There will be blood…
Governor Pawlenty signed a bill today that would allow 16 year olds to give blood provided they have parental permission. The idea was created by 16 year old Joe Gibson from Blooming Prairie.
There were jokes that the young man aspired to be governor one day which prompted the Capitol Press corps to ask when he would run for governor. His "No comment" got plenty of laughs which prompted the governor's communications director to jokingly shout "That's all the time we have!"
The governor then said "I told him we were going to unveil the scandal that he's actually thirty years old." More laughter. KSTP's Tom Hauser then shouted "And John McCain wants him to be his running mate." Pawlenty's responded with a smile "Get in line!"
Gibson says his first act will be to convince a bunch of his 16 year old friends to donate blood on July first. That's the day of enactment for the law.
Create a More Connected Minnesota
MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.