The Legislature has passed all of its budget bills except for Transportation, K-12 Education and the Tax Bill.
In effect, we have been spending money from the State’s check book, without knowing how much money was in the bank. Several of the Budget bills have been signed by Governor Pawlenty including:
1. Agriculture and Veteran Affairs (with several line item vetoes)
2. Public Safety, Corrections and Courts
3. Environment and Natural Resources (with several line item vetoes)
These bills generally spent less than the Governor’s recommended budget level.
The Governor has vetoed other major spending bills, mostly because the bills spent more than the state’s projected revenues, or because they included policy provisions which the Governor considered to be “Poison Pills”.
Sometimes it’s helpful to read the Veto messages issued by the Governor. The messages explain why the Governor vetoed such major bills. I’ve attached the veto messages next to the Budget Bills which the Governor has already vetoed. The higher education funding bill will most likely be vetoed later this week as well.
Here are the bills that Governor Pawlenty has vetoed:
1. State Agency Funding Bill Veto message linked here. (May 7, 2007)
2. Bonding Bill Veto message linked here. (May 1, 2007)
3. Jobs and Economic Development Veto message linked here. (May 7, 2007)
4. Health and Human Services Veto message linked here. (May 8, 2007)
5. Higher Education Veto message linked here. (May 9th, 2007)
The Governor told the Legislature what he would sign and what he would veto. Now he is keeping his word. Significantly, these bills spent much of the State’s surplus. In my opinion, the Senate and House majorities are trying to keep the K-12 Education bill until the end in order to justify the tax increases they want for Education. I think we should have decided what’s in the bank before we began spending from the checkbook. I will vote to uphold the Governor’s vetoes.