Pawlenty shaved $208 million from a bill authorizing $925 million in general debt for construction projects around the state. He had warned lawmakers not to give him a bill that big, but he cut individual projects rather than blocking the whole bill.
"Somebody has to be fiscally responsible. That job falls to me," Pawlenty said.
Among the 52 rejections were $70 million for the Central Corridor light-rail line linking Minneapolis and St. Paul, $11 million for Como Zoo gorilla and polar bear exhibits and $24.5 million for a proposed new Bell Museum of Natural History.
Legislators from the St. Paul area stood by stone-faced as Pawlenty detailed his cuts, then unloaded after he left the podium outside his office.
"Everything for St. Paul is gone and I want to know why the governor hates the people of St. Paul," said Democratic Sen. Ellen Anderson. "It's personal, it's partisan, it's childish."
The Republican governor had said he wouldn't accept a bill bigger than $825 million. He said he cut even deeper to provide a cushion because the state and national economies are struggling.
House Majority Leader Tony Sertich, DFL-Chisholm, said the governor singled out projects in Democratic districts for line-item vetoes—particularly St. Paul, which will host the Republican National Convention in September and is the home city of the lead House negotiator on bonding, Rep. Alice Hausman.
"What the governor did today is he vetoed jobs," Sertich said. "There was punishment by the governor, undue punishment."
Pawlenty said legislators overspent because they were unwilling to say no to projects. He wouldn't say whether he would allow for a second bonding bill this year. He denied that he chose projects based on political representation in the districts they appear.
"We tried to do it on the merits," he said. "We're going to have disappointed Republicans and we're going to have disappointed Democrats."
The Legislature overrode Pawlenty's veto earlier this year on a transportation spending plan, but they're not expected to reverse him on the bonding cuts.
An override would require 90 House votes—five more seats than Democrats control—and 45 in the Senate. Each line-item veto would be considered in a separate vote.
"I would be surprised if any of the line-items were overriden," said Rep. Paul Kohls, R-Victoria. "The governor makes a compelling case that we can't bust the credit-card limit."
Despite publicly questioning the need for hockey and civic center renovations, Pawlenty spared those projects in Bemidji, Crookston, Duluth and St. Cloud.
But Mankato lost out on $975,000 to begin design of a performing arts center and women's hockey arena.
Other casualties included:
—$46.7 million for property acquisitions and classroom renovations on Minnesota State Colleges and Universities campuses.
—$16 million for a loan to the Red Lake school district for a new school.
—$6 million toward sports centers in Moorhead and Rochester.
—$5.5 million to study or plan for passenger rail routes connecting the Twin Cities to Duluth and another to Chicago.
—$5 million for a St. Paul Asian Pacific Cultural Center.
—$3 million toward planning for a Minnesota Orchestra Hall renovation.
—$400,000 for a music lending library in Chatfield.
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Brian Bakst can be reached at bbakst(at)ap.org