Almanac: At the Capitol

A session ending deal is nearly complete. Legislative leaders and the governor plan to announce the details at noon Sunday. The Tax Conference Committee Chair Ann Lenczewski referred to a "negotiated agreement" and they are putting the language together. She says they're trying to "close it up and get to the floor as fast as we can." The deal includes a 3 year 3.9% property tax cap. There's more local government aid and a tax credit for military service. The Mall of America gets a bit of help for its expansion, but not the way they wanted it. Gov. Pawlenty's rural economic development program JOBZ would expire in 2015 which is consistent with current law. There are still some details to be finalized, but this is a good sign for a global deal. A bonding bill is next with Central Corridor and maybe something the governor wants like a Minneapolis Veterans Home or possibly Vermillion State Park.

A handful of Republicans got called into Gov. Tim Pawlenty's office to try to get a handle on the hot potato of REAL ID. Minority Leader Seifert says the governor has vetoed REAL ID along with an education bill. Pawlenty is talking to some of his fellow Republicans who could be override candidates behind closed doors. We had the story tonight of the executive order Pawlenty has proposed on REAL ID with what he apparently sees as some compromise language. Opponents of REAL ID do not see a compromise, they don't want any part of the federal mandate. They think Pawlenty has vetoed a REAL ID opt-out because of presidential candidate John McCain's support of it. Ron Paul and Mike Huckabee oppose it along with the Democratic candidates. Sen. Mee Moua said Pawlenty's vice presidential ambitions are getting in the way of his governing. The question for some of the lawmakers in the "woodshed" depends on when he issues the executive order, before or after an override. Lawmakers are questioning if the executive action is constitutional since it could undo a legislative action. The Senate is poised to override and the question is the House.

***Saturday update: Gov. Pawlenty has issued an executive order delaying the implementation until June 1, 2009 unless the legislature does otherwise. That detail is the new development from the draft we revealed on Almanac. Opponents of REAL ID who were interested in overriding Pawlenty's veto of the opt-out wanted at least a delay. They didn't think the draft went far enough. The question is if this executive action goes far enough to stave off an override.

It has been more than 5 years since I sat down to go one-on-one with Gov. Ventura and it felt like no time had passed at all. He was engergic, engaged and controversial as always. Frankly that's what has always made it fun. He is certainly a challenge, but I like challenges.

Jesse Ventura says he’s been disrespected by Minnesota and its public officials. He actually singled out his member of Congress Rep. Michele Bachmann as an exception because she sent him a hand-written note asking if she could ever be of service to him. That’s especially interesting since Ventura’s former Transportation Commissioner El Tinklenberg is running against Bachmann. Ventura won’t support Tinklenberg because he’s in the two party system.

He says he won't rule out running for U.S. Senate and he repeatedly ripped Franken and Coleman with some very harsh words. He said he lives in Minnesota more than Al Franken and when he wrestled for 30 years in different states he knew he had to pay taxes where he earned the money. He wondered why a Harvard grad like Franken wouldn't know that. Moving on to Coleman, he was angry the Republican Party was using an old wrestling image of him in ads and said he'd like to see some images of a long-haired war protestor from years ago who was Norm Coleman. Ventura said instead of "hell no, we won't go" he'd now say Coleman's slogan is "hell yes, clean up my mess."

Ventura does not think Gov. Tim Pawlenty is qualified to be vice president. He said Pawlenty hadn't accomplished anything as governor. Ventura says Pawlenty's veto of Central Corridor was "totally stupid." The former governor doesn't support John McCain anymore because of McCain's support of the war. Ventura called McCain "Bush the third." He says Obama won't change anything and called him a "gutless coward" for failing to stop the war immediately in Congress. Ventura said Democrats and Republicans are incapable of change.

The former governor also said he wasn't surprised his portrait was vandalized at the Capitol and had to be removed. He talked at length about the war, immigration, 9/11, 35W bridge collapse, Central Corridor and more. Jesse stayed for an hour and a half and was generally very chatty. I said "governor, I missed you" and he said "I can't say the same." I've always enjoyed the combat with Ventura. He was most surprised I had become a mom since we last talked and showed great interest in my child asking lots of questions. It was interesting to see his softer side is still there. He revealed more of that vulnerable side in talking about his daughter's upcoming wedding, Terry's health and Tyrel's exit from Minnesota.

Click here to see the interview!

-Mary Lahammer

Gov. Pawlenty is weighing in heavily in floor debates today. First Republican House Minority Leader Marty Seifert apparently heard from the governor along with the speaker and Pawlenty asked them to stop debating an education bill without a global deal and that it created a situation of "negotiating in bad faith."

Then the governor paid a visit to the Senate Republican caucus urging them to vote against an opt-out for REAL ID minutes before it hit the floor. The caucus will be split on this. This issue creates the most interesting coalitions. The liberal-conservative team of Moua-Limmer led the charge as we reported yesterday. The Senate passed it with plenty of room to override 50-16.

Meanwhile negotiations are picking up again between the governor and legislative leaders. They're popping in and out of meetings right now. They said they're still working on some tax issues. Property tax relief continues to be the sticking point--and perhaps the Senate's position. Senate Minority Leader Dave Senjem just came out and said "we'd be done if it was up to Margaret" meaning the DFL House Speaker. He said a certain senior member of his chamber is the problem. Could he be talking about Pogey?

REAL ID is back. The Senate Finance Committee just added an opt-out for Minnesota into another bill. Sen. Mee Moua's bill had to do with executive branch whistleblower protection. Ironic that this new bill would send the executive branch a bit of a bomb. Conservatives were considering joining liberals on an override of the governor's veto of the transportation bill that contained a REAL ID opt-out. John McCain is the only major candidate (Democrat or Republican) to support REAL ID. And we don't have to draw the line between Pawlenty and McCain for our astute readers. Conservative Senator Warren Limmer joined liberal Moua in making this happen. Limmer said he doesn't want this foisted onto the state from the fed and we should join the ranks of states opting out of this mandate. The bill heads straight to the Senate floor.

In the same quick committee we found out that Senate Bonding Chair Keith Langseth is officially on board on reviving Central Corridor light rail. The Senate Finance Committee just moved a new bill along on this as well. These amended bills are called "vehicles" in Capitol speak. Chair Dick Cohen asked a very rural Langseth if he was really in favor of this and Lanseth responded "I wouldn't be here if I wasn't." Langseth said he hopes to get Central Corridor to the Senate floor yet today and possibly quickly on to the governor. Pawlenty was clear again today that he won't sign money for the Central Corridor without an overall budget deal first. He said he didn't feel any pressure to sign the bill.