Governor to St. Cloud: Game On. (Bumped and updated)

(Originally posted 4-7-08, 4:45pm)

Governor Pawlenty line-item vetoed $208 million from the bonding bill, in effect playing the parent to a number of teenagers with an over-zealous Christmas wish list. Pawlenty's vetoes mean that the metro lawmakers won't be able to play with their trains as much as they would have liked, nor will the polar bears receive their long-awaited palacial digs just yet. Money for SCSU, St.Cloud Technical College, and the National Hockey Center expansion will remain intact. (Hockey center money for the DECC and for Crookston also survived). Said Pawlenty

"These projects are very important to the future of St. Cloud State and Bemidji State," Pawlenty said of his decision to allow hockey-related improvements in both survive.

I guess that's not surprising, given "the goalie's" affinity for hockey.

Another interesting aspect, Pawlenty's cuts went "substantially below" that which he earlier stated would be acceptable for him to approve the measure. Larry Schumacher noted,

That leaves the possibility open for another bonding bill before the session ends that might contain items he wanted, such as land on Lake Vermillion in Cook County for a new state park or a new building at the Minneapolis Veteran's Home

I guess in the end, the Vets deserve the money more than the polar bears.

UPDATE

A copy of Governor Pawlenty's letter to Margaret Kelliher explaining his vetoes can be found here. (open with Adobe Reader 8.x)