Almanac: At the Capitol

Tonight Almanac is really must-see TV. We'll start the show with Gov. Pawlenty live (it's amazing how much access we're getting after complaining about it a couple of weeks ago). Then House leaders will join EE and Z on the couch. More than ever I think the House is really positioning itself closer to the governor than the Senate. Today Speaker Kelliher reminded her committee chairs to tell the media about all the governor's provisions that made it into House budget bills. Recently I asked the speaker if she thought she'd be playing the roll of moderator middle sister between Pawlenty and Poge. She agreed that could be her role. The other factor in end of session negotiations (remember there's just a month left) is always personalities and baggage. Anderson-Kelliher and Pawlenty just simply get along better than Pogemiller and Pawlenty. There's a lot of bad water under the bridge with Poge and TPaw. As fellow House members Kelliher and Pawlenty generally got along. And with all the new freshmen from swing districts in the House, they are naturally in a more moderate position. Finally, a couple of interesting areas that the governor could be softening on. He laid out another way medical marijuana could pass muster, if law enforcement got behind the bill. Now that may be tough to accomplish, but it signals he's not hard core on the issue that his friend Sviggy is authoring. Also, some Dems say in talks with Pawlenty and his staff that he might be open to revenues through increased tax compliance, increasing license tabs and sales tax for transit with voter approval.