Pawlenty to appeal ruling - Minnesota Public Radio
January 06, 2010
Tom Scheck, Minnesota Public Radio, December 31, 2009
St. Paul, Minn. — Gov. Tim Pawlenty said Thursday he will appeal a judge's ruling that he overstepped his authority by unilaterally cutting the budget last spring.
Pawlenty made the announcement less than one day after Ramsey County Judge Kathleen Gearin ruled the governor "crossed the line" between his unallotment authority and interference with legislative powers. Gearin ordered the reinstatement of a $5 million food program the governor cut last summer.
Pawlenty said Judge Gearin "has inserted herself in the middle of a political dispute," and that she misapplied and misinterpreted the unallotment statute.
"That degree of involvement by the court is concerning, to say the least," Pawlenty said during a news conference at the State Capitol.
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