Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty today took a sharp knife to the Legislature's borrowing bill, cutting it down to $680 686 million from nearly $1 billion before signing the rest into law.

"I am deeply disappointed the bill still spends nearly $1 billion despite my repeated and pointed warnings that I would not sign a bill of this magnitude," Pawlenty wrote in his veto letter. He then repeated one of his favorite fiscal lines: "Like any family or business, state government needs to live within its means and follow a budget."

Among the projects he zapped:

  • $10.6 million for Hennepin Technical College
  • $14.9 million for Minnesota State University, Moorhead
  • $13.4 million for South Central College, Faribault
  • $42.3 million for St. Cloud State University
  • $21.4 million for state trail acquisition
  • $25 million for RIM Conservation Reserve
  • $43.5 million for the Transit Capital Improvement Program
  • $10 million for the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency
  • $9.4 million for the Oliver H. Kelley Farm
  • $13 million for the St. Cloud Civic Center
  • $28 million for the Mayo Civic Center

We will upload the complete list of projects that were vetoed here shortly.

Here is the complete list of projects and his veto letter.

Although the governor is in Florida today and was there during the weekend, he flew to Minnesota on Sunday to take care of the borrowing bill, according to a spokesman.