Advocates call anti-bullying veto a “lost opportunity”

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Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s veto of an anti-bullying bill on Saturday came as a shock to supporters of the measure who said they had negotiated with the governor’s office to meet his concerns about the legislation. The bill, which would have directed school districts to provide teachers, staff and administration with training on how to address bullying, passed both the House and Senate with large bipartisan margins and had the backing of a broad coalition of community organizations. The Safe Schools for All coalition said in a press release Tuesday that they had gotten “word from his staff that the final version had met every request and requirement the Governor had made.”
“By rescinding his compromise and vetoing this widely supported bill, the Governor said he cares more about his political reputation than the safety and education of tens of thousands of Minnesota students he purports to represent,” said Stephanie Hazen of the Family Equality Council. Pawlenty said the bill was unnecessary because Minnesota has already enacted anti-bullying legislation. He said the bill “duplicates current law relating to school board policies prohibiting bullying, intimidation, violence and pattern of harassment in schools.” He pointed out that Minnesota law already prohibits sexual, religious and racial bullying. Continue Reading

Shredding Strike Force docs / T-Paw: “Quit whining” / Ending “Season of Fear” / more

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Shredded documents at Gang Strike Force led to Strike Force commander Capt. Chris Omodt’s decision to padlock the doors ahead of schedule yesterday, reports the Strib.Officers in the Metro Gang Strike Force shredded documents at its headquarters late Wednesday night, hours after the state Commissioner of Public Safety announced plans for an internal investigation after a government audit found that the Strike Force couldn’t account for $18,000 in seized cash and at least 13 vehicles. After the shredded documents were found in dumpsters and garbage cans at the Strike Force’s Brooklyn Center headquarters, Omodt ordered an immediate closing. In an email obtained by the Strib, Omodt also reported that “someone apparently shut off a computer that records when someone enters the building with a security card,” and that Strike Force members had removed documents and personal property from the building.Adding insult to injury, Governor Tim Pawlenty vetoed the tax bill and told cities and local governments that their concern over cuts to local government aid were “hogwash” and that, “Instead of just whining and complaining, they need to figure out how they can reduce their spending by a few percent.” “Nothing short of insane” That’s Congressional Representative Betty McCollum’s characterization of the NRA/Republican success in tacking a concealed-guns-in-national-parks rider onto the credit card reform bill, reports the Minnesota Independent. This is a shameful example of the failure of the legislative process and I would urge President Obama to veto the Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights and send it back to Congress to take the guns out. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | Group praises Pawlenty for cutting funds for disabled, protecting the wealthy!

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Minnesotans for Personal Responsibility applauds Governor Pawlenty for keeping his no new taxes pledge and cutting discretionary funds for adults with disabilities by 25%! Adults with disabilities who live in group homes will have their discretionary money cut to $89/month in Pawlenty’s budget, down from $121 – $129/month. All individuals should be more personally responsible!! The Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases. Continue Reading

Veto forecast / Charter school in trouble / New car rules / more

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Even without the legislature in session, the forecast for Minnesota is high winds and lots of heat today.T-Paw QOTD “The legislators are gone away and they are not coming back.”Health care, bullying, transportation More end-of-session news: Pawlenty plan is recipe for massive job losses from Workday Minnesota, and Pawlenty talks unallotment, veto plans from Session Daily. Getting down to specifics:Health care The governor’s cuts come amid a “hellish week for hospitals,” says MnIndy, reporting on staffing cuts across the state in large and small, public and private hospitals. The Strib reports that many people are cutting back on health care, waiting until they are very sick before seeing doctors, leaving prescriptions unfilled, and skipping routine screenings, such as Pap smears. Transportation In the single bright spot, MN 2020 reports that Minnesota moved forward on transportation in this session. Elections bill Although the legislature watered down the elections bill, leaving out provisions sought by both DFL and GOP legislators, the governor will still veto it, reports MinnPost. Continue Reading

Governor No: Line item vetos and unallotment / Cop pleads guilty / Beware the borer / more

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Governor No No new taxes. No special session. No compromise. That’s essentially the message that Governor Pawlenty delivered with $400 million in line item vetoes and a threat that he will balance the budget by unallotment if the legislature does not agree to his terms. Rachel Stassen Berger’s PiPress blog describes who gets hit by the biggest line item veto:In signing the Health and Human Services bill the Legislature sent him, he slashed $381 million in funding for General Assistance Medical Care, a health insurance program for adult Minnesotans who don’t have health insurance but may not be eligible or may not yet be approved for other subsidized health care programs. Health insurance through GAMC is only available to folks who make $650 a month, about $7,800 a year, or less. Many covered under GAMC are homeless. Continue Reading

Lobbyists’ claims about medical marijuana don’t hold up

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The law enforcement lobby has been conducting a full-court press in editorial pages and in legislative committees against a medical marijuana bill that may end up on Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s desk. And it seems to be working. Pawlenty has cited the opposition of law enforcement to the bill as his motivation for making sure the bill never becomes law. Pawlenty waded into the debate recently when he was filling in for a conservative Christian talk radio host on KKMS. “I don’t like it,” he said of medical marijuana. “Is it really the only thing that can give [patients] relief?”
He said it was law enforcement officials who informed his opinion of medical marijuana and inspired him to veto the bill if it passes. Continue Reading

Waiting for the veto / “Independent” contractors / Playing to lose / more

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Passed, passed, passed and waiting The legislature passed a number of bills yesterday, and the stack on T-Paw’s desk continues to grow. Will he sign or will he veto? Only the governor knows for sure. Among the bills awaiting decision:
• Flat funding for P-12 schools and cuts for higher ed. Minnesota Miracle and expanded Q-Comp both lose out. Continue Reading

Closing the door to college / Five days, a billion dollars / No blood on the gun / more

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I’m on the road, so this blog post is short and late — I hope tomorrow will be earlier and longer. Closing the door to college Minnesota has had a proud tradition of higher education and of making higher education available to its residents. That may be ending, reports MinnPost:Tuition is rising faster in Minnesota than in most other states. It has doubled since 1999 at the U of M. .. Meanwhile, state spending for higher education has stuck flat for years in some areas and dropped by double digits in others. Continue Reading

OPINION | Pawlenty fishy on White Bear Lake

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Just before 6 a.m. Saturday morning pirates invaded my house. Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty was staging a flashy fishing opener just hours after vetoing a nuts and bolts state budget. I offered my White Bear Lake dock and pontoon for the protest. Before I finished making coffee, Ross and Greg had hung banners on the gunwales. Roger stowed his kites while fifth-grader Eric waved around a plastic hook hand and practiced saying “arrrgghh.” Bjoin’s pirate get-up inspired me to don a top hat. Continue Reading

FREE SPEECH ZONE | Golden Bush Award to Governor Tim Pawlenty – A Gala Affair!

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Minnesotans for Personal Responsibility—PawLenty for Us!—present Governor Tim Pawlenty with a Golden Bush Award
The Free Speech Zone offers a space for contributions from readers, without editing by the TC Daily Planet. This is an open forum for articles that otherwise might not find a place for publication, including news articles, opinion columns, announcements and even a few press releases. On Tuesday, May 5, 2009, Minnesotans for Personal Responsibility(MPR) presented Governor Tim Pawlenty with a Golden Bush Award in honor of his continuation of George W. Bush’s policies of tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations, not social services to families, children, the elderly or disabled. It was a gala affair! MC Georgette Murdoch presided, with speeches by Mrs. I.M. Rich, Education Chair of MPR, dripping in diamonds, of course, Falinda River, Transportation Chair of MPR, who complemented her Christmas red hair with a red feather boa and dress and a red, white and blue hat), and M. Antoinette Sans Tete, Head (so to speak) of the MPR Erase Entitlement Committee (in a che’ che’ lace-adorned dress, with pompadour. Continue Reading