Minnesota governors and state Senate leaders of the same party have had their differences in the past. But Thursday's falling out between DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and Senate DFL Majority Leader Tom Bakk has to rank high on state history's rancor scale.
Bakk's move Thursday morning on the Senate floor to roll back at least until July 1 pay increases Dayton recently awarded his state agency heads is "totally unacceptable," Dayton made clear in an afternoon briefing with reporters. The governor hung a veto threat over the move, which he called "extremely disappointing," "a petty sideshow" and an attempt to cause "mayhem" within the executive branch.
Dayton's beef was not just with the move itself, but the way in which it was done. Dayton said he received no advance word from Bakk about his intentions. Bakk had "stabbed him in the back" and "blindsided" him, breaching trust while implying that the salary increases were extralegal. In fact, they were authorized by a 2013 change in state law that Bakk supported at the time.
Bakk sold the Senate well on the idea of delaying Dayton's salary increases at least until July. His amendment to that effect to a state agency deficiency funding bill was approved on a 63-2 vote. He evidently made no attempt to sell Dayton on the idea. Bakk was unavailable Thursday afternoon to explain his move or to respond to Dayton's complaint.
Relationships count for much in the crafting of state laws. That's why the governor's declaration that he no longer trusts Bakk is a major development not just for Capitol gossips, but for the course of legislation this session.
But Thursday's relationship rupture has at its core some serious policy issues that ought not be lost in the talk about who's angry with whom. At issue: Who should be responsible for executive branch compensation decisions, the governor or the Legislature? Is it fair and proper for one Legislature to authorize salary increases and the next Legislature to take them away?
More fundamentally, do Minnesotans want top-caliber executives running state agencies? If they do, the state must pay salaries commensurate with other states and local governments and relatively similar to the private sector. A 12-year salary freeze allowed Minnesota's agency leaders' salaries to slip well behind their peers. However the spat between Dayton and Bakk plays out, those salaries should not go back into the deep freeze.
