Dayton says veto on education bill is imminent

With the 2015 legislative session just hours in the rear view mirror, Gov. Mark Dayton reiterated Tuesday his intent to veto the $17 billion education bill that the Republican-controlled House and DFL-controlled Senate passed Monday.

HF844*/SF811 would increase funding for K-12 and early learning programs by $400 million over the next two years. It materialized after an agreement last Friday between House Speaker Kurt Daudt (R-Crown) and Senate Majority Leader Tom Bakk (DFL-Cook), much to the chagrin of the governor, who immediately announced he wanted a $550 million increase for education that included creation of universal pre-kindergarten program that the House and Senate did not include in their bill.

“Throughout this session we have heard rhetoric from Republican members about the urgent need to close the achievement gap,” Dayton said at a Tuesday press conference. “This bill belies that rhetoric and instead chooses to target our youngest students — therefore I will veto this bill when I receive it.”

Dayton told reporters that Lt. Gov. Tina Smith and his chief of staff met with House Republican leaders several times on Monday to make a last ditch effort to reach a deal on the education bill, but to no avail. The governor said he was willing to drop his pre-K program if Republicans would agree to add an additional $125 million to the bill.

Smith said Daudt offered to agree to a $100 million increase with no additional funds for the universal pre-kindergarten program. However, Daudt would not meet the governor at the $125 million mark.

“It’s just so surprising to us that we moved towards them and they just kept stepping away,” Smith said. “I think they have a lot to learn about how to compromise.”

While his official veto of the omnibus education finance bill is expected to be a formality, Dayton and his staff will spend the remainder of this week reviewing each of the other major spending bills before taking action on all by midnight Friday. He didn’t let on if any other vetoes were in the works.

On the jobs bill the House and Senate passed in hurried fashion before adjournment late-Monday that some DFLers have criticized for its lack of transparency, Dayton said, “I’ve seen worse.”

In addition to education, two areas of legislation Dayton indicated could be taken up in a special session include a bonding bill and legacy bill that cleared the House late Monday, but was not taken up by the Senate before the session clock struck midnight.

Before a special session time is called, Dayton first plans to reach agreement with all four caucus leaders on what areas of spending and legislative issues they would take up.

“I won’t call a special session until my concerns are satisfied,” he said.