Audio After legislative session of indecision, Pawlenty carries a big stick (story audio) Gov. Tim Pawlenty (Midday 6/30/04) Gov. Pawlenty discusses issues (Morning Edition 7/22/04) Photos Gov. Tim Pawlenty A Pawlenty ally More from MPR Governor hearing criticism from members of his own party (08/10/2004) Pawlenty finds money to jumpstart North Star rail line (08/03/2004) Pawlenty agrees to fix city aid glitch, defender budget (07/22/2004) Your Voice Join the conversation with other MPR listeners in the News Forum.

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After legislative session of indecision, Pawlenty carries a big stick
by Laura McCallum, Minnesota Public Radio
August 13, 2004

When he announced his Northstar plan, Pawlenty said he wasn't trying to do an end-run around the Legislature. (MPR Photo/Laura McCallum)

Gov. Pawlenty has been taking some heat the past couple of weeks for sidestepping the Legislature on major decisions. Surprisingly, most of the criticism isn't coming from Democrats, it's coming from his Republican allies. Since Pawlenty took office, he has single-handedly closed two budget gaps, fixed a couple of nagging budget problems and jump-started a stalled rail project. The governor's office says lawmakers shouldn't criticize Pawlenty if they don't like his decisions. He had to take action, the governor says, because lawmakers didn't get their work done.

St. Paul, Minn. — When Gov. Pawlenty decided last week to act on his own to get the Northstar commuter rail line going, it wasn't the first time he's taken unilateral action. He first used his executive authority just one month into his term, when the House and Senate failed to agree on a budget fix. The governor cut state spending to erase a projected $350 million deficit.

He took a similar action this year, when the Legislature couldn't agree on how to close a projected $160 million budget gap. And last month, he took executive action to fix two budget problems affecting state aid to cities and public defenders. When he announced his Northstar plan, Pawlenty said he wasn't trying to do an end-run around the Legislature.

	A Pawlenty ally

"Nobody should walk away from here with the impression that we can govern the whole state without funding and help and partnership with the Legislature. We're just trying to do things on an interim and emergency basis to keep some critical things moving forward," he said.

Pawlenty also said he may find ways to jump-start other infrastructure projects that stalled this session, when lawmakers failed to agree on a bill to borrow money for capital improvement projects. His defenders say Pawlenty had no choice but to take action on these issues.

"I would term it bold leadership," says Republican House Speaker Steve Sviggum of Kenyon, the governor's most powerful ally in the Legislature. He says Pawlenty has made prudent decisions to use his executive authority.

"Not unilateral decision making that is in a vaccuum, but I see it as being bold leadership, and I would give the governor great kudos for the actions that he's taken that have been balanced and sometimes needed because of the budget situation," Sviggum said.

Sviggum says the governor has often consulted with him before making executive decisions, although he says he wasn't consulted on Pawlenty's Northstar plan. Neither was Pawlenty's lieutenant governor, who happens to be the state's transportation commissioner and personally opposes the commuter rail line. Nor were Republican Northstar opponents in the Legislature. Northstar critic Phil Krinkie, a Republican Representative from Shoreview, says Pawlenty has alienated some lawmakers and overstepped his bounds with his recent actions.

"If these were critical or crucial issues that the governor felt were imperative, then it's incumbent upon him to be at the table to ensure that those particular pieces of legislation make it through the process," said Krinkie, says he's been disappointed with the way Pawlenty has worked with the Legislature since taking office. He says he expected more cooperation from a 10-year veteran of the Legislature.

I think the general perception is, the Legislature acted like children, and somebody had to come in and get the job done on specific issues. - Sarah Janacek

DFL legislative leaders have made similar critiques, and have said Pawlenty has a "my way or the highway" approach. Pawlenty's chief of staff, Dan McElroy, disagrees, and says the administration frequently consults with key legislators.

"We want to be clear that the governor wants to work with the Legislature. There will be rare occasions, like with matching federal funds for Northstar, when we will have to take action on our own," McElroy says.

McElroy says the governor needs to run state government when the Legislature is not in session. Political observers say Pawlenty may have used his executive authority more than previous governors - but that's because the Republican-controlled House and DFL-controlled Senate have been unable to agree on many issues.

Republican Sarah Janecek, co-editor of the newsletter Politics in Minnesota, says it doesn't appear that the public blames Pawlenty for the legislative gridlock.

"I think the general perception is, the Legislature acted like children, and somebody had to come in and get the job done on specific issues and the governor has accomplished that," she said.

The governor's executive authority has its limitations. He can't spend state money without legislative approval, and he can't cut spending on his own unless the state's cash reserves are depleted and the state has a deficit. Pawlenty can't pass a budget on his own, and many lawmakers expect the 2005 session to be just as contentious on budget issues.

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