Gov. Tim PawlentyDespite the ongoing budget impasse at the Capitol, there will be no special legislative session or government shutdown, according to Gov. Tim Pawlenty. The Governor announced this afternoon that, if necessary, he would resolve the state’s $4.6 billion budget deficit through what’s known as “unallotment.” Quite simply, Pawlenty would take an axe to the budget himself and strip out $4.6 billion in spending.

“Politics as usual around this place is over,” Pawlenty said in a statement announcing the decision. “The people of Minnesota expect and deserve timely and decisive action. I will not let the legislature’s work spill over into a special session.”

Pawlenty didn’t specify where he would make the cuts, but he made it clear that all government programs will be on the table, including K-12 and higher education, local-government aid and health-care programs. The Republican Governor set July as the target date for detailing the specific cuts.

Pawlenty and the DFL-controlled legislature have been at loggerheads over how to to close the budget gap throughout the current legislative session, which is slated to end Monday. The governor has refused to consider any tax increases, while the legislature passed a tax bill that would have generated $1 billion in additional revenues.

Pawlenty repeated his no-new-taxes mantra in announcing his plan for eliminating the deficit.

“I’m willing to work with the DFL on a reasonable plan, but I’m not willing to let them squeeze more money out of taxpayers and further burden job creators and employers in the midst of the toughest economy in more than 60 years,” he said.