The session ends on Monday, May 19 - in just 4 days.  All bills must be passed off the floor by Sunday, May 18.  The governor and top legislative leaders are meeting frequently.  Reports vary on how well the negotiations are going. 

As we reported in an action alert earlier in the week, the House and the Senate overwhelming passed the HF6 - Education Funding Bill.  This bill gives small emergency funding to ALL schools including a one-time 1% increase of $51 per student to help reduce budget cuts next year. The sticking point is the legislature wants to use unallocated Q-comp dollars to fund the increases.  Governor Pawlenty is opposed to slowing the growth of the Q-comp program. 

The governor wants to keep education funding as part of the global negotiations.  By passing the education funding bill, the legislature was forcing the governor's hand by potentially removing education funding as a bargaining chip.  The governor must act on the bill within three days of receiving it.   That would give the legislators enough time to attempt an over-ride if he does veto the bill as he is threatening to do.  Then every legislator must either vote to support the governor's veto or to put dollars in the classroom.  This is a situation that many of the senators and representatives would want to avoid. 

Thanks to all who called the governor's office in response to the action alert.  We are hearing the governor office is getting many calls asking him to sign HF6.  It appears that these calls are having some affect.  In one report the governor was said to be offering an increase of $36 per student in negotiations - a departure from his earlier stance of merely protecting Q-comp.