Budget Deal Reached, But It Takes A Little Overtime!

May 16, 2010
Saint Paul, Minnesota
Marty Owings

At a little before midnight tonight DFL Law Makers emerged from the Governors office at the Capitol saying they'd reached a budget agreement. Senate Majority Larry Pogemiller held up a pen saying that they'd signed an agreement with the Governor and that it would include a special session called at 12:01 a.m. and that it would be done by sunrise.

Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher (DFL) said that the highlights included an option to, "opt into early MA". Kelliher was refering to a deal that would allow the next Governor to decide if they wanted to leverage the Federal Medical Assistance Program which includes $400 million dollars in matching funds.

Kelliher added that the deal would also protect nursing homes, with no cuts to K-12 and a plan to pay back money being borrowed from school funding. Majority Leader Tony Sertich (DFL) explained how the special session would work saying that Law Makers just needed time to examine the details, any small tweaks would be worked out and a quick vote would be taken to pass the bill.

Governor Pawlenty then spoke to the Press saying he was pleased to announce that a bipartisan agreement had been reached. Pawlenty reiterated how the short special session would occur then talked about the details of the bill. Pawlenty said he felt good that the surcharges were removed from the bill and that reforms made earlier in the session to General Assistance Medical Care would remain in place. Pawlenty said the cuts in the bill, "substaintially follow the unallotments", he made the previous year. Pawlenty was asked if the special session would come with a political cost and he responded by saying, "I don't think so".

Minority Leader Kurt Zellers (R) said it was struggle to come to agreement when, "your $3 billion dollars in debt". Zellers added that coming to a good conclusion, even with a few minutes of overtime. Both Zellers and Senate Minority Leader David Senjem (R) were pressed to talk about who the winners and losers were in the agreement, but neither seemed willing to answer the question. Zellers deflected the query by stating, "We had a tough, tough job to do and in this situation its not about a winner or loser in this, its making sure we don't do any harm to our economy, Minnesota familes and tax payers."