pawlentyThe Minnesota chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union continues to weigh a possible lawsuit challenging Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s authority to utilize his unallotment power to help close the state’s $2.7 billion deficit. According to Chuck Samuelson, the group’s executive director, legal experts considering the matter are focused on two areas for potential litigation: the elimination of the state’s political contribution refund program and the scrapping of the General Assistance Medical program for poor, single adults.

“At the end of the day we may or may not be doing anything,” says Samuelson. “We’re in the process of winnowing out all the possible things that would be involved in this in terms of issues and in terms of plaintiffs.”

Samuelson expects the ACLU’s board of directors to take up the matter by Labor Day. If the group decides to proceed, it could team up with other potential litigants such as Common Cause Minnesota. Many groups have considered challenging Pawlenty’s unallotment authority in court, including the League of Minnesota Cities and the Minnesota Hospital Association, but so far only Common Cause has indicated that it will definitely file a lawsuit over the matter.