe that Pawlenty’s target will be around $725 million.

For supporters of the bill, the news that Gov. Pawlenty is going to sign it causes mixed emotions. Just a few weeks ago, the Governor was ready to veto the entire bill and have legislators start over from scratch. However, a line-item veto means that some projects will not be funded – at least until the next bonding bill. Gov. Pawlenty has not yet said what projects will be vetoed from the bill, but throughout the session he has declared a preference for statewide projects over local ones.

GAMC Compromise

On Friday, March 5, legislative leaders were able to reach a compromise that will save much of the General Assistance Medical Care (GAMC) program through June 1, 2010. Following that date, the program would operate through a coordinated care delivery system of 17 major hospitals partnering together to serve those on GAMC. The compromise comes as Representative Erin Murphy (D-St. Paul) and Senator Linda Berglin (D-Minneapolis) have spent most of the session to date working on a fix to the program that was set to expire due to Gov. Pawlenty’s line-item veto of the entire program. Murphy and Berglin are the chief authors of the GAMC bill. The bills in both the House and Senate are working through committees and are expected to come to each chamber’s floor next week.

Read the text of HF 802, which reflects the GAMC deal.

More Elections Changes

After signing a bill last week to move up the state’s primary election to August, it appears that more bills dealing with elections will find their way to Gov. Pawlenty’s desk in the next few weeks. Following the 2008 Senate election contest, legislators on both sides of the aisle have been hard at work trying to correct some issues that arose during the recount process.

Two bills passed the House floor this week with a combined vote of 250-14. The bills would make the state’s voting system one of the most reliable and efficient in the nation. The bills address items such as absentee vote counts, matching voter registration information to public records to ensure accurate election rolls, and preventing multiple voting. The entire process has shown a productive partnership between legislators and those who administer elections.

The Senate is expected to take action on these measures in the next week.

Deadlines 101

Each year, the Legislature establishes deadlines for committee action on bills. Today is the first deadline of the 2010 session, which means committees have until 11:59 p.m. to act favorably on bills in their chamber of origin. Second deadline is set for next Friday, March 19, at 11:59 p.m. The third deadline is Monday, March 29. Deadline descriptions:

• The first deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills in the house of origin.
• The second deadline is for committees to act favorably on bills, or companions of bills, that met the first deadline in the other house.
• The third deadline is for divisions of the House and Senate Committees on Finance to act favorably on omnibus appropriation bills.

The deadlines do not apply to the House committees on Capital Investment, Ways and Means, Taxes, or Rules and Legislative Administration, nor to the Senate committees on Capital Investment, Finance, Taxes, or Rules and Administration. When a committee in either house acts favorably on a bill after a deadline established in this resolution, the bill must be referred in the Senate to the Committee on Rules and Administration or in the House of Representatives to the Committee on Rules and Legislative Administration for disposition.

Independence Party Finishes Online Caucus

The Minnesota Independence Party wrapped up its online caucus last week as party activists took part in the month-long caucus to determine the parties lead candidate among its activists. Leading the way for governor with approximately 50 percent of the vote was Tom Horner. Horner, a long-time Republican operative, said that his campaign represents “someone in the middle.” Others receiving votes were Rob Hahn, with about 16 percent of the vote, and Jack Uldrich, with about 4 percent.

The Minnesota Independence Party will hold its state convention on May 8, 2010, in Bloomington. It is expected that Horner will come out of the convention as the party’s endorsed candidate. In the 2010 governor’s race, the IP is looking for its first statewide office election win since 1998.

Chief Justice Eric Magnuson Resigns

Minnesota Supreme Court Chief Justice Eric Magnuson announced Thursday that he will step down from his position after serving for the last two years. Magnuson, who cited personal reasons for his decision, will officially step down on June 30.

View Chief Justice Magnuson's bio