Legislators, candidates, political observers react to unallotment order

Legislators, political observers and a handful of gubernatorial candidates were quick to react to Wednesday’s district court ruling suggesting that Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s unallotments earlier this year were unconstitutional.

Here’s what they said:

Minnesota Rep. Tom Huntley, DFL-Duluth, chair of the House Health Care and Human Services Finance Committee: “I applaud the district court’s opinion to restrain Gov. Pawlenty’s mean-spirited decision to deny medically necessary food supplements to vulnerable Minnesotans.

“That program provided over $5 million for life-sustaining diets to 4,300 elderly people and those with disabilities.  This opinion is good news for all Minnesotans because their voices, and those of their elected legislative representatives, will once again be heard in the life-or-death decision making required to balance our budget during an unprecedented fiscal crisis.

“In Minnesota, there are three branches of government: legislative, executive and the courts. I hope as a result of this decision, the governor will recognize his responsibility to work as an equal partner on budget decisions of this magnitude.”

House Speaker (and DFL gubernatorial candidate) Margaret Anderson Kelliher: “[The order] clearly lays out that the way Gov. Pawlenty used unallotment at the end of the last legislative session was not constitutional. The governor took a go-it-alone attitude, and when you are facing a budget crisis of the size and magnitude we are, that is unacceptable.

“As this debt grows, Minnesotans expect that their leaders will come together and solve these bigger problems. That is what I’m going to call for in the House.”

In a prepared statement, Kelliher added: “Today’s ruling represents a victory for all Minnesotans concerned about the overreach of executive authority. I applaud Judge Gearin’s order and look forward to a full hearing on this case early next year.

“As I said earlier, this is an important case about the separation of powers in state government. The legislative and executive branches of government need to be equal partners in addressing Minnesota’s budget crisis.”

Former state Sen. Steve Kelley, another DFL gubernatorial candidate: “I’m not surprised that Judge [Kathleen] Gearin ruled that Tim Pawlenty does not have the constitutional authority to unilaterally cut Minnesota’s budget. [Wednesday's] ruling affirms that Minnesotans can and should have a voice in how our tax dollars are spent [and] restores the constitutional balance between the governor and legislators.”

Former House Minority Leader (and gubernatorial candidate) Matt Entenza: “[Wednesday's] decision restraining Tim Pawlenty’s use of unallotment is a major victory. Those of us who have challenged this governor’s hatchet tactics in the past know there are better ways to fix our fiscal problems than by taking from those who have the least. Solving Minnesota’s budget crisis requires a vision for growing our state’s economy.

Roger Moe, a former DFL Senate majority leader and ex-gubernatorial candidate: “I can kind of see the rationale. The unallotment process, which has been in place for a long time, was obviously never intended to be used like the governor used it.

“The ruling just makes a difficult 2010 session a little more difficult. Maybe a lot more. When you start to add a deficit going in, strained relationships going in, and an election year and now this, pretty soon your soup kettle has a lot more vegetables in it.”