[Speed Gibson,
Wednesday July 27, 2005 at 11:46pm]
If I Were Governor
Eric Eskola asked our Governor Pawlenty if he wasn't acting more like a Prime Minister than a Governor. I think he's on to something, but we the people or at least the media seem to expect that while the Legislature is in session. Governor Arne Carlson, and I think also Governor Ventura, drew frequent criticism for not being sufficiently involved in the late hour negotiations.
We didn't hear that this budget session or last. Tim Pawlenty spent considerable time, used some political capital, and took considerable credit for bring the two sides together, however late. But is that the real role of a Governor. I don't think so. Here is my inauguration speech, should you be foolish to draft me as Governor.
"As your new Governor, I now head the Executive Branch of our State's government. While I have some specific powers and duties in interacting with the Legislative and Judicial Branches, my focus will be on my Constitutional duty to administer and enforce our laws. The Legislature passes laws, the Executive implements them, and where necessary, the Judiciary interprets them."
"Many seem to think that the Governor is also a key figure in the Legislative process. I do not, as I told you numerous times during the campaign. True, I have the veto power, but I will not use it simply to express my opinion on the merits or intended purpose of passed legislation."
"Rather than act as an active negotiator, or pursue the goals of my party, I will wear a striped shirt. It's tough enough trying to get the House and Senate to agree without having to also involve the Governor. So I say to the Legislature, do your jobs, send up bills that I can reasonably implement, and that are fully funded. Don't send me bills that clearly won't survive a Court challenge or otherwise violate our Constitution."
"Our Constitution says that bills must be for a single purpose. I will honor that requirement. Bills mixing say, nursing home inspections and a higher education spending will be vetoed. You have nothing to fear sending me separate bills, assuming they're fully funded."
"Now what do I mean by fully funded? Our Constitution requires a balanced budget, and it's my job to determine that. As required, I will send the Legislature a baseline budget, showing what I believe we will be spending and taxing if nothing is changed. On March first, I will publish a revised revenue forecast."
"If my baseline budget and/or the revised forecast indicate a shortfall, I will expect that gap to be closed promptly. If you pass a tax increase, I'll sign it. If you pass budget cuts, I'll sign those, too. If you release funds from our Rainy Day fund, I'll sign that. But until then, I will sign no other bills until we know that the gap is closed."
"If there's a surplus, I will sign spending bills up to the amounts in my baseline budget plus any projected surplus. But I won't otherwise sign a bill that puts us however temporarily in a deficit position. If a given function needs more money, you must cut it from somewhere else or raise taxes. Follow my rules, really just some reasonable controls to be sure we end up with a balanced budget at the end, and I'll sign it."
"We've had too many Special Sessions lately, and a big reason I believe is because waiting until the last minute seems to be rewarded. But passing a flurry of major bills very late in the session imposes on my Constitutional duty to review, then sign or veto them."
"Therefore, after May first, I will veto any bill running more than 100 pages as typed in the standard format. I only have ten days to veto a bill, but if you pass it early, I'll work overtime to review even a 1,000 page bill."
"I'll also promise not to use my line-item veto power on any bill passed at least 10 days before the May deadline. I'm not a fan of the line-item veto, as it equates to making law, not administering it. The Legislature should make the compromises, not the Governor."
"I will also veto a bill my staff considers very difficult to implement. Maybe it's too vague, maybe it's too complex, or maybe it's obviously unconstitutional. I will likely veto these types of bills as well."
"So there are my rules toward a better, more Constitutional approach."
We didn't hear that this budget session or last. Tim Pawlenty spent considerable time, used some political capital, and took considerable credit for bring the two sides together, however late. But is that the real role of a Governor. I don't think so. Here is my inauguration speech, should you be foolish to draft me as Governor.
"As your new Governor, I now head the Executive Branch of our State's government. While I have some specific powers and duties in interacting with the Legislative and Judicial Branches, my focus will be on my Constitutional duty to administer and enforce our laws. The Legislature passes laws, the Executive implements them, and where necessary, the Judiciary interprets them."
"Many seem to think that the Governor is also a key figure in the Legislative process. I do not, as I told you numerous times during the campaign. True, I have the veto power, but I will not use it simply to express my opinion on the merits or intended purpose of passed legislation."
"Rather than act as an active negotiator, or pursue the goals of my party, I will wear a striped shirt. It's tough enough trying to get the House and Senate to agree without having to also involve the Governor. So I say to the Legislature, do your jobs, send up bills that I can reasonably implement, and that are fully funded. Don't send me bills that clearly won't survive a Court challenge or otherwise violate our Constitution."
"Our Constitution says that bills must be for a single purpose. I will honor that requirement. Bills mixing say, nursing home inspections and a higher education spending will be vetoed. You have nothing to fear sending me separate bills, assuming they're fully funded."
"Now what do I mean by fully funded? Our Constitution requires a balanced budget, and it's my job to determine that. As required, I will send the Legislature a baseline budget, showing what I believe we will be spending and taxing if nothing is changed. On March first, I will publish a revised revenue forecast."
"If my baseline budget and/or the revised forecast indicate a shortfall, I will expect that gap to be closed promptly. If you pass a tax increase, I'll sign it. If you pass budget cuts, I'll sign those, too. If you release funds from our Rainy Day fund, I'll sign that. But until then, I will sign no other bills until we know that the gap is closed."
"If there's a surplus, I will sign spending bills up to the amounts in my baseline budget plus any projected surplus. But I won't otherwise sign a bill that puts us however temporarily in a deficit position. If a given function needs more money, you must cut it from somewhere else or raise taxes. Follow my rules, really just some reasonable controls to be sure we end up with a balanced budget at the end, and I'll sign it."
"We've had too many Special Sessions lately, and a big reason I believe is because waiting until the last minute seems to be rewarded. But passing a flurry of major bills very late in the session imposes on my Constitutional duty to review, then sign or veto them."
"Therefore, after May first, I will veto any bill running more than 100 pages as typed in the standard format. I only have ten days to veto a bill, but if you pass it early, I'll work overtime to review even a 1,000 page bill."
"I'll also promise not to use my line-item veto power on any bill passed at least 10 days before the May deadline. I'm not a fan of the line-item veto, as it equates to making law, not administering it. The Legislature should make the compromises, not the Governor."
"I will also veto a bill my staff considers very difficult to implement. Maybe it's too vague, maybe it's too complex, or maybe it's obviously unconstitutional. I will likely veto these types of bills as well."
"So there are my rules toward a better, more Constitutional approach."