Minnesota Governor Trims Bonding Bill

(St. Paul, MN)  --  Governor Pawlenty has chopped 320-million dollars from the public works bill he signed last week.  Higher education takes the biggest hit, more than 100-million dollars in construction projects.  Also trimmed from the billion-dollar bill: 50-million to expand civic centers in Rochester, Mankato and St. Cloud.  The funding for phase two of the terminal construction project at the Duluth International Airport was not cut by the governor and is included in the bill.  Pawlenty is in Florida for a political event and his veto message was delivered to the Minnesota House clerk today.  Pawlenty pared down the bill with line-item vetoes, saying "state government must live within its means."