Monday, May 11, 2009

Final week of regular session

We are headed into the final week of the regular session, with only eight days before adjournment. After the House and Senate approved the tax conference committee report Friday night, Gov. Pawlenty made good on his promise to veto the bill, which he did immediately in the early hours Saturday morning.

If you've got your scorecard out, not a lot of the major spending bills have the governor's signature on them. To date, the governor has signed the transportation finance bill and the environment and natural resources bill, with one line-item veto. He has vetoed the economic development bill and tax bill. There is still plenty of time to wrap it up by May 18, but it will take a lot of compromise. No matter how you frame the budget deficit, $6.4 billion or $4.6 billion with the federal stimulus funds included, lawmakers have their work cut out for them.

The higher education conference committee is expected to meet today at the call of the chair. The Senate holds the gavel. The House goes into session at 11:00 a.m. and the Senate goes in at noon.

At the Capitol:
Legislative schedules are available for the House and Senate.

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