Mayor Coleman seeks to shield budget memos from state data laws

Photo: stpaul.gov

Flouting President Obama’s pledge of openness in government, St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman wants the state Legislature to exempt budget memos by city staff from the state law that makes such documents public. Coleman dreamed up the end-run around the Minnesota Government Data Practices Act (MGDPA) to reduce public static as his department heads weigh in on the city’s budget before he announces it. The Pioneer Press decries the move today in what may be a dying breath from a news industry with dwindling resources to track stories like the evolution of city budgets.

If Mayor Coleman’s idea passes the state Legislature, would Pawlenty sign it into law? A veto wouldn’t be out of character for a governor who seems intent to stick it to the Democratic mayors of Minnesota’s biggest cities anytime he can. But if he instead sticks to past practice and apparent principles, T-Paw might show Coleman’s shield some love. After all, when it comes to electronic communications from his own department heads, Pawlenty has been happy to exercise his own exemption from the state’s sunshine laws.

The finer points of municipal budgets can stoke dangerous political spats large and small. On a micro level, the details of city budget cuts as revealed in MGDPA requests could give neighbors early warning that local assets are endangered. But Obama’s shout-out to Minneapolis’ budgeteers for preserving police positions showed how budget numbers can shake politics at the highest levels. It sparked a war of words (video) between Minneapolis Mayor R.T. Rybak and Pawlenty that may later be seen as an opening battle in the race for governor in 2010 — a race that Mayor Coleman too may join.