Key changes in five key bills

05/17/2007

Star Tribune
May 16, 2007


(ST. PAUL, MN) -- A 42-22 party-line vote in the Senate indicated little movement toward agreement on this $549 million bill to fund the Legislature, constitutional offices and core state agencies. It would spend $8 million less than the governor proposed, largely via cuts to executive-branch employees that he called "deliberately irresponsible."

• No changes were made in cuts to the governor's staff or a 19 percent increase in the Legislature's operating budget.

• But the Legislature edged toward Pawlenty by removing all provisions relating to health benefits for domestic partners of public employees, a one-month extension of current spending in the event of an overall budget standoff and a number of election provisions the governor opposed.

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