NEW ULM JOURNAL EDITORIAL: Bloated bonding bill needed vetoing

Gov. Tim Pawlenty issued the first of what is expected to be a long list of vetoes on budget and spending bills sent to him by the Legislature. The state construction funding bill was a bloated mess that deserved vetoing.

The bill, which topped out at $334 million, was not only four times the size of the governor’s proposed bonding bill, it was a bill that actually grew in conference committee. Usually when conferees get together they are looking for middle ground. But the panel reconciling the House’s $255 million bill and the Senate’s $285 million bill decided to go above and beyond.

Look for the governor to do the same to other overpriced budget and spending bills. The DFLers in the Legislature lack the votes to override the veto, so they are going to have to go back to work and come up with something more to the governor’s liking. They have about three weeks to do so before the end of the session. They’d best get to work.