Almanac: At the Capitol

The 2009 session kicks off with - you guessed it - budget discussions. Norm Coleman holds a press conference about his election challenge.

 View the Capitol Update for January 9, 2009.

Update: As of 7:45, the arena is more than half-filled and and the line outside is said to stretch all the way to I-94.

Supporters are starting to stream into the arena and fill the floor in front of the podium. Obama's people tell me he won't take the stage before 9pm. An Eden Prairie mom, teacher and former Republican JoAnn Syverson will introduce Obama. She will be the only speaker besides Obama. Her son is an Iraqi war veteran. Michelle Obama will appear with her husbad and then take a seat. Meanwhile local officials are working the press. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is doing interviews. House Majority Leader Tony Sertich will be doing the same later.

Legislative leaders went in to a meeting with the governor about 8:15am. They came back out at 9:00am. Not much progress to report. House Majority Leader Tony Sertich said they're "trying to get on the same page" which means they have some distance to go. To continue his walzing analogies, he said they are in the "middle of the dance." They are still trying to find out what cuts they have in common and see if they can tackle property tax reform.

Assistant Majority Leader Tarryl Clark said they are still looking for the "sweet spot" on property taxes that combines the Senate's desire for more local government aid, the House's plan for direct relief based on ability to pay and the governor's request to cap property tax increases through levy limits. When asked if today is the day for a deal, both DFL leaders said they hope so, but with the governor leaving for fishing opener soon time is limited. Sen. Clark mentioned that there still may be some ice on the lakes up north and "we're trying to break some ice around here and get a deal." Clark though the governor will likely be going fishing with his cell phone.

Leaders and the governor return to negotiations at 11am after the Gov. Pawlenty signs the 35W victims compensation bill at 10am. Last night on Almanac: At the Capitol Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem said it just may not be worth the governor compromising when I asked him if unalloting is really so bad for Republicans. Pawlenty just said his office has run unallotment exercises and took a look at special session dates in the spring and maybe fall.

Face to face meetings are now done until probably Monday afternoon when the governor gets back from fishing opener and statehood celebrations. If there's progress over the phone they could always get together late Saturday or sometime Sunday, but it's Mother's Day!

It depends whom you to talk to about end of session negotiations whether it's time to panic or remain calm. The Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem says, "I fear dearly we may simply walk off a cliff this session with no agreement at all." He says Democrats have failed miserably in leadership in specifically addressing a nearly billion dollar budget shortfall. Some sarcastically wondered if the news wasn't that the Senate minority was having a news conference; they are the quietest caucus at the Capitol. Although Sen. Geoff Michel gets a good amount of press because he's simply a smooth quote machine.

Budget negotiations will pick up this weekend. Lawmakers and the governor are set to meet at 11:00am Saturday and are keeping Sunday open as well. That is a good sign and there is still some optimism. House Majority Leader Tony Sertich chided us for questioning if 8 or 9 legislative days are enough to finish everything up. For non-Capitol dwellers, the session doesn't end until Monday May 19th, but they can't pass bills on the final day and don't like to work on Sunday, so Friday the 17th exactly two weeks from now is the real deadline. A legislative day is a day where either the House or Senate meets in session.

The House leaders seemed relaxed and confident in contrast to the concern from the Senate minority on the fate of the end of session. Speaker Kelliher said she trusts Sen. Pogemiller wants to negotiate bills, but not everyone is sure if the House should trust the Senate. The two chambers have big differences on issues like property taxes. Remember if lawmakers don't reach a deal with the governor, he can unallot — that means unilaterally cut — but some things he can't cut. Kelliher says the judicial branch could not suffer under unallotment so certain parts of government might prefer unallotment because they'd be safe from cuts either the governor or lawmakers have proposed.