Daily Digest: Veto threats hang over session’s end

Good morning, and happy Monday. The legislative session ended last night, but it looks as if Gov. Mark Dayton will veto major bills crafted by the Republican majorities in the House and Senate. Here's the Digest:

1. Dayton unsatisfied with at least two big bills. The Legislature ended a three-month session Sunday with a flurry of action, sending Gov. Mark Dayton a stack of bills that check off all of their pre-session priorities. But Dayton vowed to take down some of their marquee items -- a tax-cut package and a wide-reaching spending bill among them. “It’s been a debacle, but it’s a debacle of their creation,” Dayton said at a news conference a few hours before the final gavel fell. Dayton railed against Republican majorities that tried to jam him at every turn, combining initiatives boasting wide appeal with items they knew he’d balk at. “They would have taken the opportunity for us to work collaboratively and cooperatively together, we could have gotten these things done and put together,” Dayton said. “And Minnesotans would have been the beneficiaries of that. But that’s not the way they’re operating. That’s not their objective.” Republicans said it was Dayton who didn’t come beyond half way. They held out hope that the governor would back off his veto threat. (MPR News)

2. Many outside the Capitol are worried about what happens now. From tax preparers and teachers to the people who process vehicle license transfers, plenty of Minnesotans had a stake in what happened at the Capitol this year. Now, they’re left with uncertainty. It’s not a budget year, so technically lawmakers don’t have to pass anything. But an unusual number of high-profile issues cropped up since last year, including the major federal tax changes, the shortfalls in school budgets and the botched summer rollout of a state licensing and registration renewal system, known as MNLARS, that is still plagued with technical glitches. (MPR News)

3. Bonding bill passes in closing minutes. While the 2018 Minnesota Legislature accomplished few major goals, lawmakers did set aside their partisan differences in the final hour of the session Sunday night to pass an $825 million public works construction bill. The 11th-hour deal would fund hundreds of projects ranging from repairs to aging state buildings to constructing roads and bridges and upgrading sewer and water systems. It also will create thousands of jobs across the state this construction season, said Capital Investment Committee Chairman David Senjem, R-Rochester. “This is a jobs bill.” Facing a midnight deadline, the Senate passed the bonding bill at 11:30 p.m. on a 42-25 vote — one more than the three-fifths super majority required. It then sailed through the House on a 113-13 vote at 11:40 p.m. While the measure won strong bipartisan support, it faces one more hurdle: DFL Gov. Mark Dayton. He had called for $1.5 billion for infrastructure projects. Asked earlier in the evening if he could accept half a loaf, Dayton replied, “$825 (million) is so ridiculously low that there are a lot of really good projects, including water and environmental protection projects, that are otherwise going to be squeezed out, so I’ll have to look at the particulars.” But he stopped short of threatening a veto. (Pioneer Press)

4. Dayton vetoed bill that would have increases penalties for some protesters. Lawmakers began pushing for the change from a misdemeanor to gross misdemeanor after recent Twin Cities demonstrations against police violence that closed roadways. Dayton said in his veto message that he supports tougher penalties for freeway and airport demonstrations. But he said the transit part of the bill was too vague. “The language does not provide clarity regarding the actual crimes, for which it creates stiffer penalties,” Dayton wrote. Dayton also noted that “current law gives law enforcement the authority and tools needed to protect public safety.” The bill’s chief sponsor in the House, Rep. Nick Zerwas, R-Elk River, accused Dayton of flip-flopping on the issue and “bending to the will of fringe activists.” “The governor has failed to support Minnesota’s law enforcement community, putting them at serious risk,” Zerwas said. “I’m disappointed in the veto, but will keep working to protect law-abiding citizens and police officers in our state.” (MPR News)

5. Lewis meetings aren't enough for some constituents. U.S. Rep. Jason Lewis held three town halls in his Minnesota district on Saturday, in Wabasha, Lakeville and Jordan. They were pitched as a way for the Republican congressman to hear from constituents in the 2nd District — but protesters claimed the events, which required tickets to attend, were rigged to limit the audience to Lewis' supporters. That's a claim Lewis denies. Lewis' chief of staff, Amy Smith, said the town hall was just the latest opportunity for her boss to interact with constituents. "He's been doing telephone town halls, he's been meeting with groups and individuals in his district office and around the district, I think 271 of those," she said. "Today is an opportunity for constituents who have not been able to participate in those to come in and talk with him." When asked about the protesters outside, Smith said the decision to require tickets was taken after someone called in a threat to Lewis' office. The number of tickets was limited by the size of the venue. One-hundred tickets were made available for the Lakeville event, and, Smith said, distributed randomly. (MPR News)

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