Legislature passes transportation bill, House one vote shy of veto-proof majority
Friday, February 22, 2008 at 12:36 am
- 2 Comments
The DFL majority in the state Legislature pushed through a new transportation bill on Thursday. But two defectors in the House left the bill one vote shy of a veto-proof majority, which could prove critical if, as expected, the measure is rejected by Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty.
State Reps. John Lesch, DFL-St. Paul, and Mary Ellen Otremba, DFL-Long Prairie, opposed the bill, which would increase funding for transportation infrastructure and mass transit in Minnesota. Otremba had also opposed the transportation bill passed in 2007, which was also vetoed by Pawlenty.
The bill passed the house 89-44. Six Republicans voted in favor of the bill: state Reps. Jim Abeler, R-Anoka, Ron Erhardt, R-Edina, Rod Hamilton, R-Mountain Lake, Bud Heidgerken, R-Freeport, Neil Peterson, R-Bloomington, and Kathy Tinglestad, R-Andover.
The state Senate, which has a veto-proof DFL majority, passed the measure later on Thursday night by a lopsided 47-20 margin.
Pawlenty is expected to veto the bill. The conservative governor has consistently opposed any increase of taxes to pay for transportation, even in the face of the Interstate 35W Mississippi River Bridge disaster of last August.
Should Pawlenty veto the measure, it will set up another veto override battle. Last year, the House fell just a few votes short of overriding a veto in the session’s waning hours.
2 Comments
Comment posted February 22, 2008 @ 7:30 pm
Jason Lewis ranting about the Rhinos. Jason Lewis was calling on his listeners to go to district conventions
of those who voted for the transportation bill. There is now a call
among some Republican Activists to table endorsing in district conventions until after the legislative session (to have some leverage over candidates).
Kathy Tinglelstad seems to be the source for most of the anger. Her district convention is tomorrow. On the GOP website it says.
WHEN: Feb 23 12:00 AM
WHERE: Oak View Middle School
15400 Hansen Blvd NW
Andover
I think there must be some sort of error there.
Often conventions start at 9 AM. Does anyone know the details on this convention? I’m kind of interested in checking it out.
Are any of the other Republicans who voted for this coming before district conventions tomorrow?
Comment posted February 22, 2008 @ 1:30 pm
Jason Lewis ranting about the Rhinos. Jason Lewis was calling on his listeners to go to district conventions
of those who voted for the transportation bill. There is now a call
among some Republican Activists to table endorsing in district conventions until after the legislative session (to have some leverage over candidates).
Kathy Tinglelstad seems to be the source for most of the anger. Her district convention is tomorrow. On the GOP website it says.
WHEN: Feb 23 12:00 AM
WHERE: Oak View Middle School
15400 Hansen Blvd NW
Andover
I think there must be some sort of error there.
Often conventions start at 9 AM. Does anyone know the details on this convention? I'm kind of interested in checking it out.
Are any of the other Republicans who voted for this coming before district conventions tomorrow?
RSS feed for comments on this post.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.
