Oct 15, 2005 2:04 pm US/Central
Pawlenty: Special Session Dead For Now
St. Paul (AP) ―
Gov. Tim Pawlenty said he decided not to call a special legislative session "at this time," after weeks of talks on a fall session to vote on sports stadium bills.
"I remain willing to bring the Legislature back to St. Paul if legislators can reach agreement on a limited agenda and number of days," Pawlenty said in a news release Friday night. "If legislators remain unwilling or unable to deal with these items in a focused and productive manner, they'll have to wait four and a half months until the next regular session."
The governor wanted to find agreement on an agenda that could include votes on Minnesota Gophers, Twins and possibly Vikings stadiums, but he said Friday he couldn't count on support from DFL lawmakers to focus on the stadium issue in a special session.
But Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson, DFL-Willmar, said the governor shouldn't blame the DFLers, saying "his own party, by way of House Majority Leader Erik Paulsen, told him the same thing just four days ago."
Last week, Paulsen, R-Eden Prairie, urged Pawlenty not to call a special session, saying most House Republican legislators are opposed to a fall special session to deal with sports stadium bills.
DFL legislative leaders have been more equivocal in their public comments about a special session, although House Minority Leader Matt Entenza, DFL-St. Paul, predicted this week that Pawlenty would not call one.
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