Pawlenty offers compromise on state budget

Fresh off criticisms of partisanship by possible 2012 DFL challenger RT Rybak, Gov. Tim Pawlenty has sent a letter to state Democrats outlining areas of compromise on the state budget. As the Pioneer Press’ Rachel Stassen-Berger notes, Pawlenty lists three areas where he’d budge:

• • “Significantly reduce” his use of nearly $1 billion in borrowing.
• • “Accept the Senate position on budget reserves.”
• • “Move toward the House position” on a K-12 funding shift

He says these areas would generate a billion dollars in revenue, equivalent to the funding level in the tax bill he vetoed, and he reiterated he’d oppose attempts to raise taxes.

Read the governor’s letter to Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller and House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (pdf).