After Gov. Tim Pawlenty vetoed Minnesota DFL leaders' budget bill, the leaders decided they'd give Pawlenty a history letter.

In advance of a 3 p.m. meeting with the governor, House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher and Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller called on Pawlenty to "put aside your rigid ideology" and "provide leadership."

Here's their letter:

Dear Governor Pawlenty,
Your veto of the legislature's approach to balance the budget is disappointing although not unexpected. We had hoped that perhaps the moment had arrived to put aside your rigid ideology and political concerns and address the state's pressing fiscal issues.

Let's review for a moment how we got to this point. Last spring you announced that you would pursue your own path in balancing the state's budget. You agreed to and signed the spending bills. Every dollar that is currently being spent by the state of Minnesota is being spent with your signed approval. However, when presented with a plan to fund the spending you signed into law, you vetoed the measure and instead chose to unallot state spending at your discretion. The Minnesota Supreme Court has now said those actions were illegal and struck down most of your "solution" to the state's budget problems. This left us just ten days to solve an additional $2.5 billion problem. The state now stands poised on a fiscal precipice of your making. Any additional court action could plunge the state into insolvency and wreak long term havoc on the state's bond and credit ratings.

Since we learned of the Supreme Court's ruling, we have been working night and day to produce a balanced solution to this budget crisis. Your plan - to solve this entire budget deficit through cuts to schools and other critical programs - was not even supported by the Republican members of the Legislature. Yesterday, we put forward a different approach: we offered to accept nearly all of the spending reductions you have asked for, in exchange for bringing in new revenue to ensure that our schools get paid back the money you withheld from them. Our plan passed in both the House and Senate.

Once again, the only budget-balancing plan that has received enough votes in the Legislature to become law is the one you vetoed today. In fact, dating back to the beginning of this budget crisis last year, no budget plan brought forward by your administration has received more than a handful of votes in the Legislature. And yet, you continue to lambaste lawmakers when we present you a workable, balanced budget solution.

Today our request to you is to provide leadership. Bring forth an actual solution to the present budget crisis that balances the budget entirely through cuts, if that is your choice. Borrowing from our children without the means to pay back the loans remains unacceptable to most legislators, but we need and are willing to listen to other viable solutions. Most importantly, put forward an honest budget plan that can gain the support of your own party and a majority of legislators. As we learned last week, you do not have the authority to set the state budget by yourself.

Sincerely,


Larry Pogemiller Margaret Anderson Kelliher
Senate Majority Leader Speaker of the House of Representatives