politics

DFLers retreated on several fronts Tuesday, making concession after concession to persuade Gov. Tim Pawlenty to sign some of their big budget bills, to no avail.

Instead, Pawlenty roared back with stern language, a veto of the health and human services bill "about five minutes after it reached my desk" and a promised veto of the higher education bill, which he dismissed on Tuesday as "underwhelming, uninspiring and devoid of reforms."

In both cases, DFLers had already removed offending provisions, including the Dream Act, which would have offered in-state tuition to illegal immigrants.

"We made many concessions to get the governor's signature," said Sen. Linda Berglin, DFL-Minneapolis, moments after Pawlenty vetoed the $10 billion health and human services bill.

On transportation, meanwhile, where DFLers had hoped to pull off a dime-a-gallon gas tax increase for ambitious road investments, legislative leaders told conferees on Tuesday to pare back their sights, possibly dropping the tax increase back to a nickel.

House Transportation Finance Chairman Bernie Lieder, DFL-Crookston, said that "we've made significant concessions," at the behest of leaders.

No specifics were divulged, but Sen. Jim Carlson, DFL-Eagan, said a House-Senate compromise would call for at least a 5-cent-a-gallon increase.

No overall agreement

The latest developments follow an earlier Pawlenty veto of the state government finance bill even after DFLers had abandoned domestic-partner benefits. DFLers did manage to elicit Pawlenty's signature on a modest public safety measure last week, but only after he had demanded and won another major concession: elimination of a controversial insurance provision that had heavy backing from DFL leaders in both bodies.

In what is rapidly becoming yet another staredown, Pawlenty served notice on Tuesday that he would not be maneuvered into bill-by-bill negotiations.

"The Legislature must articulate an overall plan for revenues and expenditures," he said in his health and human services veto letter. "A complete budget picture is vitally important to setting priorities and determining reasonable spending levels. We do not have such an agreement at this time."

Without an overall budget agreement, Pawlenty could find himself backed into a corner in which DFLers present him with a needed K-12 education bill and a megasized tax increase to pay for it and no money left to negotiate with.

"They are charging ahead with bills that are unacceptable to us," Pawlenty told reporters.

The mounting tension could make for an icy breakfast meeting Thursday, when legislative leaders are scheduled to meet with Pawlenty at the governor's residence. Assistant Senate Majority Leader Tarryl Clark, DFL-St. Cloud, called Pawlenty's attitude "a little disappointing and somewhat insulting," describing him as "the park bully."

The breakfast, she said, appears to be little more than a "photo op," at which she expected little progress. "At some point he has to say something besides no," she said.

DFLers control the House and Senate by wide margins, but still need a handful of Republican votes to override any vetoes, and on that thin reed, Pawlenty has taken an increasingly resolute stand against DFLers on both budget and policy fronts.

Higher-ed hopes dim

The House passed the higher-ed bill Tuesday night, by a vote of 85-46, despite Pawlenty's promised rejection.