With the state sliding into an economic slump and budget troubles looming, the Minnesota Legislature will be gaveled into session on Tuesday for what is sure to be a fractious few months.
A governor riding high in the polls and with a rising national profile based on his long-standing opposition to tax increases will square off against a DFL-dominated Legislature determined to raise revenue for public investments they say the state badly needs.
The struggle will determine whether Minnesotans see increases in gas taxes, license tab fees and sales taxes, along with improvements for roads, bridges and transit, plus job stimulus, health care and other programs.
Much could depend on the strength of a thin red line in the state House of Representatives -- the outnumbered band of 48 Republicans that gave Gov. Tim Pawlenty the upper hand last year by sustaining every one of his vetoes.
Unlike the veto-proof majority in the Senate, House DFLers still need to persuade at least a handful of Republicans to break ranks with Pawlenty to help them enact any tax increase over the governor's objections.
House Minority Leader Marty Seifert, R-Marshall, says that's not going to happen.
What really needs protecting this session, Seifert said, is Minnesotans' wallets.
House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm, said his party has a sharper message this year and a zeal not only for making headway on their issues, but also for blocking the kinds of cuts Republicans have resorted to in previous budget crises.