Gov. Pawlenty changed the landscape of the session by announcing there will be no special session or government shutdown. The governor will use line item vetoes and unallotment to balance the budget after signing all the DFL budget bills. Areas cut could include health care, education and local government aid. Pawlenty added there will be "significant layoffs" of state employees. He will take out "many, more than three" bonding projects. The governor jabbed back at House Speaker Margaret Anderson Kelliher calling her "Special Session Speaker" after she called him "Permanent Deficit Governor."
The Speaker had a strong reaction afterwards noting "there will be no public hearings, no public input, just the governor alone with unelected people whispering in his ear." Senate Majority Leader Larry Pogemiller said Pawlenty is striking out and "I assume he'll calm down and get his wits about him, I don't know if he had a bad day." Some Democratic operatives say this could be good for them because they can beat the governor up all summer over harsh cuts. It also plays well to Pawlenty's base, he looks like a strong fiscal conservative who avoided a special session.