Legislative Update

Education Funding Bill: Despite optimistic reports yesterday that a budget agreement between the Governor and legislative leaders was imminent, talks broke down in the early evening. Later in the evening, the House and Senate passed HF 6, the education funding bill (see my report from yesterday for details of that bill). Governor Pawlenty has said he will veto the bill. The question is whether a veto might be overridden. The bill passed last night by wide margins in both bodies, receiving 97 votes in the House (where 90 votes are needed for an override) and 55 votes in the Senate (where 45 votes are needed for an override). Typically, there will be some legislators, especially those of the same party as the Governor, who will vote for a bill but are not willing to vote to override a veto.

Real ID: Last night the House and Senate also passed another bill prohibiting Minnesota from complying with the federal Real ID Act. The American Library Association opposes Real ID, as do many other organizations. This bill, HF 3807, is also expected to be vetoed. The bill passed the Senate with 50 votes and the House with 103 votes, so a veto override is possible.

Levy Limits: Governor Pawlenty is insisting on very strict levy limits on cities and counties as part of the overall budget agreement. Although we do not have a formal position on levy limits, public libraries could be adversely affected by levy limits. You may want to contact your legislator about this issue.

Education Policy Bill Vetoed: As expected, the Governor vetoed the omnibus education policy bill yesterday. You can access his veto message.