Audio Leaders not too thrilled about special session invitation (story audio) The chances for a special session (Midday, 9/28/2005) Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson (Morning Edition, 9/28/2005) Senate Minority Leader Dick Day (Morning Edition, 9/28/2005) Photos Gov. Pawlenty Gopher stadium -- still waiting More from MPR Wilf begins stadium lobbying push as lawmakers consider referendum question (09/26/2005) Vikings, Anoka County announce stadium finance plan (09/20/2005) Legislative leaders press Pawlenty for fall special session (08/15/2005) Tools E-mail this page Print this page Sponsor

Gov. Tim Pawlenty sent a questionnaire to the top four legislative leaders, to gauge their caucuses' support for various issues for a special legislative session this fall. at least two of the four aren't inclined to respond. (MPR file photo)

Legislative leaders are giving mostly-negative reviews to Gov. Pawlenty's conditions for calling a special session. Pawlenty sent a letter to the four leaders Monday that includes a menu of potential bills that could come up in the special session, from stadiums to constitutional amendments. He's asking the leaders to indicate which items they believe their caucuses would support. Some caucus leaders say Pawlenty should skip the checklist, and call a meeting to discuss the issue face to face.

St. Paul, Minn. — Minnesota's elected officials have reason to be leery about another special session. The last one was panned by the public, and led to the state's first-ever partial government shutdown.

Gov. Pawlenty says he will only call a special session if legislative leaders agree on the agenda ahead of time, and indicate they have enough votes to pass the agreed-upon bills. He says leaders must agree to adjourn if lawmakers try to bring up bills that aren't on the agenda, and the session won't last more than two days.

Pawlenty's letter also says he won't call a special session unless all four caucus leaders complete and return his checklist.

At least two of them don't plan to. House DFL Leader Matt Entenza replied that he sees no need to respond to what he describes as an "overly simplistic, accept-or-reject" menu. And Senate Republican Leader Dick Day says two-thirds of his caucus members don't want a special session, no matter what's on the agenda.

"We can't respond to it. There's no way I could check any of the boxes that would have a majority of our members for, because the majority of our members don't want a special session," says Day.

Day, Entenza and Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson say Pawlenty should have called a face-to-face meeting, instead of sending out a questionnaire. Day says he thinks Pawlenty wants leaders to make the decision about a special session so he won't have to.

"He would like Dick Day to say, no session, and then he could probably go out and drive around the state and say that Dick Day says no session," says Day.

Pawlenty spokesman Brian McClung says the governor isn't trying to sabotage chances for a special session by setting impossible conditions. He says Pawlenty wants to avoid a repeat of this year's first special session.

"He's willing to call a special session if one or more of the issues that he outlined can be agreed upon in advance, and the legislative leaders can show that we can have a special session that is brief, decisive, orderly and productive," says McClung.

Pawlenty's key legislative ally, House Speaker Steve Sviggum, praised the governor's letter, saying it empowers legislators to make decisions, rather than dictating the agenda.

But even Sviggum was nervous about Pawlenty's request that legislative leaders certify they have the votes to pass the bills. He says he doesn't always know that until the voting board closes.

"Many times we caucus, and we don't know the number of votes when we leave the caucus rooms to the House and Senate floors," says Sviggum. "So it's a tough requirement, but I do believe that the chance of a special session is certainly there."

Sviggum plans to return Pawlenty's questionnaire, and may check several issues, such as approving a Maple Grove hospital and a constitutional amendment banning gay marriage.

Sviggum also supports proposals to build new stadiums for the Minnesota Twins and the University of Minnesota Gophers football team. But he says he first needs to survey his members to see if the votes are there for the Twins stadium.

The Twins have been pushing for a special session this fall, since their agreement with Hennepin County to build a ballpark there expires at the end of the year.

Twins President Dave St. Peter says he hopes Pawlenty and legislative leaders will agree to bring up the stadium bill.

"We believe this issue deserves a vote. Vote it up or vote it down. But let's give it the consideration that 45-plus years of Twins baseball deserves," says St. Peter. "And hopefully that will take place here over the course of the next several weeks."

Legislative leaders didn't want to bring up stadium bills during the regular session, while the Legislature was still debating a two-year budget. And many legislators don't want to vote on stadium bills next year, when all of them will be up for re-election.

But judging from the initial response to Pawlenty's letter, there doesn't appear to be much enthusiasm for a fall special session either.