DFL Adds Pressure for Special Session

Minnesota state DFL legislative leaders have sent a sharply worded letter to Gov. Tim Pawlenty expressing their frustration at the governor’s reluctance to call a special session of the Legislature.

The letter from House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, sent Tuesday, begins with a recap of efforts to facilitate a special session, leading to the terse declaration that “It is time to stop the word games.”
The two DFLers went on to say, “It is unfortunate that you are unable to act decisively and comprehensively to the transportation challenge, either due to philosophy or politics.” They also reiterated their stance that “the emergency needs from the bridge collapse and the flooding remain and must be dealt with immediately.”

Citing the desire to not “burden a future generation with more borrowing,” the two leaders called for a special session to be held Tuesday, Sept. 11 that would only deal with cash flow for I-35 bridge reconstruction and a flood relief package. Pawlenty had previously expressed resistance to the kind of transportation bill the DFL wants — particularly about the size of a proposed gas tax increase — and the DFL has apparently taken that item off its proposed session agenda. The idea expressed in the letter was to not present to Pawlenty legislation from a special session that would probably just be vetoed.

Pawlenty has recently said that he is considering issuing executive orders rather than calling a special session. Kelliher’s spokesman, however, called it “unlikely” that all concerns could be dealt with in that way.

The Monitor was unable to obtain a response from Pawlenty’s office.

DFL Rep. Michael Paymar of St. Paul echoed the tone of his party’s leaders when he said, “I’m very frustrated with the whole process.” Referring to Pawlenty as a “stone wall,” Paymar speculated about the cause of the governor’s intransigence: “I think that what Pawlenty does is to put his finger in the air and see if he has support or not.”

Paymar said he thinks it possible that Pawlenty is being driven by polls showing his popularity increased after his initial handling of the bridge collapse. “He probably said, ‘We don’t need a special session. I can probably do this through some special funding and through executive order.’”

Thus, Paymar does not believe Pawlenty will call a special session.

Pawlenty has said that a transportation proposal could wait for the regular legislative session scheduled for February. Paymar indicated that it would indeed be put on the table at that time, if there is no special session or if there is no transporation measure on a special session agenda. In that event, said Paymar, “We’ll probably give him the same bill that he vetoed last session.

“But, hopefully, the public will be more supportive and put some pressure on him to change.”