Did Gov. Tim Pawlenty make a mistake by calling lawmakers back so soon?
You’ve probably heard by now that Pawlenty called the Legislature back into special session one minute after they adjourned the regular session. It played well on the early TV news. “Get back to work,” he said. But will it help get a deal done on the budget? Maybe not, according to MPR’s Laura McCallum: Gov. Pawlenty says he decided to call a special session immediately so that Legislators wouldn’t go home and forget about the need to finish the budget. “If you’re all here having your schedules disrupted with vacations and family commitments and job commitments and they’re all barking at each other, that by itself becomes a pressure point,” he said. If the Legislature can’t agree on a new two-year budget by July 1, some state programs and services will shut down. Since July 1 is considered the next deadline, many lawmakers are grumbling about the governor’s decision to call them back immediately. DFL Senate Majority Leader Dean Johnson of Willmar says Pawlenty should have waited a few
