Politics

ST. PAUL (AP) ― Democrats who control the Legislature hustled to pass a lineup of budget bills Thursday, even as Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty promised to veto the tax increases they need to make their budget plans work.

A K-12 spending bill that would hold school funding flat for the coming two years cleared the House on a 85-48 vote. Earlier, the House approved an early childhood bill and the Senate passed spending packages for transportation and environmental programs.

Spending proposals in both chambers rest on raising billions in new taxes.

Pawlenty said he won't go there. He called a Senate plan to raise $2.2 billion in income taxes "a horrifically bad idea." He said a House provision that would eliminate tax deductions for everything from mortgage interest to organ donation expenses was "almost bizarre."

"They're going to be very disappointed if they send me bills that increase taxes," he said at a Capitol news conference. "They're going to get vetoed and they need to know that."

Pawlenty also criticized the House K-12 bill, saying it doesn't spend enough or make policy changes he wants to improve student learning. He sent a letter to the sponsor, Rep. Mindy Greiling, saying the package needs major changes before he will sign it into law.

Democrats struck back, forcing a House vote on Pawlenty's proposal to raise $1 billion by borrowing against the proceeds of tobacco settlement payments for 20 years. That plus a school accounting shift, federal stimulus dollars and spending cuts helped Pawlenty avoid proposing state tax increases.

The "tobacco appropriation bonds" failed 2-130, with just two Republicans voting yes.

"It's a tax increase with interest," said House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm. "We have to pay for this deficit over and over and over again."

GOP House Minority Leader Marty Seifert contended the language wasn't identical to the governor's plan, so didn't deserve a vote. But he also defended the proposal, saying it would be better than raising taxes.

"What are you going to do to balance the budget if you don't want to do this and you know that the tax increases are going nowhere? Then what's your plan?" said Seifert, R-Marshall.

Early Friday, the House voted 69-62 for a state agency bill that would extend state employee health insurance to domestic partners, including same-sex partners, starting in 2012.

The bill would also slice into the ranks of gubernatorial appointees, eliminate the lieutenant governor's car and allow officials to sell naming rights to most state buildings, but not the Capitol. A move to strip the naming rights from the bill failed, as did a push to require voters to show photo identification before casting a ballot.

During debate earlier on the House floor, Republicans said the schools bill was underwhelming. The bill would delay payments to school districts to balance the budget, but also includes a plan to overhaul the school funding system starting in 2014. Pawlenty's proposal to expand teacher merit pay was left on the cutting room floor.

"There is no funding, there is no reform and there is no leadership," said Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington. "This bill kicks the can down the road nearly 4-1/2 years."

Even Greiling said she wished the outlook were better. She said flat funding leaves schools to cope with inflation on their own, and predicted more bad news at the local level.

"They're planning for the worst and hoping it could get better," said Greiling, DFL-Roseville. "But even if we do our best, it's going to be cutting, because our best is not good enough."

A separate bill for early childhood programs passed 87-47. It would use federal stimulus money to expand child care programs, create an Office of Early Learning and expand a rating system for early care and education programs.

Down the hall, the Senate rekindled an old debate -- whether to allow police to pull over drivers for failing to wear seat belts, instead of making them spot another violation first. The transportation spending bill includes the provision, and a move to strip the requirement fell short, as it has in earlier years.

Sen. David Tomassoni, DFL-Chisholm, was among those who unsuccessfully tried to remove the seat belt language.

"It's getting to the point where the words `Protect and Serve' are changing to `Arrest and Collect,"' he said.

Sen. Leo Foley, DFL-Coon Rapids, vouched for the proposal.

"If we only save one life, it will be worth it," said Foley, a retired state trooper.

The broader transportation bill passed 47-18, and an environmental programs package passed 49-15. Up Friday: The Senate tax bill and public safety and jobs programs bills in the House.

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