Pawlenty and DFL leaders confer

11/22/2006

After their first meeting, the governor and legislators promise to work together for an effective 2007 session.

Dane Smith,
Star Tribune
Last update: November 21, 2006 – 11:19 PM

Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty and leaders of the incoming DFL legislative majorities emerged from their first meeting Tuesday promising a cooperative and productive 2007 session.

After a late lunch and a 90-minute talk with the DFLers, Pawlenty described general agreement that “progress can and should be made in K-12, in higher ed, in tuition relief or assistance. We want to make progress in health care (and) transportation.”

Said House Speaker-designate Margaret Anderson Kelliher, DFL-Minneapolis: “We’re looking forward to working with the governor where we can find common ground. Doing this in a spirit of respect and civility is very important to members of the House majority.”

Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller, DFL-Minneapolis, added: “We would like to help him be successful as governor because that will make the Legislature successful and the citizens of the state successful.”

Pawlenty, considered one of Minnesota’s most conservative modern governors on economic and social issues, has been sounding far more moderate since he eked out reelection by about 1 percentage point over DFL Attorney General Mike Hatch.

Earlier Tuesday on Minnesota Public Radio, Pawlenty estimated that the projected state budget surplus to be announced next week might range from about $600 million to “north of $1 billion.”

Meanwhile, DFLers have signaled that they also intend to pursue a moderate course. Kelliher said the House leaders have been talking “a great deal” about “a need for fiscal moderation in anything we do.”

Declarations of intent to cooperate have preceded recent legislative sessions, most of which turned out rancorous, prolonged or unproductive.

But Pawlenty suggested that the 2006 elections really have sent a message to Republicans about “getting things done.”

Some Republicans have attributed their losses to being too conservative and others to a lack of conservatism, he said. “I think the better answer is that Republicans lost nationally in part because they didn’t get things done,” he added.