Analysis: Bipartisan spirit was left in the dust as session ended

05/23/2007

By Patricia Lopez,
Star Tribune
May 22, 2007


Like the day after the circus leaves town, the Capitol had virtually closed up shop on Tuesday, spent from five months of drama, dudgeon, coercion and compromise.

Despite some heavy losses, all sides struggled mightily to declare victory for themselves, with DFLers talking up a statewide smoking ban, stabilized school funding and expanded health care, while Republicans exulted in their success at fending off $5.5 billion in DFL-proposed tax increases.

And there were successes all around. Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty came away with pages-long lists of achievements, including the basic survival of pet initiatives that had been under session-long assault by DFLers and modest new reforms on high schools, mental health and a big bipartisan victory on renewable energy standards and conservation.

But there were low moments aplenty in a session that had started out with more than the usual pledges of unity and cooperation.

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