Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Star Tribune: Pawlenty slashes $200 million from bonding bill

The governor trimmed $200 million-plus from the bonding bill through line-item vetoes. DFLers said the cuts hit their districts, especially St. Paul, hard. But Pawlenty asserted they were neither personal nor political.

By MARK BRUNSWICK, Star Tribune
Last update: April 7, 2008 - 10:06 PM

Complaining about "misplaced priorities" that would fund a sheet music museum but not a new nursing facility for veterans, Gov. Tim Pawlenty on Monday slashed more than $200 million from the capital investment bill presented to him last week by the DFL-controlled Legislature.

The Republican governor had raised the prospect of vetoing the entire bill, which funds construction projects and has been held up this year as an important jobs package in a weakening economy. Instead, he reduced it by 13 percent to $717 million, using 52 line-item vetoes. DFL critics contended that he focused the cuts on their districts, particularly in St. Paul.

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