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Minnesota budget problem as 'serious as a heart attack'
After a brief Thursday morning meeting with Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty, state leaders said Minnesota's budget problem was sobering, serious and could produce an uncharted crisis.The state's deficit could be as large as $3 billion and could mean Minnesota will be out of cash to pay its bills in short order, said Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis. It is a gap borne in part of a Wednesday State Supreme Court decision that ruled Pawlenty's 2009 unilateral budget cutting was illegal and could not stand. "This is as serious as a heart attack," said House Minority Leader Kurt Zellers, R-Maple Grove. Pawlenty and the DFL-controlled Legislature, which have shown little ability to cooperate on budget matters in the past, have just 11 days to solve the daunting budget problem if they hope to end the 2010 session on time. After the 45-minute meeting, neither sides showed much budging from their firmly entrenched positions. House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher said Pawlenty is "insistent" that the Legislature should pass the budget scheme he enacted through "unallotment" last year. Pogemiller said that solution was "not viable" and "not wise." Meanwhile, Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung said Pawlenty has no interest in signing a measure to raise taxes to solve the problem. Last year, the governor vetoed lawmakers' tax increase bill and then cut the state's budget on his own to fill the gap. Pawlenty has a planned political trip to South Carolina Friday. McClung said he had not asked the governor if that trip would be cancelled, given the budget situation. The governor and lawmakers plan to meet against Thursday afternoon to continue work on budget issues. Posted by: Fred 2010-05-07 |
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