Lawsuit over Governor Pawlenty's unallotments

[Eric J in MN]

...five people have filed a suit that could undo several billion dollars of "unallotments" the Governor made at the end of this year's legislative session.

Governor Pawlenty took the action after he vetoed a balanced budget passed by the legislature and then removed funding to bring the budget back into balance.

..."The lawsuit... alleges the Governor violated the unallotment statute in the way that he did it and second that what he did violates the separation of powers requirement to the Minnesota constitution. So this may be one of the most important constitutional cases in Minnesota history."


http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/10/31/799175/-Unconstitutional-Pawlentys-Presidential-Calling-Card

[bjb]

1. Lawsuit

Hope they win.

[dpbrown]

2. It's about time

A Governor can't "create" a crisis and then unilaterally act to "resolve" it. That's bogus. The budget was balanced when he got it.

[Brickbat]

3. Finally.

[Mister Ed]

4. I was glad to read that David Lillehaug is representing the plaintiffs.

I've always been impressed with Lillehaug.

[glinda]

5. Every time I hear a commentator call him "pragmatic" I want to hurl. There is nothing

sensible or rational" about the way he acts.

[dflprincess]

6. "Pragmatic" is just another way of saying a politician

will do what they perceive to be politically expedient - no matter who gets hurt (provided it is not the politician).

[glinda]

7. That is not how it has been used by some on Maddow and a few other's Programs. It

has been used in the original sense of somehow alluding to a "positive" aspect or character trait. I find that the people usually saying this really have no clue about what has happened in MN. and are just repeating words that they have heard. This gives the wrong impression about P'Lenty IMHO. It is just like when Rachael had P'Lenty on her shows thinking that he was some sort of balanced, rational, non-partisan, able to work across the isle sort of politician, meanwhile he played her for some national exposure.