Pawlenty and legislators to resume talks on bonding bill

Key legislators plan to meet again with officials in Gov. Tim Pawlenty’s office at 9 a.m. Thursday to discuss their differences on the bonding bill.

On Wednesday afternoon, Pawlenty met with all the conferees that earlier this week approved a $1 billion bill that borrows money to pay for construction projects and land acquisition.

Issues discussed in the closed-door meeting included the proposed expansion at the Moose Lake sex offender facility. The Moose Lake facility wasn’t included in the conference report. Pawlenty wants funding for Moose Lake in the bonding bill.

Senate Capital Investment Chairman Keith Langseth, DFL-Glyndon, told reporters after the meeting that a smaller amount of funding than Pawlenty’s request will be included for Moose Lake.

Langseth’s counterpart in the House, Alice Hausman, DFL-St. Paul, said legislators and Pawlenty share common ground on their desire to pass a bonding bill.

“We are still very serious about moving this bill quickly,” Hausman said.

Pawlenty wrote to legislators Monday night that he would veto the conference report. DFL leaders chose not to send the conference report to Pawlenty, even though both houses passed it.

Hausman and Langseth, as well as the Republican conferees Sen. Paul Koering of Fort Ripley and Rep. Larry Howes of Walker, are expected to partake in tomorrow morning’s meeting.