With the clock ticking, and fishing to do, Gov. Tim Pawlenty took action on 13 bills. Pawlenty, however, vetoed three bills.
The bills were among 14 that a Pawlenty staffer drove north to him Friday so they could be at his disposal before he headed out onto to Lake Kabetogama Saturday morning for the governor's fishing opener. Pawlenty didn't take action on the pension bill, the fate of which is wrapped up in budget negotiations. He has until midnight Saturday to act on that one or it will become law without his signature.
Chief among the bills Pawlenty vetoed: SF 341, which would have defined "domestic partner" in law and granted same sex couples some of the same rights should their partner die as married couples have.
He also vetoed: SF 271, which would have granted additional whistle-blower protections and SF353, which would have increased rates at publicly owned nursing homes.
Two other much discussed bills got off easier -- they were signed with a few line item vetoes. According to the governor's office, Pawlenty signed SF 2510, the Omnibus Employment and Economic Development bill and line itemed: "1) $2 million grant for Mountain Iron Economic Development Authority; 2) Appropriation for 2.706 cents per ton to Virginia Regional Medical Center." And he signed HF 2624, the LCCMR bill with one line-item veto, a " $143,000 appropriation for Analysis of Options for Minnesota's Energy Independence."
These bills were signed in their entirety, according to his office:
- Chapter 344, HF 3056: Peer grouping timelines
- Chapter 346, SF 2505: Early education
